The Grantham Centre Practice
Grantham Centre, Beckett House, Grantham Road, London SW9 9DL
Telephone: 020 – 7733 – 6191 Fax: 020 – 7737 – 2870
e-mail:
Dr S WickremesingheMBBS FRCSJonathan Wilmshurst
Dr A deVilliersMBChB Dip Derm PRACTICE MANAGER
Dr N BandaranayakeMBBS MRCGP DRCOG BSc (psych)
Dr V SharmaMBBS, MRCP MRCGPMSc
Dr E SenanayakeMBBS MRCGP MRCS
Minutes of the PPG meeting held on 17th December 2013
Attendees:19 members attended
From the Practice:J Wilmshurst, Practice Manager of the surgery
Sue Raggett, Deputy Reception Supervisor
Dr S Wickremesinghe – GP
Mary O’Connor, Reception Supervisor
Welcome everyone!
Jonathan welcomed everyone who attended the PPG meeting. It was so delightful to see a fantastic turnout. Thank you all for showing such a great interest. I do look forward to keeping patients linked in with the practice to improve, develop and entertain new initiatives that the group and the practice staff at the Grantham Centre can work towards.
This is your surgery! The services we provide are directed by the practice and the patients.We will drive the primary care services with the input from our patient population. We want your feedback about the services that we provide you with. It cannot come from health care professionals alone. Patients are a fundamental part in helping us drive forward quality services.
PPGs were developed as a way to extend patient involvement. It encourages people to engage with the NHS at the same time as engaging in your own health care. Your involvement can provide practical support to the practice. You can contribute to the continuous improvement of services. This is important to us, as your primary care provider
Our aims and Objectives
Aims
•To participate in the health improvement of the local population
•To encourage patients to engage in their own healthcare
Objectives
•To have knowledge on issues that impact on health
•Being a signpost to other services. agencies
•Sharing experience & feeding back
•Identifying areas with scope for improvement
•Highlighting excellence
•Turning knowledge into action
•Supporting change
•Bringing peers together for mutual encouragement
•Promoting self-management
•Linking into the community
1)So, what is a PPG
Jonathan explained what a PPG is and what it stands for.
A PPG is a group of committed patients and carers willing to support the practice
It’s an opportunity for patients to work with the practice team to help improve services
A chance for the practice team to actively listen and respond to the views of our patients
What a PPG isn’t:
It’s not a forum for complaints. We have separate procedures for this.
It’s not a politically motivated group
It’s not unwanted extra work for the group and staff at the practice
2)Questionnaire for patients – Feedback on services
The group gave their views as to what should be in our survey this year. Below are some of the ideas you all gave. Our questionnaire this year needs to focus on the following areas:
Appointments. The ease with which a patient can get an appointment. Are patients happy with times offered and amount of time spend with their GP or Nurse?
Are patients happy with current services?
Current prescription services. Our processing of repeat prescriptions.
Quality of services received by the doctor or nurse. Do patients have enough time with their doctors / nurse
Referral systems. Do patients get referred within a reasonable timeframe?
The state of the building.
Results. Are patients satisfied with the length of time it takes to get results?
Support for diabetics.
Sexual health services for teenagers
Jonathan will put together a questionnaire and send out to the group.
3)Other Organisations
These are:
NHS England.
This is a body of the Department of Health
They hold the purse strings
They commission large services and GP Practices
Lambeth CCG
It’s made up of a membership of 49 practices
They work in partnership with other NHS bodies
They commission local services
Both NHS England and the Lambeth CCG want to hear from patients.
Jonathan mentioned the health debate. If you want to find out the results of the Lambeth Health Debate go to
4)How you can help your practice?
Two ways, really. One is NHS Choices and the other is CQC.
You can have your say on the NHS Choices.
The NHS choices website is
They list:
NHS services near you
GPs
Just type in your address OR postcode
The Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The CQC is a Government body that regulates NHS services: GP practices, Hospitals, Care Homes, etc.
They can visit at 48hours’ notice.
They will want to hear from our patients. ours Notice
5)What can the PPG do?
Jonathan discussed some of the things that the PPG can do for the practice and outline the benefits. They are listed below.
You can:
Represent views of fellow patients
Identify areas of improvement in the practice
Work with the practice to help shape the service for patients
Help us develop a survey so that we can gain the opinion of more patients about priority areas
Promote the good work we do
Speaking to the CQC on our behalf
So, what are the benefits to you?
The benefits are:
Patients gain a better understanding of their practice
They can be a powerful voice for patients
A chance to shape the practice
Improve service for patients
6)Note by Jonathan on Future meetings
I would like to invite you back to see the feedback we get from our survey. Please do come along and bring others with you, who are patients of this practice, if you know anyone.My aim is to get things done! Remember, you control this too, and with my help.
7)A personal note.
Firstly, thank you all so much for your attendance. I really did appreciate everyone’s’ comments. You may remember that I said in my last minutes to you that nothing you say will be taken as negative. I really mean this, everyone. I want to strengthen what works and improve what doesn’t. We believe that everyone who uses our services should get the best of what we can give. We don’t have all the answers but with your help we can work towards a quality service that you want to receive and that we want to provide. The best people to help develop services are those that use them – YOU.
As I said last time, I can change the things that are possible, negotiate with others what I need help withand be honest and say that some things aren’t possible for whatever reason.
My promise, when we last met, still holds strong. That is I promise to you and the patients of the practice is that we:
-will listen
-will action what is possible and within the practice’s control
-will find out if we don’t know the answer
-will work with you to explore new things / ideas
-will aim to improve current services and develop new ones if possible
-but most of all – give you the opportunity to have your say and input to the PPG to help improve the services we deliver.
This cannot be done without you. Thank you all for maintaining the PPG for your practice.
Z:\My Documents\Patient and public involvement\2013 TO 2014\Minutes\Minutes of PPG meeting 17th Dec 2013.doc