Mitcheldean Surgery
Patient Participation Report March2015
Drs Weiss, Stallard & Tingay
MITCHELDEAN SURGERY
Patient Participation Report
1.0Introduction
The aim of the Forum is to bring together patients, carers and practice staff to discuss, plan, monitor and develop services and the quality of those already provided. The Forum aims to pool local knowledge and experience, focusing on areas where services can be enhanced to the benefit of the practice population.
Since the Forum established in March 2006, it has reviewed all Patient Surveys undertaken, from informal in-house surveys to our annual formal survey. Suggestions for improvements are received either during the Patient Forum meetings or received via email from members of the Virtual Group. Once discussed within the Practice, all views are consolidated into an Action Plan (see full Action Plan on website). The Forum has grown in numbers and has developed a working understanding of the Practice and the ethos behind the services it delivers promoting informed and active discussion.
1.1About the Practice
The Practice is now a 3 Partner Practice (Dr Paul Weiss, Dr Paul Stallard and Dr Vashti Tingay), withsome support from regular locum GPs and a GP trainee. The Practice population has now risen to approximately 6200. The Practice dispenses to over half its registered Practice population. The Practice is open Monday to Thursday from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm and Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. We do not routinely close for lunch but close one/two lunchtimes per month for meetings and approximately 9 afternoons per year for training (Protected Learning Time which involves all Practices across the Forest of Dean). The Practice routinely offers 4 GP surgeries every morning and a mix of between 1 and 2 GP surgeries every afternoon/evening. The Practice Nursing Team offer clinics every day, all day and offer specialist clinics such as well woman/man, immunisation, asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Appointments are offered as a single appointment but double appointments can be arranged upon request. Some procedures are known to take longer than a single appointment and time is allocated accordingly at time of booking.
The Dispensary closes daily during the afternoons to prepare prescriptions; Monday to Thursday it closes between 12.30 pm and 4.00 pm and between 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm on Fridays.
For further information, please refer to the Surgery website
2.0Membership
The membership is open to any patient of the practice, carer or member of staff who wish to join the Forum or the Virtual Forum (email contact only). Removal from the patient list (for whatever reason) will disqualify continuing membership of the group. Patients can nominate themselves to join.
There are some patients/carers who have been members of the Forum since it started on 21 March 2006. A revision to the Constitution states that committee members shall retire at the end of December but shall be eligible to join or be co-opted again. It is valuable to the Practice when patients/carers retain their membership but it is equally acceptable to retire membership having contributed to the Forum. This year, we discussed this at our Forum meeting on 24 February 2015 with all members retaining membership.
Along the way, some members have been invited to join and some have seen notices and have nominated themselves. The membership has widened since the end of 2011 when the Virtual Forum was established to enable those not able to attend to still participate. This includes representation from care homes we provide medical cover for.
The Patient Forum originally met every quarter, but with a rising workload and more input required, now meet on an ad hoc basis. Forum members are also actively engaged in viewing Practice information before it is sent to patients, (for example; leaflets to ensure they are written in a ‘patient friendly’ manner), attending ad hoc meetings (for example; with CQC Inspectors), waiting area surveys, supporting the Flu clinics (providing refreshments for those attending and raising funds for the Surgery Equipment Fund), assisting with Friends and Family questionnaires and in discussions to set up new services such as the proposed repeat medication delivery service proposed from April 2015. The Forum generally provides wide-ranging support and help to the Practice and is not limited to discussion at meetings.
2.1Profile of Members
It was recognised there were difficulties in attracting a more inclusive membership, hence the Virtual Forum was established. As the Practice provides medical care for both nursing and learning disability homes, home managers have joined to represent those groups. Currently, the age range of 18 – 34 is not represented on the Forum.
Name / Joined / Forum orVirtual Forum
From / To
Tessa Whitehouse / March 2006 / Present / Forum
Paul Stallard / March 2006 / Dec 2013 / Forum
Gayle Sykes / March 2006 / Present / Forum
Maureen Gough / March 2006 / Present / Forum
David Tweed / March 2006 / Sept 2009 / Forum
John Smith / March 2006 / Present / Virtual
Rob Young / March 2006 / Oct 2009 / Forum
Graham Forbes / March 2006 / Sept 2009 / Forum
Joy Henbest / Nov 2006 / Aug 2011 / Forum
Sandy Hill / Sept 2006 / June 2011 / Forum
Clare Mace / June 2008 / Sept 2011 / Forum
Janet Swallow / Nov 2008 / Present / Forum
Bill Reay / Nov 2008 / Present / Forum
Russell Green / Oct 2008 / Present / Forum
John Eastwood / March 2009 / Present / Forum
Margaret Johnson / Sept 2009 / Present / Forum
Irene Coker / Jan 2012 / Present / Virtual
Clive Roberts / Jan 2012 / Present / Virtual
Rosemarie Halifax / Jan 2012 / Present / Virtual
Monica Gittings / Jan 2012 / Present / Virtual
Clive Scott / Jan 2012 / Present / Forum
Debbie Hope-Hill / Jan 2012 / Present / Forum
Deborah Wiggins-Hay / Oct 2012 / Present / Virtual
Colin O’Keefe / Oct 2012 / Present / Forum
3.0Patient Views and Survey Findings
Patient views on the services delivered are very important to the Practice Team. We are grateful to the Patient Forum whom give up their time and actively assisted the Practice in gathering views and information from the Practice population.
There have been several surveys carried out over the past year for varying purposes:
- April 2014Results from the CFEP Improving Practice Questionnaire, (on previous report), some agreed actions have already been completed but improvements to the waiting area in particular will run over into this year and are due to complete by end of April 2015 (such as replacement doors and carpet to the waiting area).
- April 2014 Survey of patients booking in for the ‘emergency’ Friday afternoon clinic – 65 patients participated (results available on website). This Survey provided the Practice with information regarding reasons for patients coming in at those times and allowed alternative arrangements to be made in offering routine appointments. This is ongoing and continually monitored and discussed at Practice Meetings.
- Friends and Family Test introduced in December 2014 and comments/themes collated are used as the additional question on the following month’s question card. During January 248 patients participated and 106 in February.
- CQC QuestionnaireThe Practice was inspected by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) on 14 January 2015 and a box was provided for comment cards. This was a confidential process with only CQC Inspectors viewing the cards – we have been informed that 189 patients participated (over a 2 week period) and only 5 cards had any negative issues. We were informed that it is very unusual to have so many views from patients which is to the credit of the Patient Forum whom helped us with this. Once the initial report from the CQC is received, it will be discussed with the Patient Forum and all staff. The final agreed report will be publicised on the website and a Special Edition Newsletter will be produced.
The Practice has always been active in collating views, the patient population often express their views to GPs and staff members (a growing trend) which we discuss as a Practice and look at making any necessary changes. We will continue to do this whether it is through anonymous questionnaires, waiting area surveys or informally through consultations. The website established in January 2011 has also been a valuable source for patient feedback. Over the past 3 years, the Practice Manager has been invited to local AGM’s of various groups to talk about the work of the Surgery – this too has been a valuable source of feedback.
4.0Action Plan
This year, the Action Plan has been established through various sources, feedback from surveys and directly from patients and the ongoing programme of environmental improvements planned for the premises.
Issue / Actions Required / Responsibility/Resources / Completion Date / Notes
Access to Surgery – Electronic Doors /
- Minor Capital bid for part funding
- Specify product
- Agree electrical installation specification
- Agree carpet requirements
- Arrange works and installation
- Practice Manager
End April 2015 for carpet /
- Floor repair required
- Position of air curtain/electrics
- Arranging works in line with minor capital bid process
Waiting area/corridor door /
- Assess options
- Cost
- Implement new/replace existing heavy door which slams
- Practice Manager
Patient Engagement /
- Continue to engage with groups such as local luncheon clubs, local district councils, WI groups etc
- Continue to update website, produce newsletter, undertake surveys
- Continue to encourage new members to Patient Forum and Virtual Forum
- Practice Manager/Team
- Consider visiting parent and baby groups
Staffing Levels /
- Continue to monitor workload
- Practice Manager
Telephone Access /
- Monitor calls/comments from patients if cannot get through
- Monitor any line problems from outgoing calls
- Keep hardware up-to-date with capacity to expand
- Practice Manager/ Reception Manager/ service provider
Decorating /
- Clinic Rooms
- Public spaces
- 2nd Floor
- Practice Manager
Delivery Service for Repeat Medication
To those over 60 years in Longhope, Lea and Huntley areas /
- Identify need
- Agree area for pilot
- Agree timescale
- Agree project plan
- Implement pilot
- Review pilot
- Plan for next stage roll out if successful
- Practice Manager/ Dispensary Manager/ GP Partner/ Dispensary Team/Practice Secretary
for other area
to be programmed /
- Review success of pilot scheme at month 3 (July 2015)
Web Site /
- Update with more photos to make more user friendly
- Patient Access to their health records
- Practice Manager/Team
- Patient access to health records will be dependent upon software being in place.
Information Packs to learning disability homes /
- Photos of staff and premises
- Introduction of staff residents will come in contact with
- Practice Manager/ Reception Manager
Backlog Maintenance /
- Continue to keep premises decorated and fit for purpose
- Practice Manager
5.0Conclusion
The Action Plan will be implemented and reviewed periodically. Findings from subsequent surveys and feedback on services will feed into the Plan and highlight areas for change or development as and when. The Plan to upgrade premises is ongoing and will accommodate backlog maintenance as well as upgrading areas to new standards.
The Practice reiterates its commitment to engaging patient participation and continues to value feedback and input from its patient population.
Again, many thanks go to the Mitcheldean Surgery Patient Forum for their valued contribution and tireless support and to all those patients whom complete questionnaires or take time to provide feedback.
Gayle Sykes
Practice Manager
March 2015
Version 3.0 Submitted