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| 2010 |
PPG members: Michael Boughton-Fox (MB-F), Margaret Brown (MB), Emilio Ceraudo (EC), Patricia Daniels (PD), John Doland (JD), David Harper (DH), Margaret Moffat (MM), Terri Pope (TP), L.M. Stockman (LMS)
Nik Barton (NB), Diana Birley (DB) and Brian Burrage (BB) were absent with apologies.
Surgery representative: Trish Hawitt Palmer (THP)
The minutes from the meeting of 27 October 2010 were approved.
Membership details (email addresses and telephone numbers) were updated. MM was not receiving mailing list emails due to an error in her email address. DH apologised for the mistake.
Action: DH will update the mailing list with the correct address for MM.
THP explained further what PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) was. It supports patients and mediates between them and the various health service providers, from individual practitioners to primary care trusts (or whatever PCTs eventually morph into).
With regards to volunteer patient transport, MB asked her car insurer what was allowed under normal social and domestic policies. Her insurer replied that there were no insurance-related issues as long as only petrol expenses were reclaimed. This answer was specific to this insurer but is likely to be industry-wide.
Criminal Background Checks are another issue facing volunteer drivers if they take the same people to appointments on a regular basis, particularly if the patients are children or vulnerable adults.
THP explained that the surgery has no provision for rushing patients being seen at the health centre to hospital should the need arise. If an ambulance is not required, then patients have to make their own way, either from friends/family or by taxi.
EC asked if local taxi firms might be engaged to do this job for a set fee.
Action: THP will arrange for members of other PPGs to visit, starting with the Acorn Surgery PPG in Huntingdon.
A pad and pen is available for patients to write down their reason for needing an appointment if they don't wish to discuss it aloud with the receptionist. The receptionists have been trained to listen sympathetically but they need certain details in order to give patients the correct appointment with the correct practitioner. Lack of privacy is a problem at the front desk.
Action: THP will be asking for suggestions on redesigning the waiting area.
The leaflet available is a draft version from July and is in urgent need of revision.
Action: THP will work on it and circulate a new draft before the next meeting.
Action: Deferred until the next meeting.
MM volunteered to act as Chairman. MM's candidacy was proposed, seconded and approved unanimously.
BB was absent but volunteered via email to act as Vice-Chairman if no one else put themselves forward. Nobody else offered to act as Vice-Chairman, so BB's candidacy was proposed, seconded and approved unanimously.
MB volunteered to act as Treasurer. MB's candidacy was proposed, seconded and approved unanimously.
Action: DH will set up role email accounts so that officers don't have to give out their personal email addresses for group business.
At this point, DH, who was elected Secretary in October, turned over the running of the meeting to MM.
The surgery will donate a sum of money to get the PPG started; for instance, the cost of tea and biscuits before the meeting. TP will bring these to the meeting and be reimbursed as needed. EC asked if the Bar Hill Residents' Association might be approached to also contribute to the PPG but it was pointed out that many Bar Hill residents are not patients at the surgery.
Action: THP will get the money from the surgery and give it to the Treasurer (MB).
THP reminded the group that maple surgery was awarded the Bar Hill contract for one year in the first instance, with an option of extending to 18 months. The PCT is pleased with the progress made so far and has extended the contract for a total of three years, ending in April 2013. This will allow for longer-term strategic planning. It is unknown what will happen at the end of the three-year term. The PCT (or whatever succeeds it) may put the contract out to tender which could mean either NHS or a private company taking over. maple surgery is looking to the long term.
Currently, the surgery has a collection of web pages at the NHS Choices web site. However, with the extended contract, it is now feasible and practical to set up a private web site. At this point DH said that a prototype PPG web site for the group had already been set up and distributed the URL, username and password required for getting into the protected section. THP said it would also be possible for the group to have pages on the surgery web site, either in addition to the existing web site or instead of it.
Action: THP will discuss web site design with DH and LMS who put together the PPG web site.
THP briefly explained what they were.
Action: Deferred until the next meeting.
THP has written a short column about the surgery which will appear in the next Bar Hill News.
PD has been very active in researching health walks and has set up two walks which are to start in the new year. EC and PD are the volunteer walk leaders. PD asked whether the surgery could be the focal point of the walks, acting as a communications centre if a walk had to be cancelled and if the GPs would be interested in referring patients to the walks. THP replied that the receptionists would be happy to handle enquiries as long as they were kept fully informed.
Action: PD will ask a representative from Natural England to give a 20-minute talk (with time for questions) in February, by which time there two health walks will have been completed.
A new deputy practice manager (THP's deputy) has been appointed and will run the office on a day to day basis. There was a shortlist of five people, all having general practice experience, but Jenny Moyes, currently working at reception, was by far the strongest candidate (with a strong financial and police background, plus obvious management capability). She will alternate with THP in representing the surgery at PPG meetings.
Action: DH will add Jenny Moyes to the PPG mailing list.
Because of growing list size, the surgery is also recruiting a new doctor.
MB-F brought up a number of points regarding the patient leaflet, the surgery newsletter and the PPG newsletter. He asked whether the doctors' rota could be published in advance but THP explained that it changed frequently and was not amenable to advance publication. THP also briefly explained how the patient appointment template worked, allowing receptionists to correctly schedule a series of appointments for patients.
The intention is to have
The PPG newsletter will be distinct from the surgery newsletter.
Distribution of the newsletters is problematical. MB-F had asked Bunty Waters if the newsletters could be distributed with the Bar Hill News but the answer was no.
Action: JD is on the parish council and will raise the matter at the next council meeting.
Action: The group will bring suggestions for distribution of the newsletters, both within Bar Hill and to the neighbouring villages, to the next meeting.
Action: THP took photographs of the group.
The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
The December meeting has been cancelled because it falls so close to Christmas.
The next meeting of the PPG will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 January 2011, in the Octagon. Tea and coffee will be served before the meeting, from 6:00 p.m.
Action: DH will provide name labels for the next meeting.
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