Annual General Meeting
Hurley Clinic Patient Participation Group
Durning Library
Monday 23rd November 2015 6.30pm
Present: PPG Members - Priscilla Baines, Dilys Cossey,, Michael Gainsborough, Christine Tan, and Kemi Alagbala
Hurley: Dr Mark Ashworth, Rylla Baker (Director of Operations HG), Pamela Elliott (PM), Paula Libanio (Reception/Admin staff)
Apologies: Michael Gainsborough, Cortina Henderson (PPG members)
Meeting opened by Priscilla- Chair of the PPG
Dr Mark Ashworth made a presentation reflecting on the year we had. Some sadness with losing our receptionist, Amanda, and the team attended her funeral. She was popular member of our team and very well known to patients. The team have planted a shrub within the garden Avery in the surgery in her memory.
Dr Ashworth explained that this has been a good year, with more team stability. The complaints are different thisyear and reflect concerns about the effects of GP shortages that many practices are now facing. He also talked about new developments to help alleviate the problem which is money from the Prime MinisterChallenge fund to offer appointments at local practice hubs in evening and weekend hours. Nearest hub to the Hurley Clinicwas the South Lambeth Group Practice. All registeredpatients can attend an appointment at any hub in the scheme.
North Lambeth Federation
Dr Ashworth and Rylla Baker went on to discuss the Federation. They explained that we are a federation in Lambeth and are working with neighbouring practices. The Hub is one example of us working together.
They explained that Federations are local collaborations with the local practice, encouraging the sharing the services and giving access to all the different practices to these services. The wholeof north Lambeth will have access. There is now a shift of power to local management of NHS services.
Rylla Baker commented on questions about the Hurley Group itself, as Director of Operations.She explained that there were 14 practices in the group and 5 urgent care centres. We work collaboratively as a group, she said, and bid for the prime ministers challenge fund. This has enabled us to developnew technology sold across the country such as “webgp” (beat the queue).
On the issue of what developments have taken place to improve services for patients, including access, the Hurley clinic team indicated that more staff training had taken place, especially for Reception staff, and we encourage patients to make use of the different access options for appointments, such as hubs
Patient Questions or issues raised:
- Not always easy to get to the hubs because of mobility
Hurley: Noted that this is sometimes the case and we will do our best to find appointments at the clinic.
- 3 weeks to get an appt with one of the doctors
Hurley: Our intention is for a target of one week wait for an appointment, but that has slipped especially during busy and winter period. Therefore, we do try and off appointments at the hub to offset this. However, one week remains our target.
- Online consultation does not always get a call back. can the online appt book system alert when all appointments are gone.
Hurley: Patients must let us know if you don't get a call back, it is important for us to know how well the system is working. The requirement is for us to respond within one working day – if this does not happen then please email me .
- What about patients who cannot access the new technology of online appointments as they don’t have internet and mobile phone or telephone in the house
Hurley: Sometimes, that is happened, just come to reception for face to face communication.
- Repeat prescription items - submitted and the repeat item not appeared or the things ordered on the script are not issued.
Kar Man – Pharmacist from Hills Chemist (opposite the Clinic) indicated that sometimes there are errors that may be the chemist or the clinic. Hurley: It is important for us to know about these issues so that we can ensure we get our systems right. It was also explained that with the new electronic prescription service that allows patients to order their repeat request from their chemist, not all medications are available through this service. In such cases the patient will need to visit the GP.
- Carers: What is the on the horizon from federation for carers?
Mark: indicated that it is our responsibility at the clinic to assist carers. There are carers groups, but the Federation may not be able to engage with small individual groups. He will feedback to the Federation that we as a group have raised this point. Kar Man also pointed out that he is involved in the local care network, and the proposals to engage with people not accessing health care. It has been identified that carers often get forgotten, sowe should wait and see what the local care network can do.
- Recruiting doctors: What is being done to get full time doctors and not locums?
Mark explained that so many practices are struggling with GP vacancies. There is a shortage of GPs and Practice Nurses. However, a new initiative has been proposed for practices to lookatpharmacists assisting GPs with delivering care in the practice. We are therefore looking at employment of a pharmacist to deal with specified conditions. Rylla Baker also pointed out that we have put out 12 adverts for GPs in the last year, and only recruited 2 doctors as a result.
- Waiting times: are the waiting times similar at other Hurley group surgeries?
Rylla explained that they are similar. It becomes more complicated when list size over 9000 patients. The population of the Hurley Clinic (12700+) can make it challenging with a very heavy workload.
- Nurses after 4pm and access: A patient mentioned that they walked in the practice with a burn after 4pm, and could not get an appointment with a Nurse in the late afternoon/evening as they were told nurses go home at 4pm.
Hurley: We have 2 stalwart nurses at the clinic - Agueda and Olivia. Both do finish around 4pm, and it can be difficult to provide nursing provision until 6.30pm. However, a GP will see a walk in patient – but this is dependent on severity. We no longer have a walk in system but we will always have the responsibility to provide a service and direct patients to care such as urgent care centres in such instances. In terms of capacity, if more patients join the practice we get more funding, although we can be constrained by the building. But there may be a limit when it gets to a certain size because of the complexity of some of the care that has to be delivered. We are obliged to keep our list open, and there is a drive for larger and less smaller practices. We are trying to find the best way to manage this. Ideally, the Hurley clinic should be first port of call for all our patients, and that is what we want to achieve.
Some Patients commented that they had a good experience with the Hurley clinic. Also, some of the locums seen are very good with continuity of care.
- Minutes of AGM 2014 - proposed as a correct record, seconded and agreed
- Chairman’s report –
Tannoy - announced was that the Tannoy –is to be replaced after many years. The practice will be getting new electronic calling screens in the new year.
PPG involvement –The chair asked that if patients want to get involved please let the clinic know. The Hurley is very open with its patients, we are very open with them and very grateful. She thanked the Hurley Clinic staff for their support.
Patient survey –The results of the patient survey show an improvement from last year. There were one or two cases of clinical issues mentioned which patients should encouraged to address to the practice manager as we cannot follow up as it is anonymous.
Chairs report approval - proposed seconded and agreed
- Appointment of Chair
PPG member, Dilys acted as Chair at this point of the meeting while the outgoing Chair stepped down. Nominations were called. Priscilla Baines nominated as Chair for 2016, this was proposed, seconded and agreed by the meeting. Dilys thanked her for work during the last year.
The existing members agreed to continue.
- PPG Activities: PPG members announced a Warmand Well meeting on
17th December 2015 at the Durning Library and it islooking at ways to keep warm during the winter period with contributions from other agencies such as Age UK. Further information will be sent out by the surgery shortly.
Meeting ended 7.50pm
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