Minster Medical Centre
Patient Participation Group Meeting
Minutes
Time: 13:00pm
Date: 25th November 2015
Venue: Minster Medical Centre
Attendees: Joan Powell, Gill Ballard, Mary Green, Fred Green, Jack Wing, Carol Wing, Sandra Anderson
Chairperson: Helen Gaylor (Executive Manager)
Office Manager: Jackie Friday
Minute Taker: Rebecca Snow (administrator)
- Welcome and Introduction
Helen Gaylor welcomed all the patients that attended the meeting. There were some patients that have not been to Minster Medical Centre Patient Group meeting. Helen explained about the other surgeries that are part of Minster Medical Group.
- Practice Update
Jackie Friday explained to help the GPs’ and Nurse Practitioners, the receptionist will ask the patients what is the problem, therefore the receptionist can triage to whether the nurse practitioner can help or if it will be best dealt with the GP. Gill Ballard asked what the nurse practitioner can help with. Helen explained that the nurse practitioner runs alongside the GP, the nurse practitioner is not instead of a GP. The nurse practitioner can deal with coughs, colds, chest infections, ear infections, blood pressure, aches and pains. The nurse practitioner cannot do referrals or issue x-ray forms. Nurse practitioner can prescribe certain medication, however they cannot do medication reviews.
Sandra Anderson felt that within the last 12 months there has been a big turnover with doctors. Helen and Jackie explained that Dr A Teriba and Dr A Adigwe are the named GPs’ for Minster Medical Centre and the other GP partners are placed at the other surgeries within in the group. There has been recruitment advertisements for doctors, however with no success. This problem could be down to the location of the Isle of Sheppey. We do have three permanent doctors, Dr Dada, Dr Temitope and Dr Mwanche. Dr Dada has now started working five days a week with minster. It has been noticed by all management and staff that November has been a difficult month to get doctor cover within the practice. This is due to permanent and GP partners having annual leave. Mary Green said she does not like to see the GP locums, she feels she has no confidence in them.
Monday appointments are book on the day at 8am only. If an appointment is needed on a Monday that has not been requested on the day at 8am, the management have to authorise this. The rota system of the doctors clinics have to be organised by a lead GP of Minster Medical Group, this rota then gets put onto the clinical system by the office manager, the office manager makes a certain amount of appointments pre-bookable for the patients, once these pre-bookable appointments have all been taken by patients, it is then the office manager that has to authorise for more.
The practice doors open at 08:30am and the phone lines open at 8am.
Helen explained to the patients the workload of the doctors,they have AM clinic, telephone consultations, home visits, prescription signing, paperwork from the patients clinical letters, PM clinic. If a doctor requests a patient from their telephone consultations to be seen urgently there are two blocked appointments per doctor for the doctors to use. If there are a lot of home visits, the other GPs from our other surgeries will help with the workload of the home visits. We know have a clinical pharmacist working with us, Gita Patel. Gita is helping with asthma reviews and COPD reviews.
We have physiotherapy, ultrasound and dermatology from the community services using one of our clinical rooms twice a week.
Within Swale there is a new system, were a paramedic Tracey, helps all Swale GP surgeries with home visits. Tracey is able to complete home visits if they meet her criteria. Tracey will come to the surgery, collect a brief summary regarding the patient. Tracey will then complete the home visit, after the home visit Tracey will go back to the surgery with a summary of what has been carried out during the home visit. Sandra Anderson explained to the group that she has had personal experience of using this new system, and felt that Tracey was very helpful and polite and had a lot of patience. Sandra did not feel like she was rushed.
Minster Medical Centre has a practice website and we are also on the NHS choices website, for all patients to look at. Patients are also able to use patient access, this will enable patients do order repeat medication; see any allergies they have listed. Any immunisations they have had.
CQC came out to the practice on the 26th March 2015 to do their inspection. The CQC report was handed out to the patients at the meeting. All the areas within Minster Medical Centre were graded as good. One of the patients from our previous patient meeting came to the CQC inspection, to represent the patient engagement group. All GP surgeries have to have a CQC inspection, they are generally done every 3 years.
Minster Medical Centre has to run by the guidelines set out by NICE.
Patients have commented they would like to see the same GP. Minster Medical Centre understand that patients like to have consistency.
Sandra Anderson asked if patients can be seen at the other practices within Minster Medical Group. Helen explained that we are not a branch surgery and therefore, patients cannot be seen at our other surgeries. To be able to have a branch surgery, we would need different contracts from NHS England.
Any complaints that are made to the practice, are fully investigated and a full reply is given to the person making the complaint.
- Patient Survey
The recent patient survey that was carried out in September 2015. The report was handed out to the patients, to have a look at the outcome of the survey. The survey had a very positive outcome.
- Patients views/comments
Jack Wing explained that he had an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner but felt he should have been booked in with the doctor.
The patients also said that when they are asked to book in with the GP to be seen for a review in four weeks’ time, when they ask to book the appointment they are not able to book. Helen and Jackie explained there may be many reasons for this. One of the problems that do keep arising is the GP’s sometimes forget they are not in on the day they have requested the patient to come back. The management team are going to bring this issue up in the next Minster Medical Centre clinical governance meeting.
Mary Green commented that sometimes when she phones at 08:00am, she cannot get through on the phone and then when she does at 08:10am all the appointments are gone. Helen explained there are two phones lines that ring when the patients phone the surgery, this helps more patients to be able to contact. Also explained that the GPs have a certain amount of appointments allocated. If there is only one GP on the day, this will result in minimal appointments available.
Jack Wing asked if there is a possibility of a late clinic. Unfortunately we are unable to do this due to the contract we have been given. We did have a Saturday clinic but had to be cancelled, due to not many patients turning up for their appointments.
Jack wing mentioned to help patients understand who they are seeing, to have the doctors pictures put up against their names.
Sandra Anderson asked if Dr J Sahu is still working with Minster Medical Centre. Helen explained that yes Dr Sahu is still with us; he mainly works at Sheppey Healthy Living Centre and helps cover when needed at Minster.
Patients have also requested if the doctors names can be put onto the doctors clinical rooms.
- Agree actions and timelines.
The management team will look through the minutes of the meeting and discuss the actions that need taking. These actions will be looked at and provisionally actioned for the next Patient Participation Meeting.
- AOB and Close
Fred and Mary were thanked for their participation in the Macmillan cancer morning the surgery held. The surgery raised £193.83 and we would like to thank everyone that donated.
Minster Medical Centre would like to thank all the patients that attended the meeting and giving us their views and opinions.