Dr Simmonds and Dr Kühnen
Family Practitioners
Local Patient Participation Report 2013-2014
The patient participation group (PPG) for the practice of Dr R Simmonds & Dr M Kühnen at Canterbury Health Centre was created in August/September 2011 in response to the Government’s, and the Department of Health’s, initiative to get patients more involved in the range and quality of the services provided by their GP practice. The Canterbury Health Centre PPG is now in its third year of being.
The patient participation group maintained its membership, and this year has 131 members all of whom are registered patients. All members are “virtual members”, there are currently no postal members, though the facility does exist for any patient who does not have access to the internet to be a member of the group. The group covers an age range between 18 and 88 years and represents patients from a variety of socio-economic, racial and religious backgrounds. 45% of the membership are male, and the remaining 55% are female.
All new patients who join the surgery are invited to join the PPG. The practice staff regularly undertake patient contact data verification exercises, and all patients who have their details updated/verified are invited to join the PPG at that juncture. In addition thereto there are posters and leaflets displayed around the practice inviting membership.
Once again the main issue that had been identified by the National Survey was one of access to services. Upon interrogation of the data, the vast majority of the disparaging responses were from patients wanting 24/7 access to primary care services. As you are aware there is currently no funding, nor the resources available to provide the same. However, it was agreed with the PPG that we would concentrate on the way primary care services are accessed, and what services (if any) could be offered by the practice to it’s patients.
Following the determination of the issues to be covered, a full survey focussed on the agreed issues was forwarded to the PPG for completion, via the website. In total only 17 patient members completed the survey and the results of the same were communicated to the group and published on the practice’s website and members were invited to comment on the same. No comments of any nature were received. (Please see appendix A for a copy of the survey results).
Following the survey an action plan, incorporating the issues identified in the survey, was drawn up by the practice and circulated to the PPG members and again published on the practices website. (Please see appendix B for a copy of the action plan). As before the members were asked for their comments on the action plan. There were no comments received from the PPG members, disparaging or otherwise.
As a result of the patient survey, the following actions have been agreed:-
- An appointment reminder service, via SMS, is to be introduced
- All future practice newsletters will include a short health advice section written by a GP
- A training development programme for the practice’s HCA will be developed and implemented, and once completed, the number of clinics will be increased
- The practice has signed up to the Enhanced Patient Offer bringing additional services closer to the patient.
A copy of the practice’s opening and access times, including extended hours, is contained in appendix C.
Dr Simmonds and Dr Kühnen
Family Practitioners
Local Patient Participation Report 2013-2014
Appendix A
Top of Form
Canterbury Health Centre intranet
Practice Survey December 2013
Number of Responses: 17
1. As a virtual PPG member are you currently using the Vision Online Service for ordering prescriptions and making doctors appointments online?
Yes52%
No47%
2. Do you find this facility useful?
Yes70%
No11%
No response19%
3. Are you aware that the surgery currently publishes a practice newsletter?
Yes64%
No29%
No response7%
4. Would you be interested in reading a short health advice section on our newsletter written by the GP's?
Yes82%
No17%
5. Should the service be made available would you like the provision of more Healthcare Assistant clinics? (phlebotomy, weight, flu/ B12 vaccines and new patient checks)
Yes76%
No17%
No response7%
Dr Simmonds and Dr Kühnen
Family Practitioners
Local Patient Participation Report 2011-2012
Appendix B
Action Plan.
Following your recent invaluable input to our practice survey we have now had the opportunity to consider your comments. We would propose that the following actions are taken to review our services as a result of the consensus of opinion from the survey.
• 70% of you who responded stated that you found the Vision Online Service for booking appointments and repeat prescriptions useful – We will look at ways of extending online facilities to our patients including the introduction of a text reminder service.
• 82% of you who responded stated you would like a short health advice section in the practice newsletter written by one of our GPs – All future newsletters will contain a short health advice section.
• 76% of you who responded stated you would like the provision of more HCA clinics – We are currently undertaking an in-house training programme to develop the skills of our HCAs. We have also signed up to the Enhanced Patient Offer (EPO) pilot scheme being run by Canterbury & Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group (C4G) to bring services closer to patients. Please see below for fuller details.
As always we would invite your comments or suggestions on the above.
As mentioned above, C4G are piloting the EPO with an aim to bringing certain services into the community, closure to you, the patient. We have signed up to this programme in the expectation that we can provide these services to you in a more timely and convenient manner than currently exists. The services provided include:-
• Community Based Electrocardiegram (ECG) (not 24 hour ecg)
• 24 Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM)
• Ear Irrigation
• Post-Operative care of surgical wounds
• Administration of Injectable Drugs (Cleaxane, Zoladex, Prostap, Sustanon, B12, Depo et al)
• Removal of sutures & clips
• Dressing of gravitational leg ulcers
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Testing (OGTT)
• Phlebotomy
• Women’s Health
Should you require any of the above, our GPs would be happy to refer you to our in-house clinics.
Dr Simmonds and Dr Kühnen
Family Practitioners
Local Patient Participation Report 2013-2014
Appendix C
The practice premises are open 08:30 to 18:30 Monday to Friday. Telephone access is from 08:00 to 18:30. Patients can contact the surgery during these times by telephone (01227 780437), or in person. The practice also provides the ability to book standard 10 minute GP appointments and order repeat medication via Vision Online Services (VOS). This service is open to all patients over 16 years of age.
The practice has also entered into arrangements with the Primary Care Trust to provided extended hours access. To this end we have late night GP appointments available, on Mondays (18:30 to 19:30) and Wednesdays (18:30 – 19:15). Appointments can be booked with reception in the usual way.