PPG News Letter

(Patients Participation Group)

Email address

September 2012 – January 2013

Spring Edition

INTRODUCTION

The following is a summary of PPG activities over 18 months

PPG MEETING
We normally meet every 6 weeks upstairs in the surgery conference room at 18.15pm – 19.30pm, normally on a Tuesday. All interested parties are welcome and indeed encouraged to join us. If you are unable to attend, there is a PPG Desk in the surgery waiting area, with an envelope for suggestions or ideas to improve services provided. We hope that people will use this. Alternatively, you can email us at
. Doctors and management attend PPG meetings.
ACTIVITIES
The changes proposed to the NHS warranted the PPG forming a subcommittee, which has meetings with Congress on Commissioning and Link. 2 bodies involved in assisting and preparing the implementing of the new NHS structure. The subcommittee reports back to the PPG members and surgery representatives.
Data updating – PPG new member data and statistical analysis, virtual group updating, survey preparation and data updating. / ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONCERNS SINCE LAST AGM
Survey Forms covering patients opinion of certain areas of surgery activity, along with a request for their email address were handed out by PPG members during October 2011 flu clinics and resulted in
Survey forms completed 221
Incomplete 13
Email address given 87
The information provided, allowed the PPG, to set up a Virtual Group of Patients. This Virtual Group can receive newsletters, participate in surveys, request PPG involvement and give suggestions to the PPG on surgery related matters.
All new patients are encouraged when joining the practice to complete a personal details form for the PPG, including an email address for the virtual group. The surgery (Aaron – many thanks) populates the secure virtual email database on the practices computer system from the data provided by the PPG. The PPG user will use this to contact the virtual group as and when necessary.
NEW PATIENTS FORMS - To Date: 01/2013
Total forms completed 995
Incomplete 1
Email address (virtual group) 316
PREVIOUS SURVEY 2011 – 2012
Total forms completed 221
Incomplete 14
Email address (virtual group) 87
COMBINED FORMS
Completed 1176
Email 403
This form also requests information covering ethnicity, frequency of visits to the surgery, by age groups, gender and email address.
This allows calculations to be made on approximate clinicians numbers required to meet patient appointments and enlarge the virtual group to receive more feedback, ideas or suggestions.
As a result of this activity the surgery was awarded £17,500 by the Doh which represents 1/3 of monies available over a 3 year period. The surgery has advised that as a direct result of this, a Diabetic Nurse has been appointed who will be able to free up GP’s time for other appointments. / SURGERY POD
The surgery pod has been in use for a few years now, it has recently had a privacy screen placed around it.
There is no need to make an appointment with a Nurse or Healthcare Assistant to have your blood pressure taken, the pod is available the same as the Surgery hours.
Please ensure you follow the instructions so that it is noted in your records.
It is not just a Blood pressure machine, it can also weigh you and you can also give the surgery information regarding your condition i.e. Asthma, Diabetes etc.
TELEPHONE SYSTEM AND CONTACTING THE SURGERY
The PPG assisted the surgery by contacting the PCT, in having additional equipment to the telephone system which was an automated answering system.
All Calls are recorded to and from the surgery.
Telephone access to the surgery at peak times is a continuing problem. The PPG, Drs and Management have taken this on board as a priority. It is discussed at virtually every meeting, many avenues for improvement have been explored and some implemented but his is an on-going problem.
The surgery has provided on line access for the appointment system which his being well used.
Patients requiring test results are asked to ring after 11am.
APPOINTMENTS
Are discussed at every meeting and as a result, several courses of action have been undertaken by the surgery to improve the service provided.
From 15th April 2013
We will be running Minor illness Nurse Clinics. The nurse is also a prescriber so no waiting around for prescriptions.
The Clinics are run on the Following Times:
Monday 11am-3pm
Tuesday 9-12pm
Wednesday 12-3pm
Thursday 9-12pm
Friday 9-11.30am& 2.30-6.30
These Appointments cannot be booked On line.
From May
There will be no longer Sit & wait Appointments. This was due to them going to waste. These will be reverted back into Normal Appointments.
Our Appointment System operates the following way;
1/3 are released 6 weeks in advance
1/3 are released 24 hours in advance i.e. 8am Monday morning, to be booked for Tuesday.
The remaining Third are released on the day at 8am.
We also offer Telephone consultations, if a patient feels they don’t want a face to face appointment, but wish to disgust medication or results.
You can book via the telephone or you can book on line for appointments if you are registered with Emis Access. If you wish to do this then please ask one of the receptionists for information.
DID NOT ATTEND (DNA)
Finding a solution to DNA would make
Tremendous impact on the availability of appointments. Some 1954 DNA’s (failed appointments) last year. This equates to 162 DNA pm or 38 pw. This also equates to a whole Am & Pm Surgery for a GP.
Eliminating DNA’s would virtually resolve the appointment problem!
The PPG produced a DNA letter addressing the problem which is sent to patients who did not cancel their appointment. Some recipients have objected strongly to this but to date there has been a significant reduction in DNA’s resulting in cancellation being available to patients. DNA’s for June 169, July 130.
The extended surgery hours have been affected by DNA’s. One Saturday morning not one patient out of the 10 appointment turned up for their appointment!! The doctor and staff had a fruitless morning. Monitoring is on-going.
There is a 24hour mobile no that you can text your cancellation to.
Name, DOB, Appointment Time, Date and the Clinician.
07758755998
PHAMARCY
We supported the Planning application for the Pharmacy to be located in the surgery – it appears to be well used and is of benefit to many patients.
The PPG was approached by patients asking if the opening hours could be better aligned to the surgery’s times. This has been put to the Chemist and we are awaiting a reply.
Also a secure box for prescriptions when shop is shut.
SUGGESTION ENVELOPE
Examples received:-
October 2012
·  Possibility of a handrail in the toilet at front of building – not practical due to lack of space. Patients reminded of disabled toilet in surgery / PRESCRIPTIONS
Up until April 2012 there were lots of issues with repeat prescription, since we have brought in a new internal system this has improved greatly.
There are still some problems and this is due to:
Patients requesting their medication too early.
Patients not allowing the full 48 working hours.
Pharmacies ordering incorrect medication for a patient
Also human error.
Please pick up one of our Repeat Prescriptions leaflets that tell you all the different ways.
We have also introduced repeat prescribing, (this is not suitable for all patients) this is for patients that are not stable medication. Please see one of our leaflets or ask your Gp.
NEWSLETER
We endeavour to produce a quarterly newsletter with updates of ‘news from the practice’ and the latest activities of the PPG. We intend to forward this to the virtual group, hand out to patients and make copies available to the PPG table and Reception Desk. Our efforts have been hampered by the lack of PPG members. Some meetings have only had 2 members turn up.
CHARITY
A bookcase is provided in the HC for patients to donate unwanted books which are then sold – the receptionist kindly record the sales and the proceeds will be donated to a local charity.
SURVEYS
We carried out a survey in October 2012 – March 2013. This has now been completed and the results are on the website.