Draft MINUTES

Swindon Vision PRG – 14 October 2015 14:00-15:30

Seminar room 1, The Academy, Great Western Hospital,Swindon, SN3 6BB

Attendees / Attendees (cont.)
Sally Smith (SS), Communications Officer, Swindon CCG / Shaun Ford (SF) – Wiltshire Sight
Robin Butcher (RB), Head of Patient Involvement, Swindon CCG / Liz Hews (LHe) – Planned Care Manager, SCCG
Jo Osorio (JO), Healthwatch Swindon / Leanne Hubbard (LHu)– Chief Executive, Wiltshire Sight [Meeting Chair]
Mike Beales (MB) – Swindon Blind Assn
Sarah Harvey (SH) – SEQOL hearing and vision team
Apologies
Rosemarie Phillips (RP), Campaigner for RNIB SW
Tony Kendall
Chris Gough
Brenda Young – Macular Group
Notes and actions / Member
1. Welcome and introductions – Chair
Apologies from Rosemarie Phillips, Tony Kendall, Chris Gough, Brenda Young, Karen Fido
2. Concerns or issues to be raised by members of the group
SH asked whether there was any opportunity to use another venue which would be free to rent and park in a central location. JO informed the group that the British Legion have meeting space in their Regent Street branch and Healthwatch have been offered the use of this. There is also the Tesco Community Room which is free to use and has free parking.
TK had a query but LHu will deal with this outside of the meeting.
Action – RB and SS to look at alternative venues and arrange bookings.
2. Reviewing minutes from last meeting – all
CCG Ocular Hypertension patient questionnaire is currently being trialled with Specsavers before rolling out to all opto
metrists who participate in the pathway. A couple of responses have been received, both of which were quite positive. One had a comment which was followed up, around the process of making sure the right appointment was made.
Vision strategy – update from LHu. There is some confusion as to where Swindon & Wilts sit within the strategy and whether we are part of the South West. Swindon currently sits with Glos, BANES, Wilts but the SW area looks to be from Bristol down. There is concern that Swindon will be left behind in areas of research, expertise and financial benefits. Swindon CCG have asked the Local Optical Advisor, appointed by NHSE team to look at why they are not appointing a Chair for our area. Healthwatch will ask the question of NHSE.
Action – Lhu to send JO the information.
Care UK contract – SCCG have chosen not to recommission providers directly. Patient choice means they can still choose to use providers in Devizes andGloucestershire if they wish. Re-starting contracts from 2 November 2015. End user will see services still provided at Cirencester, Devizes and Emersons Green. Patient transport will only be provided based on medical need.
Action – RB to send ISTC info to JO
3. Key priorities from last workshop
LHe explained that she had previously brought the key priorities from last eye health workshop in March. Currently liaising with various organisations around their actions and identifying the actions of this group.
  • Consider how to gather patient feedback in order to influence service integration
Newmedica’s feedback still at lowest level across country and they are struggling to gather feedback from patients. They are hoping to carry out telephone assessments to increase feedback. There were discussions around how SEQOL sought feedback by giving the option for a telephone assessment, sending letters out in large print with a stamped addressed envelope.
  • Communication
Patients should receive communications in the format they require. The accessible information standard from NHSE comes in to force in July 2016 and the onus will be on the provider to find out from the individual what their preference is. There is a need however to consider expertise eg. local availability of Braille. The CCG will work with providers at the end of this month to prepare a baseline.
Action – LHe to continue to report to this group
Action – LHuto send out link
  • Encourage patients to come forward to share experience through talking newspapers and other media formats
Discussions on howthe group feel about this. MB explained a bit about the talking newspaper and that there are approx. 200 per week, the average age of whom are 65/70.
Looking at demographics – are younger people getting the information.
Action – LHu to send information about headers use in screen readers – word documents rather pdf’s
  • A society in which everyone can widely participate (Outcome 3 of UK Vision Strategy) – raising awareness of this
It was felt that this needs to be more specific and it was decided to choose to do this through other networks. Eye health does need to be more visible to the wider population.
  • Requesting SBC to do a review of street furniture policy
There was a lot of conversation at the workshop about street furniture and Thamesdown Buses. There is a group already lobbying Thamesdown Transport and Stagecoach about talking buses and LHu felt that it would be better to leave it to a larger group to lobby. Two national charities are taking a lead on this and lobbying from the top and it was felt that this group could not make much of a difference but that we could support the campaigns.
JO raised the printed cards that are available to give to driversindicating when you wish to be informed of a stop and the link to obtain this is:

4. Low Vision Care Pathway
LHu and Chris Gough were going to do some work on this but it is yet to be done.
Action – to be deferredto a future meeting
LHu stated thatthere is some work to be done with professionals to map a Swindon pathway.
5. Communicating the discussions from the group with the wider community – harder to reach, younger people and carers
Wiltshire Sight have been awarded a grant to run a pilot to promote good eye health to hard to reach groups in Wiltshire and Swindon. It is a one year grant and work will start in the next month or so.
6. Service 20 bus service
RB explained that the Swindon Equalities Coalition have sent an email notifying the group that the number 20 bus service in Swindon has been pulled. The decision was made by Thamesdown Transport and did not involve SBC. There is particular concern because the route services GWH and Eldene clinic. There is a concern that number of elderly patients will struggle to get to these services.
Action - RB to thank them for bringing it to our attention
7. Updates from key themes
  • Transport service – Healthwatchhave had less complaints. CCG’s are working a lot more closely together and closely monitoring the service.
  • Patient letters – no update
  • ECLO service – no update
  • Swindon Directory – this is being well used and there are a lot of requests and referrals. There has been a huge spike in self referrals, partly due to the Technology event in Gorse Hill at which over 100 people attended. It is about to go live on the website but making sure all links work. CCG would want to be involved moving forward. A lot of people that went to the event were not members of the organisation but have now registered and some people that had been registered a long time ago are now reintroduced to the services.
8. AOB
RB going to macular group next week. Pam and Brenda will be raising the profile of this group there and encouraging people to attend.
LHu stated Russell Riggs of Swindon 105.5 is happy to advertise events. He has good credibility with the eye community.
Action - RB to send email to update
LHu stated that they are holding an event with the Road SafetyPartnership, Wilts Police and the Wilts Fire and Rescue Service at Wharf Green on the 29 October titled “Reducing Collision Vision”. 1 in 5 road accidents have a form of sightloss attributed to them. The event is aimed at good health, getting eyes tested regularly and reminding people who shouldn’t be driving any more to give up and offer them alternatives.
RB notified the group of the Community Services Engagement public event on 21st at Central Community Centre. Details are available on the CCG website:

6. Close – Chair
LHu thanked everyone for attending. / RB and SS
LHu
RB
LHe
LHu
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