Gloucestershire PPG Network
27.01.17 Feedback Notes
North & South Cotswold Feedback
Representation from:
North Cotswold / South CotswoldChipping Campden Surgery / Phoenix Surgery
Rendcomb Surgery
Hilary Cottage x 3 members
Romney House Surgery x 2 members
Lechlade Surgery
Discussion around Care Navigation:
-Do not like the options of pressing keys for different services – will this still be applicable
-If the GPs only see complex cases (LTCs) concern raised that this is very hard work for them
-Need to raise patient awareness that there are a range of staff who can offer care
-Patients need to understand what care each member of staff can undertake
-PPG analysis of ‘Friends & Family’ survey always mention the time it takes to get through to reception
-Suggest the locality has a PPG PR representative to share message
-For rural communities – may have a different member of staff undertake a home visit
-Message has to be ‘spot on’
-Would like to understand what has happened elsewhere
-In Lechlade – GP carries out telephone triage. From patient perspective this has been well received
-To Note: a lot of patients demand a GP appointment
-Patient doesn’t always inform reception of the real reason for appointment and therefore have an appointment which could have been managed by another member of the team
-Could inform patients through carefully planned campaign:
newsletter
PPG
GP website (although do not believe this is widely used by patients following survey undertaken by PPG)
local magazines – although this has to be written generically
parish magazines
-Need to inform patients why this is being implemented
-If patients misuse service, may need to be informed that it was inappropriate use of GP time
-if call is ‘urgent’ and patient needs to ring 999 – is this message still played
-How does this link with NHS 111
-Should NHS 111 be incorporated into the options message
they could direct you back to GP
Response to Message
-Felt slightly resentful of the gatekeeping tone
-Last sentence was felt to be slightly inappropriate
-Liked idea of GP voice – no particular concern whether male or female
-Need name of GP giving message
FOD / Cheltenham Feedback
Like Clinical Pharmacist role – already proving a success
Have more dispensaries inside or nearby practices
Can they know more about Cross border work. (Wales) How is equality being assured? They would like the newly employed CCG project worker to be invited to the next meeting.
Clinical Navigator role – mixed opinion. Most felt good idea, but patients would need to have good understanding of the skilled workforce in each practice i.e. Names of practice nurse, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Clinical pharmacist, Mental Health Nurse, paramedic, social prescriber and other staff plus their qualifications / experience. Anyone attached to his surgery that that could see other professionals rather than a GP and know exactly what conditions they can treat. Must have a clear communication plan of how they promote this to patients - In surgery, TV screens , newsletters have coffee mornings, use the PPG’s to do this. If this is rolled out countywide must ensure prior to launch that there are sufficient phone lines open to cope with demand. Surgeries with other staff e.g. Social Prescriber etc. are working better and improving their service.
Patients that walk in for an appointment would need a private area in the Surgery where they can speak to the clinical navigator about their problem.
Recruitment - set up early programme in schools to promote allied professional role not just GP’s. What the career options are. Approach military to ex Health professional that are military trained.
Repeat Prescriptions without regular review is wasteful and worrying to patients. Care Homes in particular would benefit from this. One guest stated that GHT have had Clinical Pharmacists attached to each ward to do reviews of inpatients and found this beneficial.
GPs seem more open to comments and feedback from the PPG groups now.
Practices are private businesses and therefore variation occurs and it is hard to change them. Perhaps Cluster work may help with this.
New mums could be educated to ensure that future generations know how to access the correct services.
There is now a huge shift in the mental attitude of where to obtain healthcare. The public have lost faith in 111 due to long response times to answer call and poor signposting. MIIUs should be promoted more as many people are not aware of them and what they do.
Are the differing needs of children to adults being considered in the new plans for services and access.
Gloucester City Feedback
Specialisms need to be explained.
Practice merger at Heathville
- Core navigation training
- Pharmacy
- Document workflows and travel
- Admin staff
- Working collaboratively. Sharing staff policies and procedures
Cluster ideas make sense
Recruitments of GPs beneficial to patients
Aspen better parking facilities & on bus route
Publicity of changes is key for patient awareness.
Media builds up expectations - 8-8 not possible to see GP
Sharing info across Practices – 111/999 – data sharing. Presentation on JUYI. Situations can become critical
Clinical Pharmacists - overview of this provided good idea.
Pharmacy – continued education - Churchdown – Pharmacies +. Countywide publicity (4 page supplement in the Citizen)
Rosebank ‘The Voice’ – would be informative for patients if shown on NHS information screen where used in Surgery reception.
One practice is looking at
- Care Navigator training (which means a receptionist will be trained up to identify a patients needs and which professional is best placed to advise or see them). This can be a pharmacy or mental health nurse etc.
- Document workflow changes (which means taking the workload from GPs and giving to trained admin staff to deal with).
- How we can educate the patients to the changes that need to come into place, to avoid GP burn out.
- Also looking at working collaboratively with the other Practices at Aspen (i.e. Sharing staff and policies / procedures) Sharing the skill mix across the site.
Tewkesbury Newent & Staunton / Stroud & Berkeley Vale Feedback
Not enough GPs – biggest issue.
Suggested that Practices look at demand & capacity modelling e.g. Mon-Fri compared to weekends, they want this to allow Practices to offer appointments in-house before choice+ appointments. They could look at covering weekends; however most GPs don’t want to.
Patients don’t want Sunday appointments.
Need a wider engagement on Choice+; not aware when and where this is available.
More choice and information needed - not all patients want to use Choice+ as they want to stay within their Practice.
Suggestion of a PPG blog per practice; they could all use this to communicate with patients.
Care plans needed including Social Care
Issues with 111 & Out of Hours – bouncing around the system - 111-MIIU-ED
Bed blockages in the Acute Trust is an issue.
They love Social Prescribing - Social Prescribing Video -
PPGs requested more data for their practice (i.e. similar to the level of data the Locality Executives get from the CCG Information Team)