Patient Participation Group Meeting

20th October 2022, 1pm. 

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Present:

• Liz
• Jeremy
• Ann
• Jane
• John
• Michael (Secretary)
• Lucy (Primary Care Network Lead)
• Dylan (Practice Manager)
• Dr Lees (GP Practice Partner)
• Gulê (Administrator)
• Victoria
• Peter
• Tim

Meeting Chaired by Dylan

PCN and Extended Hours

Lucy presented an update from the primary care network (PCN) update from Lucy. The PCN is made up of 4 practices based around Clissold Park, covering a total of 34000 patients, and the PCN enables the sharing of specialists across these practices. The roles include: 

• 5 clinical pharmacists, 1 in each practice – pharmacists take the initiative on appraising medications 
• 1 physiotherapist across all 4 practices – patients can self-refer
• clinical psychologist who works across all 4 practices – deals with serious, adult mental health problems
• well-being practitioner – assists vulnerable members
• social prescriber – can provide help with for disability benefit, housing problems
• care co-ordinator – shared across the 4 practices – helps patients who care for others who tend to neglect their own care as a result

In response to a question from the PGG, Lucy said the social prescriber is Turkish speaking to reflect the needs of the local community and that such needs are always taken into account when hiring. The surgery hopes to hire an urgent care, advanced paramedic in April.

Victoria agreed to update the PPG Facebook page with details of the specialists on offer. In response to a question about how well utilised appts are with the specialists, Lucy informed the PPG that they are already fully-booked.

Extended access times have been agreed across the PCN. These are 18.30-20:00 weekdays. Statham Grove already offered, and still do, early morning appt., particularly useful for teachers etc. There will also be extended hours of 9:00-17:00 on weekends, spread across practices. To access these patients can call on Saturday. The services provided are nurses and healthcare assistants only and are offered at the Nightingale Surgery.

Lucy says they hope to create a website specifically for the PCN to better reflect its role and work across the community.

Greener Practice

Dylan is the surgery’s net zero lead. The surgery have moved over to a renewable energy supplier. They also bid for funding from NHS England for solar panels – while not successful this time they will try again. They are also exploring potential updates to surgery heating/insulation. Patients have also been contacted about environmentally friendly asthma inhalers.

Covid Restrictions

Views were sort from the PPG regarding the ongoing use of screens in reception and the wearing of masks in the surgery. Several said they were concerned by rising Covid numbers and would be pleased for mask wearing to remain a requirement in reception. Dylan said he found it hard to hear when working on a recent vaccination clinic and others agreed that ease of communication in appointments was important. The issue of patient reassurance was raised as a reason in favour, while the burden of enforcement for staff raised as an issue against. It was noted that while several members of the PPG had arrived wearing masks, all had taken them off for the duration of the meeting.

Website and Coming into Surgery

Online appts were switched off during Covid, but it was agreed they should restart soon. Dr Lees said some practices have moved to an entirely online triage but Statham Grove had resisted as that might favour certain demographics. It was widely expressed that the surgery was getting the current balance of telephone/face-to-face right and that re-opening online appt booking would be welcome.

PPG Funding

The PPG agreed to funds being used to improve the ability for staff to update the website. Two members particularly asked that the reception door be fixed. Dylan said he was keen to use funds to improve disabled access to the surgery and this would include a new door for disabled access to reception. This was also agreed.