THE EXCHANGE SURGERY PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP (TESPPG)

MINUTES OF MEETING heldon 16.04.15at Gracefield Gardens at 7pm.

The minutes notes in brackets thus [UPPER CASE ITALICS] are post meeting comment by NF

1.00 WELCOME

1.01Opening the meeting AW welcomed all members present, particularly Dr Rowley-Conwy (ER-C), Wai Ha Lam (WL) and the two (?) new members to the Group. The agenda for this meeting had been circulated previously and accordingly AW invited ER-C to speak on the next Agenda Item.

2.00 E ROWLEY-CONWY

2.01Firstly ER-C mentioned the NHS is currently undergoing major changes, noting that the scale of these is greater than she has seen in her 31 years working in it. She is gratefulof the presence of the PPG,which will be of assistance in two important ways: one, helping communicating these changes more effectively to the patients and secondlyby helping TES accommodate the effects of such changes.

2.02ER-C then spoke very comprehensively on:

  • Factors causing pressure on TES
  • How these affect the Surgery
  • Local proposals being taken to address the problems
  • What the PPG can do to help.

2.03In essence TES is experiencing an increasing workload, increasing patient needs, higher patient expectations and decreasing public funding. To minimise the detrimental effect of these issues on patient outcomes it is essential that we do all we can to improve patient well-being and to maximise the public funding available (by maintaining a full Patient List).The PPG can assist in these two aims by:

  • Helping to get information out to patients on healthpromotion,self-care and care management
  • Encouraging patients to give positive feedback via NHS Choices. This will help achieve a 5 star rating, and thus bring in more new patients - to replace those lost due to the demography of our area.

2.04 In response to questions from group members ER-C advised:

  • There was no significantly increased risk or incidence of diabetes or heart problems in Asian patients
  • TES doesn’t participate with‘Walk-in’ surgery (previous involvement showed it wasn’t cost effective)
  • Reasons for underfunding (low patient list) include significant numbers of non-registered young males (men aged 22-44 don’t go to the Doctor!), mental health patients deregistered for bad behaviour, and deregistration of patients that haven’t attended TES for a period of 16 months
  • TES, and Lambeth generally, does not have a disproportionately high number of mentally ill patients
  • That doctors will input patient feedback to NHS Choices on behalf of patients who are not able, or have no access, to use the internet
  • Non-UK visitors aren’t able to use NHS services for free; they must be ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK
  • Any Patient treated at hospitalby A&E has a charge for such services passed on to their GP Practice
  • LPPGN is looking into the whole issue of health promotion, Pop In centres and sickness prevention
  • FaceTime and Skype technology is not used by TES, but Phone, Text and Email is and works well. One of the London Health Trusts is considering establishing a single database of all its GP’s patient data
  • Mental Health in the community is creating big strains within GP services and it is very difficult to get sectioned those severely affected; Pat commented such severe cases represented a small minority

3.00 LPPGN UPDATE

3.01Before Wai Ha Lam (WL) spoke to introduce her role to those present, LJ asked who paid her salary and if that cost diminished the funds available to the GP Surgeries. The answer from WL was no; the LPPGN has a two year funding from a Guys and St Thomas Charitable Trust

3.02 WL then spoke of the aims and benefits that derive from the involvement of PPGs and the wider Lambeth Network. The principal aims of PPGs should include to:

  • Scrutinise the performance of GP Surgeries and to assist them in achieving best practise
  • Establish where needs exist for additional skills, publicity and communications etc
  • Create a bigger voice to be more effective, particularly in dealing with statutory authorities
  • Become navigators towards better care and outcomes for patients, assisting in problem resolution and promoting healthcare and illness prevention
  • Ensuring maximum benefit is taken from the funding resources available ie utilising the Prime Minister’s Access Fund – set up to finance significant improvements in local Primary Care

4.00 MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

4.01 AW thanked NF for preparing the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March, which were circulated on 14 April. In the absence of any amendments being received or queries raised at the meeting, the minutes were approved.

[THREE MINUTED ITEMS REMAIN TO BE REPORTED/ACTIONED: Constitution (AW); Communications cabling (ME); Information screen updating (LL).]

5.00 ISSUES/MATTERS ARISING FROM ITEMS 2.00 & 3.00 ABOVE

5.01 It was questioned by LJ whether utilising the Access Fund for PPG purposes would lead to lesser funds being available for patient care at GP Surgeries: this would not be the case as these services are funded by quite separate income streams.

5.02AW considered there was a limit on what a small PPG could achieve and that for effective action we do need to have the bigger voice - as could be expressed through the LPPGN; LJ thought we first needed to get our own house in order. Pat shared the view of AW (and as voiced by the group majority) and WL said the reality is that if you aren’t at the table your voice will not be heard.

5.03 In view of the diversity of members within our PPG, Pat thought the group is a useful forum for patients to utilise when seeking advice or raising issues that are not strictly clinical and which the doctor would not have the time to deal with during a consultation.

5.04.Mohammed gave notice of a Stroke Awareness event at Asda, Clapham Junction on Saturday 18 April [AW CIRCULATED THIS NOTICE 17 APRIL]. WL advised the next LPPGN meeting is to be held at 336 Brixton Road from 17.00 to 20.00 on Wednesday 22 April when it would welcome up to 3 of our members to attend [THIS WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE NOTICE CIRCULATED ON 13 APRIL BY AW]

6.00 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

6.01The suggestion was made that it would be helpful if some accommodation could be provided to facilitate a regular drop in meeting place where patients could obtain information concerning healthcare matters, their responsibilities and options to achieve better health and general information on wellbeing. This was agreed to be a positive aim and that a small sub-group of members should be formed to pursue the matter further.[IT WAS GRATIFYING TO NOTE THAT AN AD HOC GROUP OF MEMBERS STAYED ON AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING THIS HAPPEN. WELL DONE! AN AGENDA ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING?]

7.00 NOTICES

7.01Date of the next Meeting is 14thMAY 2015 7.00PM at Gracefields Gardens Health Centre

7.02 The meeting ended at 20.40