Salisbury House Surgery Patient Participation Group Notes of meeting held on 8th April 2014 Present: Amy - PPG Temp Chairperson and Secretary Peter Lewis Monica Ian Jean– Deputy Practice Manager Dr C Marshall Apologies: Eva SHS PPG LBPPGN BCCG LBCB L&D OOH PEF = = = = = = = = Salisbury House Surgery Patient Participation Group Leighton Buzzard Patient Participation Group Network Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group Leighton Buzzard Clinical Board (Previously LHDG) Luton and Dunstable Out of Hours Public Engagement Forum These are notes rather than verbatim of the meeting. 1. Review of minutes from previous meeting 17th February • No changes to be made. • Items for discussion were already on Agenda for meeting. 2. Leighton Buzzard PPG Network meetings Thursday 20th Feb and 3rd April • Amy gave a brief update as to the topic of discussions at both meetings. • The OOH and A&E action item is nearly at a close. The locality board had contacted the group saying that as the local practices had been unable to work together to come up with a plan then they would like PPG members to attend a an extraordinary meeting with the BCCG to come up with our solution ideas. This meeting is scheduled for 24th April with the venue to be confirmed. • Amy invited all members avilable to attend and would forward the details in an email. • She showed the template Work Plan from the network meeting and explained the current suggested topics. Care of the Elderly (including Care Homes, Frail and Elderly project and Palliative care), Children’s Services, Mental Health and Maternity. • The group discussed the suggested items the network should look into in the future. It was agreed that ‘Care of the Elderly’ would be a good item of work to look into next. • Monica suggested that the PPG’s and network could survey users of the new Frail and Elderly project once it’s established. • Dr Marshall explained the new ‘Frail and Elderly’ demonstration project which is to be rolled out in Leighton Buzzard and Chiltern Vale. He also explained that the current system which highlights elderly people who have had two A&E attendances as ‘high risk’ and are visited by Nurse Julie to identify any additional help they may need. • The practice will also be ensuring that all 75+ years old patients are allocated a specific GP which accounts for over 800 patients. Action: Amy to email details of meeting on 24th April to PPG members. 3. Feedback of the local BCCG Strategic Review Stakeholder Forum event • Ian and Dr Marshall shared the details of the meeting. • The meeting did not have high attendance this maybe due to the lack of time to advertise but did have members from Leighton Buzzard PPG’s. • It was felt even with the small number of attendances it was productive. 4. New Surgery Website • Amy suggested that the constitution should be added to the PPG part of the website. However, it would need some review and approval from members before it went public. • It was agreed that previous minutes could be added to the website but the details of the next meeting should be removed and surnames of attendees for security. • Lew raised the issue of an alarming scam email he had received which related to blood tests and appeared to be from NICE. He suggested that information about this maybe something that should be added to the website to warn patients. Action: Amy to email an edited constitution and censored minutes template to members ready for discussion at next meeting. Amy to add scam warning to news bar on the website. 5. GP Input • Communications: Dr Marshall wanted opinions on how the practice should go about improving modern communications with patients. His example being blood results by SMS or email. After discussion it was agreed that some things could be sent through digital channels but this information needed to be delicately managed. Lew suggested this could be something covered in the next newsletter. • Flu Injections: Dr Marshall said the uptake on for Flu injections in Leighton Buzzard was 70% but the national target is 75%. He asked the PPG members if they had any ideas how to increase the uptake. Amy asked if there was patterns in the demographic that didn’t take the injection. Dr Marshall said pregnant ladies were poor attenders. Suggestions from members were offer appointments after 6pm as parking is free, maybe hold a Leighton Buzzard wide event like they have in schools on a weekend. • Becoming a federation: Lew asked if there had been any further progress on the Leighton Buzzard practices becoming a federation. Dr Marshall explained that there is ‘a pot of cash’ available to fund the feasibility study into a federated model. There is an established federation in Bedford called Horizon Health which could act as an umbrella federation for all of Bedfordshire. 6. Practice Manager’s Input • Prescriptions: Due to the new prescription system where repeat prescriptions can only be collected at a pharmacy and not at reception there her been a delay so Jean will publish information to explain that repeat requests may now take 3 days instead of 2. • Opthalmic Clinic: Within the locality patients who need a referral to an Ophthalmologist from either their Opticians or GP can now choose to go to an independent (private) clinic which has an NHS contract in addition to the local hospital services. Jean assured the group that, although it is a private hospital 90% of their work is NHS. Amy explained that the PPG had been contacted directly to ask if they wanted to have a tour of the facilities. No one felt this was necessary at this time. • Doctors:Dr M Josephidou has handed in his notice and will be moving to a practice nearer to his home. His last day is in June. 7. Any Other Business • PPG recruitment: It was agreed that there is a need to recruit more members to the PPG. As posters and leaflets have been on view from the beginning it was agreed that allocating a week to raise awareness of the group was needed. The dates 19th23rd May 2014 was decided. During this week the PPG would have a display on the ‘carers’ information table on the second floor, the nurses would have leaflets to hand out to potential new members and Monica and Amy agreed to come into the practice and talk to patients in the waiting rooms. Monica and Amy agreed to meet up before the next PPG meeting to ensure it is all coordinated. • PPG email account: Ian agreed to continue check the email account for new correspondence daily and Amy agreed to cover any times he was away. • Practice Newsletter: Monica showed the final draft of the newsletter which is nearly ready to be rolled out. Jean agreed to have colour copies laminated in the waiting rooms. A colour digital copy would also be available online. Amy agreed to get her husband to rejig the look as Monica had struggled to fit in all the content. • PPG funding: Ian raised his concern that the government funding for the PPG was to be scrapped. Jean reassured him that this had been extended another year. Action: Amy and Monica to meet up and coordinate resources for recruitment week. Amy to get Newsletter rejigged ready for print.