Minutes of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) held on Tuesday 1st March 2016 at Wawn Street Surgery (6pm).
Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for attending.
- Members present: Dr Gill, Practice Manager and nine members (including Chair and Secretary).
- Apologies: received from Deputy Practice Manager.
- Minutes of previous meeting: agreed as accurate.
- Matters Arising: it was agreed that the summary (tabled) of the meeting held on January 22nd 2016 was accurate and should be included within these minutes, as below:
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Meeting of Sub-Group of PPG held on Friday 22nd January 2016, 3pm at the Surgery.
Present: Chair of PPG, Practice Manager, Deputy Practice Manager, 2 members.
SUMMARY of the Meeting:
Members of the PPG raised concerns about access to the surgery via the telephone.
The Practice Manager explained that the Surgery had invested in a new telephone system and that all telephone activity, including incoming calls to the surgery, was recorded and available for analysis.
Four members of staff cover reception and telephones in the morning and four staff covered the same tasks in the afternoon – each group has a six hour shift. Within each grouping of four staff there was one member on face to face reception and three staff covering the telephones (four lines – three incoming and one waiting). The staffing structure was due to change further in February.
Incoming calls are related to appointments, repeat prescriptions, test results etc.
The Practice Manager explained that analysis of telephone records had shown that for incoming calls the average waiting time to be answered was 2 to 3 minutes. Patients phoning the surgery were advised to make their call and hold on the line until answered and not to put their telephone down and repeat their call and so on. Such practice, it was said, could lead to lengthy waiting times.
It was agreed that the Practice should further encourage the use of electronic means of accessing the surgery, that is online ordering of prescriptions and making appointments. This, in turn, would reduce pressure on Reception and telephone staff.
Members of the PPG thanked the Practice staff for their responses.
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There was further discussion relating to telephone access with a request from some members that the telephone system be modified to inform incoming calls of their position in any queue. Dr Gill responded that there was a need to canvas the views of a wider sample of patients before making such a change.
The Practice Manager was able to inform the group of a wide range of data, relating to telephone access, which had been compiled from an analysis of the telephone records. This data supported the views expressed in the 22nd January meeting, summarised above, that the average waiting time for incoming calls, to the practice, was 2 to 3 minutes. The Practice Manager read this data to the group and it was agreed that this record would be made available for the minutes and for the practice newsletter. Following discussion it was noted, from the records, that the ‘best time’to telephone the surgery might be Monday, Tuesday or Thursday between 5.30 and 6pm. The Chair thanked the Practice Manager for presenting the data to the group and the Practice Manager responded stating that the raising of the issue of telephone access, by the PPG, had resulted in a review and improvement of theservice.
(At this point the Chair left the meeting and another member took over the role)
- Reports:
a.)Dr Gill reported that a lot was happening in the practice and that she felt very positive about developments. These included cooperative work with the CCG including possible progress towards 7 day openings.
b.)The Practice Manager elaborated on these developments mentioning the collaborative work across GP practices within the CCG, the fact that the reception vacancies were now almost filled, the changes to the administrative structure and that Dr Hughes was now a partner in the practice. The Surgery building was undergoing refurbishment with new windows, new shutters, roof repairs and re-decoration of consulting rooms and patient reception areas. The cost of these changes was being covered by the private landlord, not the NHS. Members expressed their approval of these changes.
c.)Reports from members: the minutes from the CCG Patient Reference Group meeting, held at Monkton Hall on Thursday 4th February 2016, were tabled by a member. These were briefly discussed – the discussion relating to the item on GPs visiting nursing homes and the cancer update. A member tabled Issue 1 of the PPG newsletter.
- Questions from members:
A member asked two questions. The first question related to repeat prescriptions and the changing of the colour of tablets. Dr Gill explained that this was due to different branding and that this was the prerogative of pharmacists. The second question related to the cancellation of hospital appointments. Dr Gill clarified the procedures – once a GP had made a referral it was in the hands of the hospital service.
- AOB: none
- Date of Next Meeting : Tuesday 3rd May 2016 at 6pm
Meeting started: 6.05pm
Meeting ended: 7.05pm