Standard Reporting Template – Patient Participation DES 2014/15

Surrey & Sussex Area Team

Practice Name Little Common & Old Town Surgery

Practice Code G81039

Signed on behalf of practice Dr Dewhurst Date 13th March 2015

Senior Partner

Signed on behalf of PPG John Curry Date 3rd March 2015

PPG Chair

1.  Prerequisite of Enhanced Service – Develop/Maintain a Patient Participation Group (PPG)

Does the Practice have a PPG? YES / NO / YES
Method of engagement with PPG: Face to face, Email, Other (please specify) / Face to face – bi monthly meetings
Number of members of PPG: / 20
Detail the gender mix of practice, population and PPG: / Detail of age mix of practice population and PPG:
% / Male / Female
Practice / 46% / 54%
PPG / 50% / 50%
/ % / <16 / 17-24 / 25-34 / 35-44 / 45-54 / 55-64 / 65-74 / >75
Practice / 11% / 7% / 6% / 9% / 12% / 13% / 19% / 22%
PPG / -- / 5% / 0% / 5% / 5% / 25% / 30% / 30%
Detail the ethnic background of your practice population and PPG:
White / Mixed/ multiple ethnic groups
% / British / Irish / Gypsy or Irish Traveller / Other white / White Black & Caribbean / White & black African / White & Asian / Other mixed
Practice / 92% / 1% / - / 1% / - / - / - / 1%
PPG / 100%
Asian/ Asian British / Black / African / Caribbean
/ Black British / Other
% / Indian / Pakistani / Bangladeshi / Chinese / Other Asian / African / Caribbean / Other Black / Arab / Any Other
Practice / 2% / - / - / 1% / - / 1% / - / - / - / -
PPG
Describe steps taken to ensure that the PPG is representative of the practice population in terms of gender, age and ethnic background and other members of the practice population:
The PPG and practice re-launched the PPG this year as numbers were dwindling and key members of the previous committee had resigned.
The practice and PPG members held a re-launch meeting in September 2014.
All patients were invited to attend via the website, posters in the waiting room and by flyers handed out.
GPs, nurses & HCAs also handed out flyers to patients.
Are there any specific characteristics of your practice population which means that other groups should be included in the PPG? e.g. large student population, significant number of jobseekers, large numbers of nursing homes or a LGBT community? YES/NO
Over 54% of patients registered with the practice are age 55+, with 19% of patients aged between 65 and 74 and 22% aged over 75.
Majority of patients are white british.
If you have answered yes, please outline measures taken to include those specific groups and whether those measures were successful:
Patients targeted via GPs, nurses & HCAs handing out flyers about the PPG.
85% of patients that regularly attend PPG meetings are age 55+.

2.  Review of patient feedback

Outline the sources of feedback that were reviewed during the year:
Patient complaints and compliments were reviewed at the PPG meeting on 6th January 2015.
The minutes of the meeting are available.
Results of the Friends & Family test will be reviewed when 1 quarter of data is available.
How frequently were these reviewed with the PRG?
Annually
  1. Action plan priority areas and implementation

Priority area 1
Description of priority area:
Re-launch PPG.
The PPG and practice agreed that due to dwindling numbers and resignations from committee members the PPG should be re-launched.
Design and launch PPG leaflet.
Set up patient bank.
What actions were taken to address the priority:
The PPG and practice re-launched the PPG this year as numbers were dwindling and key members of the previous committee resigned.
The practice and PPG members held a re-launch meeting in September 2014 at an external venue. All patients were invited to attend via the website, posters in the waiting room and flyers handed out to patients.
At this meeting one of the GP partners did a 30 minute talk on statins. This was very popular with patients. It was therefore agreed that a speaker would be invited along to meetings on a 6 monthly basis. These meetings will be held in a venue large enough to accommodate 50+ patients.
The practice website was also updated to ensure PPG information it is accessible and all information is up to date.
A Facebook page has recently been launched.
The PPG & practice has designed a leaflet to be shared with patients.
The practice and PPG is also arranging a specific area within the waiting room for posters/ leaflets to be available.
Patient bank is in the process of being set up. This will be included within the PPG leaflet.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
The PPG meetings are now well attended, with around 15-20 patients regularly attending meetings.
The PPG has a new Chair who is very dedicated and keen to grow the group. He attends CCG events and shares his knowledge with the group.
Once the PPG area is available within the waiting rooms at both sites we will publicise here, via leaflets, posters and on the website.
Patient feedback on the September re-launch meeting was very positive. Patients really enjoyed listening to one of the Partners doing a presentation about statins. This was publicised on the website, posters, leaflets and flyers handed out to patients. We are keen to do this type of event twice a year and have scheduled the next event for 5th May 15. Another GP Partner will be doing a talk on diabetes and representatives from the local branch of Diabetes UK have also been invited and will be attending.
The patient bank will help the practice to reach other patients that do not or cannot attend the regular meetings and enable us to hear from a wider range of patients.
Priority area 2
Description of priority area:
Review extended hours appointments within the practice
What actions were taken to address the priority:
Extended Hours was historically provided on a Saturday morning at Old Town Surgery from 8.30-12.15 (2 GPs). However the practice was finding that it was not particularly popular with patients and a lot of appointments were lost due to patients not attending (patients were not able to cancel/ change appointments as the phones were not available on Saturdays). The practice and PPG therefore reviewed the most recent patient survey results. This was shared with the PPG at the meeting on 10th June 14. The practice and PPG discussed this and agreed to change extended opening times to mornings/ evenings.
The new opening hours have been in place now for 8 months and are much more popular with patients.
Benefits include
• additional appointments available with all doctors,
• patients are able to see their normal doctor during extended hours (rather than the GP on rota) so there is more continuity of care,
• the service is provided at both sites rather than just at the Old Town,
• face to face or telephone appointments are available,
• there is more flexibility for patient requests,
• better for patients that are unable to attend during normal surgery hours,
• we have a high proportion of elderly patients registered with our Little Common site. They tend to like early appointments,
• car parking at the Little Common site is limited at busy times during the week. Patients with an early morning/ evening appointment can now park outside the surgery. This helps elderly patients and those with mobility problems.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
Much better use of extended hours appointments.
Reduced number of patients that do not attend for an extended hours appointment.
This was publicised via the practice leaflet and website.
Priority area 3
Description of priority area:
Establish and champion the Friends & Family test to patients within the practice test so that the practice gets more feedback.
What actions were taken to address the priority:
The FFT has recently been launched and the PPG and practice are keen to ensure the practice gets plenty of reviews.
After discussion with the PPG we agreed to do online reviews (via iwantgreatcare) and also hand written ones. Patients can complete these after their appointment in the surgery and post in the post box in the waiting room. These reviews are then collated and included with the online returns.
This was discussed with PPG members at the meeting 4th November and 6th January. The PPG was keen to ensure we could collect hand written forms. Following the PPG meeting this was discussed by the practice and agreed.
The FFT is explained on the practice’s website and there is a direct link from there so patients can click to switch to the iwantgreatcare website.
Leaflets, forms and cards are available at both sites.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
The FFT has only recently been launched. Response rates for the 1st quarter will be reviewed in April.
We are hoping the direct link from the website will help to promote the FFT and improve response rates.
When the PPG area is available in the waiting rooms the FFT will be promoted here too.


Progress on previous years

If you have participated in this scheme for more than one year, outline progress made on issues raised in the previous year(s)

Free text
Agree with the PRG an action plan setting out the priorities and proposals arising out of the local practice survey. Seek PRG agreement to implement changes and where necessary inform NHS England
During 2013-14 no changes of current practice were identified as necessary. However it was felt that a local Health Fair in conjunction with other practices would be of benefit to Bexhill patients. The PPG did start to liaise with the PPGs from the 3 other Bexhill practices but was not successful. This will be discussed at some point in the future with the other 3 PPGs in Bexhill.

4.  PPG Sign Off

Report signed off by PPG: YES / NO / Yes
Date of sign off: / 3rd March 2015 (at PPG meeting)
How has the practice engaged with the PPG: / Manager/ GP attendance at all meetings
How has the practice made efforts to engage with seldom heard groups in the practice population? / Via website, posters in the practice & flyers handed out by clinicians
Has the practice received patient and carer feedback from a variety of sources? / Yes
Was the PPG involved in the agreement of priority area and the resulting action plan? / Yes
How has the service offered to patients and carers improved as a result of the implementation of the action plan? / We now have a better represented PPG and more patients attending meetings. GPs are also involved and attend meetings twice a year to discuss specific topics. At the meeting one of the GPs did a presentation to patients on Statins. This was very well received and we had very positive feedback.
Saturday morning appointments are no longer offered as they were not very popular. Early morning and evening appts are now offered instead and these are more popular with patients.
The FFT has been implemented and we are trying to improve the level of feedback. We offer both the electronic version (via iwantgreatcare) and manual forms in the surgery. We have put up posters and have been liaising with the PPG about how to improve response rates.
Do you have any other comments about the PPG or practice in relation to this area of work? / The practice and PPG has worked hard to re-launch the PPG. We now have a good number of patients that regularly attend PPG meetings.