Stourport Health Centre (SHC) Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Minutes of meeting held on Thursday 7th December 2017 at St Michael’s Church
Present Maureen Howes (Chairperson), Dr Roy Williams, Cathy Mills (staff representative), Liz Bloomer, Trish Wheal, Malcolm & Pat Allsopp, Shirley & Tony Jauncey, Barbara McCredie, William Chambers, Sheila Lamb, Cheryl MacKinnon, Derek Fisher, Trevor Stokes, Michael Parfitt, Angela Coombe, Garry Palmer, Ivor & Mary Blakemore, Martin Goode
Apologies Beryl Talbot, Pauline & Bryan Hadwell, Diana Chalmers, Clive Hughes, David Bateman, Katie Bush (Site Manager), Louise Washbrook (Practice Administrator)
Maureen welcomed everyone to the meeting. (Thank you Maureen for the light refreshments and drinks).
Dr Roy Williams gave a presentation about ‘Engage Consult’. He had spoken to the PPG about SHC trialling this some time ago but subsequently the NHS had decided to pilot this new initiative. It has taken some time to coordinate but SHC is now one of four individual surgeries in Worcestershire about to start this on a 3 month trial. It offers patients an additional way to contact the surgery using email and is not compulsory. It can be done on any computer. Patients will log into SHC website, go to ‘contact your doctor’, put in their details or log in, then click on a problem eg for help with prescriptions, self-care, accessing records or getting help from any member of the practice. The surgery will aim to get back to the patient within the working day and someone else can send the email for you or you for them. Patients can choose whether the response is by phone or email and the best time for this to happen. If, for example, the problem was a sore eye the system will automatically ask further questions to get more information. It is estimated that the online form will take around 6-10 minutes to complete. Questions such as ‘What are you worried about?’ or ‘What do you want to happen?’ will be asked but these can be skipped. When the email is sent the patient can choose to keep a copy. Confirmation will be sent. The GP will then look at the message and decide on the best course of action. In a recent national pilot there was a 30% uptake and the feedback was good. It reduces patients going to A&E as the patient can send the email confident that the surgery will respond and stops the patient worrying. ‘Engage Consult’ is not live yet but when it is the PPG members’ feedback would be appreciated. Emails will be sent to patients to advertise the new service and posters will be put up in reception. At the moment it is not connected to EMIS online access but hopefully will be in the future. ‘Engage Consult’ is not for emergencies.
Maureen thanked Dr Williams for the update and asked him to explain about the following.
EMIS online access for children Children can have access at the age of 16 but not before and we do not allow parental access on their behalf before this. After much discussion it was felt that this was the best policy as allowing parental access before 16 and then switching it over, maybe at the child’s request, would prompt questions as to why from the parents.
Frailty unit at the Alex This was set up to reduce the wait at Worcester. There is a designated ward at the Alex with the right team and skill mix to assess, including physios and social workers, and urgent patients will be taken there and not to A&E. This is much better that a long wait on a trolley in A&E at Worcester. It is not yet a perfect system and getting home after being taken there by ambulance had been highlighted as a problem. Not many Wyre Forest patients are going there at the moment but when they come home they will be monitored bythe Virtual Ward (Enhanced Care Team). This is a team of matrons, physios, occupational therapists, social workers and mental health nurses who will assess the patients to keep them at home and out of hospital. With the right support patients are happier in their own environment.
District Nurses are now being funded and used by groups of practices instead of being attached to one particular practice. The Wyre Forest Health Partnership (WFHP) was already doing this prior to the funding. District Nurses and physios are paid by different departments but will all work together.
New building progress is slow but the funding has been agreed and the land can now be bought and the architects instructed. The site will probably be adjacent to the new Tesco. There is discussion about an access road and building may start in early 2019.
Dr Williams announced that Dr Simon Gates had stepped down as Chairman of the WFHP and that he was now the new Chairman. The PPG members offered their congratulations.
The minutes of the last meeting were accepted.
Maureen thanked Mrs Sheila Lamb and family for the kind donation in memory of Mr Philip Lamb.
Cathy reported that the Christmas fund-raising was going well and we were well on the way to the £1000 target for the vaccination fridge. The sale of books was tailing off a little. The jar used for collecting 5 pences will be used in the New Year for collecting any loose change instead.
Liz Bloomer reported that the Dementia Café was attracting a lot of attention. The blue charity coins pile for the dementia café in Tesco keeps getting bigger! An initial meeting had taken place with representatives from the 2 surgeries, the police, the church and others to make Stourport a ‘dementia friendly town’. This will involve contacting as many of the local businesses and services as possible to offer training and a window sticker. The big launch will be in Dementia Awareness week on Tuesday 22.5.18 but there will be lots of work going on in the lead up. Dementia friends and champions will be trained, more info on dates for this in the New Year.
The Christmas Day lunch is again being hosted by St Michael’s for those who will be alone on the day or unable to provide for themselves. There are 34 guests already on the list.
Maureen regularly attends the bi monthly meetings of all the Wyre Forest PPG chairs. She said that SHC PPG is well known as being a good example! Members are invited to attend if they wish, please contact Maureen if you are interested.
At our next meeting, Chris Onions, the chairman of all the PPGs will talk about the 3 local Clinical Commissioning Groups merging and he will explain the changes.
At a future meeting we shall be joined by York House PPG for a talk about diabetes to be given by Mr Halliday.
Maureen asked that if anyone had any specific requests for a topic to be covered to let her know.
A question was asked about the provision of toilet facilities in Stourport. The only public toilets are in the car park on the riverside. SHC toilets are for patients use only as there have been problems with vandalism in the past. Cathy advised that for those patients with a medical condition a ‘can’t wait’ card and Radar key can be obtained from the relevant charity. It was agreed that something should be done about the poor provision and enquiries would be made.
Maureen wished everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
The date of the next meeting is to be arranged.