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| 2010 |
PPG members: Michael Boughton-Fox, Margaret Brown, Brian Burrage, Patricia Daniels, John Doland, David Harper, Terri Pope, L.M. Stockman
Margaret Moffat was absent with apologies.
Surgery representatives: Dennis Cox (GP), Janet Edge (Nurse Partner/Practitioner)
Trish Hawitt Palmer was absent with apologies.
Michael Boughton-Fox joined the group.
David Harper volunteered to act as secretary. This was approved by the group.
It was felt that there were too few members present to elect other officers. This was deferred to the November meeting.
Action: An email will be sent out well in advance of the November meeting, reminding everyone of the time and place, and asking for members to put themselves forward for any of the remaining positions.
Action: Dr Cox will arrange for a representative from PALS to come to a future meeting and explain the service.
Dr Cox explained a new process in which patients may be sent to medical centres other than Addenbrooke's Hospital for initial consultation and treatment. This will begin with patients who have musculoskeletal disorders, but will eventually include a wider variety of problems. This frees up hospital consultants to deal with only the most serious cases.
For instance, Chesterton Medical Centre is using physiotherapy-led treatment, with referrals for scans and consultants' appointments if and when they are needed. This should streamline the treatment process but it disrupts the usual pathways, particularly with respect to transportation.
An ambulance service may not be available for those needing to visit a treatment centre other than Addenbrooke's, so a voluntary car-ride service is a possibility. Because drivers would be reimbursed for their expenses, this may have an impact on their car insurance.
Action: Margaret Brown will ask her insurer about this situation when she renews her insurance.
Dr Cox emphatically said that our role is to hold the office to account.
Action: Dr Cox will arrange for members of other local PPGs to come to a meeting to tell us about their groups' activities.
Janet Edge spoke on the role of nurses and health care assistants in taking on many of the assignments often done by GPs in the past.
She also explained how reviews worked and the role of the receptionist in determining who - GP, nurse, health care assistant - is best suited to deal with a patient's problem. This means that the receptionist must ask questions about the patient's needs. The lack of privacy at reception is a problem; some patients may not wish to discuss their problems in front of other patients. Margaret Brown suggested that there should be a pad at the desk for people to write down their problem if they don't wish to say it out loud.
Action: Janet Edge agreed that this was a good idea and will suggest it to the reception team.
There has been considerable change to the way prescriptions are done at the surgery. Drugs are now prescribed according to the NHS Cambridgeshire Formulary, in keeping with other practices in the area. Michael Boughton-Fox expressed concerns over cost-cutting exercises which will mean expensive brand-name drugs being replaced with cheaper alternatives, including generics. Janet Edge said that while most patients do very well on the cheaper alternatives, it may be necessary in some cases to stay on more expensive drugs. This will be done on a patient-by-patient basis.
The practice leaflet has been printed but is always open to amendments.
Action: David Harper will obtain a copy and circulate it for comment.
Patricia Daniels said that the price list for travel vaccinations was incomplete and distributed copies that she had picked up recently from the surgery.
Action: Janet Edge said that it was an old copy and that she would see that the most recent version was put in the surgery. She would also email a copy to David Harper to circulate.
The recent (23 October) flu vaccination day at the surgery was a success although a number of eligible patients refused because of the inclusion of H1N1 (swine flu) along with the seasonal A, B and C types of flu vaccine.
The next meeting of the PPG will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 24 November in the Octagon. Tea and coffee will be served before the meeting, from 6:00 p.m.
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Last updated on 1 December 2010 by the Webmaster