PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP MEETING

1st MARCH 2016– 6.30PM THE RIDGEWAY SURGERY

PRESENT: Cicely Thomas (Chair)

John Williams (Vice Chair)

Maureen Jones

Barbara Bryan

Diane Robbins

Mike Edwards

David Jones

Amreen Kaur

Karen Evans

Ella Fieldhouse - Practice Manager

Samantha Johnson – Office Junior

Ashleigh Dodd – Admin Apprentice

SPEAKERS:

Peter Szczepanski – Dudley LPC Chief Officer

Michelle OMeara - Expert Patient Programme

APOLOGIES: Cllr Adam Aston

Melvyn Roberts

Damian Corfield

Audrey Heer

ACTION
1.  Present and Apologies
Apologies noted.
New member David Jones was welcomed to the meeting.
Surgery staff Sam and Ashleigh were introduced and thanks for attending.
2.  Speaker – Pharmacy First
Pete introduced himself. He advised he has been involved with the Pharmacy First programme since 2005, assisted with the pilot in Dudley and ran the evaluation at the end of 2014. He advised that under the scheme adults patients are permitted 6 visits in 12 months and children are permitted 8 visits. There is quite a lot of training involved to enable the pharmacy to become accredited to offer the scheme. 74 pharmacies have signed up for the scheme in Dudley but only half have provided the service. Pharmacy First is due for review in April 2017 and there are regular steering group meetings. Dudley LPC has a list of pharmacies that offer the service in the area. The pharmacies report to the surgery via a system called Pharm Outcomes, ie this is used to advise the surgery on any acute conditions patients present with. Discussion followed – PPG members felt that the scheme should be more publicised if it is to be successful. Patients also need to be made more aware that in order to access the scheme at the pharmacy they need to know their NHS number. The list of accredited pharmacies also needs updating – EF brought the list to the meeting and it is clearly now out of date, no subsequent list has been produced. It was also noted by the PPG that pharmacists that become accredited often leave – as with the Lloyds Pharmacy next to the surgery – and therefore take the accreditation with them. PS was appreciative of the feedback from the PPG. PS left the meeting.
3.  Minutes of previous meeting
Agreed and accepted
4.  Matters Arising :
5.  Surgery Survey
PPG were pleased with the results of the survey and extended their congratulations to the surgery staff. It was agreed that patients need to be made more aware of the surgery opening hours and the online facility to book appointments and order prescriptions. It was suggested a more eye catching poster is put up to display the opening hours and that patients could be texted or emailed – this could be a time consuming and expensive process however. EF to ensure the website makes these areas very clear and social media to be used to advertise further. EF to put together an action plan and display this on the surgery website along with the survey results. CT to look into advertising in local newspapers/local magazines eg Village Voice and report to the next meeting.
Roy Dore from the Virtual PPG’s email was noted and the suggestion that technology is further utilised by the surgery to assist patients – as noted above more awareness of online services is required and the Barclays IT training initiative may also help patients become more IT aware.
6.  Bookmarks
Bookmarks were brought by CT. Agreed by PPG they look effective and also advertise the surgery opening hours, website and PPG. PPG will distribute them locally eg to local churches, scout hall, Ladies Walk clinic etc. PPG members will also attend the surgery to distribute to patients.
It was agreed the PPG would support awareness of ovarian cancer this month – EF to ask KRD to create a fact sheet to be distributed to patients by the PPG. ME advised he would attend next Tuesday for this purpose.
7.  Ladies Walk - progress
No update – DC not present
8. Speaker update
Michelle introduced herself. She advised the last course had been a great success. Patients from The Ridgeway were invited to attend, having been sent letters by our secretaries/advised directly by the doctors of the programme.
The course lasted 6 weeks but was extended for a seventh week to enable representatives from areas such as falls service to attend to answer specific questions and give help and support if required. Patients from both Ridgeway and Woodsetton Medical Practice attended. An evaluation of the programme to be given to EF by Michelle to share with the PPG.
9. Urgent AOB / Barclays Initiative
KE has been in touch with Barclays in Sedgley regards their training initiative helping the public understand how to use online services, eg ordering prescriptions. They also offer other training such as setting up email addresses, Skype etc. Agreed to give consideration to this at the next meeting, ie plan an IT training programme which the PPG can deliver along with Barclays.
10. Surgery report
EF advised the surgery have new Registrar Dr Avtar Singh – EF to ask Dr Singh if he would be able to attend the next meeting so he can meet the PPG.
Also requested that Dr Spiller attend the next meeting if possible, to advise on the current research projects being undertaken.
Friends and Family results – no negative comments to be noted surgery achieved:
87% extremely likely to recommend the practice in January
85% extremely likely to recommend the practice in February
11. AOB
Nothing for AOB
NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday 3rd May 2016 - 6.30pm – Ridgeway Surgery / EF
CT
PPG
EF
EF