Woodlands Health Centre

Patient Participation Group

Minutes of Meeting

Thursday 20th July 2017

Chair: Michael Bone (MB)

Minutes: Sarah Baker (SB)

Present:

Arlene Hansell (AH)

Brenda Finch (BF)

Winsome Mapp (WM)

Peter Williams (PW)

Patricia Williams (PW)

Lyn Fitzjohn (LF)

Andrew Stanley (AS)

Peter Harvey (PH)

Joan Harvey(JH)

1 / Introductions / Actions
None required
2 / Apologies
David Whillier (DW)
3 / Minutes of last meeting
Minutes of last meeting agreed
Minutes of last AGM agreed
4 / Matters Arising
Amended copy of the Constitution
5 / Woodlands Update
No replacement has been found as yet for Dr McCauley. We may have to resort to locums but SB will keep everyone informed of any developments. Dr lamb will take over as diabetic lead
.
Gareth Johnson, one of our practice nurses is leaving. Alison Tinsley has accepted our offer of employment. She is a very experienced practice nurse and starts on 14th August.
East Peckham Update-A public consultation was held on the 10th July. East Peckham Parish Council will discuss the findings after their summer recess on 18th September. MB attended the consultation and advised the general consensus was the villagers would prefer a new surgery to be incorporated into the new Community Hub in the church. The number of patients that we currently have recorded as living in East Peckham is 2258
We have a new call in board in the waiting room
A patient who passed away kindly left the surgery £236 in her will. SB has purchased so a new table and chairs for the children’s corner in the waiting room together with some new books,colouring books and crayons. There is £120 left. Suggestions please as to what to spend the money on. Thanks
Unsociable behaviour in the evening in the car park-A meeting was held last Tuesday with MP Greg Clarke and police and some residents. The police are making extra patrols and have the names of key people who they will be visiting.
The car park management plan does indicate the car parks should have raiseable barriers. SB is looking into this although how much it will deter the youths was questioned.
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6 / Medication PW
PW queried how long prescriptions can be issued for. SB advised GPs are not allowed to issue prescriptions for more than 3 months (excluding contraception). West Kent CCG put pressure on GPs to not issue more than 1 months’ worth for economic reasons as less medication is proven to be wasted.
7 / AOB
BF-Building is looking unclean. SB will see if estates management can organise a clean,
MB Buses update-The MP is still awaiting comments from Arriva. WM has heard a rumour the No 6 bus has been reinstated but no concrete evidence. History of the problem discussed. New Venture are putting on a once a day shopping bus to Maidstone.
MB-Would members like the meetings to be held upstairs in the meeting room with a table or downstairs in the waiting room? AH commented the meeting is not visible from the outside to late comers. PW felt the dynamics are better sitting round a table with more interaction. Agreed to hold the next meeting upstairs and then to decide how members would like to move forward.
AS attended a Sustainability and Transformation Plan listening Event which discussed how the NHS would be changing in the coming years.
Woodlands, Hildenborough, Tonbridge and Hadlow are now in a cluster and hope to be offering specific services as a hub.
The 111 out of hours service will be re vamped in the next few years, directing people to more appropriate services, booking GP appointments for the morning etc.
Urgent Treatment Centres will be set up to take the pressure off A&E (not the same as a minor injury unit). Patients will attend the Urgent Treatment Centre and be directed appropriately.
Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, Cranbrook and Sevenoaks will no longer offer Out of Hours Appointments. Patients will be directed to the Urgent Treatment Centres.
3 new stroke centres will be set up but the location is not yet known. This replaces the 7 centres that are currently understaffed and ineffective. Hospitals are currently running on 100% occupancy. The plan is to reduce this to 90% using care plans and virtual wards whereby the patients are cared for at home. Staffing and finance discussed. All agreed in principle a lovely idea but will it work in practice?
PW-Privacy Issues. Patient confidentiality discussed. If a patient would like the surgery staff to speak to another member of the family SB advised a letter should be written by the patient giving permission. This letter is scanned onto the patient records and an alert put on the screen. PW advised she has done this but did not happen this way when she spoke to the surgery staff recently. SB will investigate
AH attended a pensioners meeting recently and had spare copies of Health Campaign Together newspapers. AS also had a newspaper called Transforming Health and Social Care which he believes is a quarterly newspaper. Contact details were . Website www.kentandmedway.nhs.uk
AH asked if new patients get allocated a GP. SB advised families tend to be kept together. Brand new families are allocated a GP but can put in a request. If a patient for whatever reason would like to change GPs a form is available at reception.
AH asked if minutes of the PPG meetings are available publicly. SB advised they are on the website.
AH asked if the surgery organises group talks. SB advised No however Paddock Wood U3A do.
Peter and Joan Harvey announced this meeting would be the last they are able to attend due to other commitments. Members thanked them both for their contributions over the last few years.

Date of next meeting: Monday 18th September 2017