Minutes of CMK Medical Centre PPG – Tuesday 4 April 2017

1.  Those Present:

Janet Mulley / Rick Conway / Ray Loveridge / Linda Davy
John Mountford / Glenn Wheeler / Heda Kootz / Muriel Moffoot
Eileen Freestone / Jason Marriott / Julie Screen (Practice Manager) / Dr Jolly Zachariah

2.  Welcome and Apologies

Janet welcomed everyone, including new members Linda Davy and Glenn Wheeler. Apologies received from: Dilys Seddon, Paul Winter, Sandy McAlear and Tubo Uranta.

3. Minutes of previous meeting – Julie said that Caroline Phillips is a Healthcare Assistant, and that she was now back working one day per week at CMK. Minutes were then agreed.

4. Matters Arising

·  Number of patients registered, added, deducted during March – these await Sara's return from leave.

·  Names of staff on the Web site: Julie agreed to ask the nurses if they would accept their names being on the web site.

·  Appointment availability: Muriel said that it was now only possible to book one ten minutes appointment online, but her appointments needed to be 20 minutes, and it was no longer possible to book two appointments. Julie explained that multiple bookings had to be discontinued as some people were abusing the system with multiple bookings leading to extra "DNAs".

5. Newsletter

It was suggested that the problems with DNAs would be a good topic. John asked that a different – more patient-centric name be created (e.g. Patients' Missed Appointments). Julie also suggested marketing the new Practice Website, which was under construction.

6. Hearing Aid Batteries

This service is now operational. People need their brown Hearing Aid battery book to be satisfactorily dealt with. Item now discharged.

7. Outside meetings

Reports were given from the Healthwatch PPG Network Meeting held on 22 March, which was about the current CCG proposals re Procedures of Limited Value, and changes to prescription medicine inclusion and repeat prescription process changes. Concern had been expressed that GPs may not have been adequately briefed or consulted about these changes.

8. Smoking Ad in Bradwell Common Parish Newsletter

Julie has the details, and thanked Sandy for these. Julie needs to speak with the Smoking Advisor before contacting the Parish.

9. Surgery Business

GP Feedback: Dr Zachariah explained that a local federation of GP Practices was being formed with a view to co-ordination across MK so that some CCG services could be devolved to the Federation. At present, many practices have joined, some are outside and whether this will complete is uncertain. MK Urgent /Out of hours Care Services are to be managed (for the next 3 years) by the current MKUCS organisation, along with the GP Federation. This may take six months to be fully operational.

Paramedic triage has reduced the number of people waiting to see a GP in the morning as he can direct them to and appropriate alternative person.

Julie said that the practice is considering altering the processes for walk-in patients, using a sit and wait with triage using a duty doctor, after more GP and Health Care Assistant hours were available. At present, limited consulting room availability was hampering doing some changes.

Julie said that an upgrade of the practice web site was in progress.

2017 Survey: It was proposed that questions could be included about the use of Skype and/or Facetime to conduct face-to-face consultations, the degree of satisfaction with making appointments on-line and via the phone and the possibility of a diagnostic app.

10. A.O.B.

Ray said that MK Council had written to residents advising that they were proposing to charge residents £250 a year to park on the roads in Bradwell Common, Fishermead and Conniburrow because of CMK workers parking all day in these estates to avoid paying parking charges. There may be an impact on the Surgery Parking. Janet said that something similar was proposed for Conniburrow a few years back, but local opposition had stopped it in its tracks. She suspected the same would happen again.

Glenn asked if a sign about disabled parking bays could be put up, as many people were misusing these bays. Julie said she would raise this with the landlord, and it was likely that the bays would be re-marked and made much brighter and better marked.

10. Date of next meetings: Thursday 11 May 2017, and Tuesday 13th June, commencing at 6:30pm.