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| 2013 |
Executive Committee Members: Emilio Ceraudo (EC), John Doland (JD), Graham Hardy (GH), David Harper (DaH), Joyce Jarvis (JJ), Nick Martensz (NM), Chris Stannard (CS), L.M. Stockman (LMS)
Doris Halls (DoH) and Josephine Powell (JP) were absent with apologies.
Graham Hardy joined the Executive Committee.
Surgery Representatives: Fiona McGlashan (FM)
Lesley Davis (LD) was absent with apologies.
Invited Speaker: Janine Parkinson (JaP), Rob Wallace (RW)
JD opened the meeting by welcoming new member GH, and then introduced the evening's guest speaker, Rob Wallace, from Care Network Cambridgeshire.
RW began with a brief explanation of the work of Care Network Cambridgeshire. They mainly work with the elderly, offering support for people who have just returned home after a stay in hospital and setting up local schemes such as car-share schemes. Most recently, Care Network Cambridgeshire has started the Community Navigators scheme. At this point, RW introduced Janine Parkinson, Bar Hill's Community Navigator.
JaP explained that Community Navigators are local volunteers who help elderly residents find out what is happening locally. In particular, they answer questions about
and much more. Although there is a lot of information about these sorts of things online, the elderly are not always comfortable using the internet. Many people prefer face-to-face contact, and Community Navigators provide this friendly first contact for chatting about personal needs. The scheme is primarily aimed at the over-65s, but no one will be turned away.
GH outlined the difficulties in knowing about benefit changes. The experts are at the Citizen Advice Bureaux but there aren't any nearby.
JaP spoke from personal experience about the difficulties in getting this kind of information. CS related the story of a person with multiple health problems who was unable to work but had lost their benefits. JaP said she was particularly interested in these cases. RW said that this wasn't their area of expertise but that they would try to help and point people in the right direction.
CS asked if this was a voluntary scheme and if it was based just in Bar Hill. JaP said that she had tried to set up Community Navigators in Swavesey but was unable to for various reasons. The Community Navigator will meet in the Bar Hill library twice a month, on the first and third Mondays, from noon to 2 p.m. They have funding until October 2015.
GH enquired as to funding levels. RW didn't know the exact numbers but said that the money went on training volunteers and also on management. RW's job is mainly recruiting local residents for the Community Navigators.
FM said that the surgery could put up posters, stock leaflets and make GPs aware of the service. She then asked if a formal referral was needed or if Community Navigators provided a drop-in service. She was told that no specific referral was needed. DaH suggested that RW and JaP contact the Happy Hours club and JaP replied that she was already booked to speak there.
EC asked if Community Navigators had connections with Addenbrooke's Hospital for things like occupational therapy, obtaining medical equipment for home use, etc. RW replied yes, they explored all options.
DaH explained how the PPG's local activities leaflet came about and LMS said that is was available at the PPG web site for anyone to use.
CS wanted to know if Community Navigators had any connections to alternative transport options. Although the PPG produces a bus leaflet (Getting to Hospital by Bus), it still can be difficult getting from point A to point B. He also pointed out that some patients had special needs, e.g. limited mobility, very obese. JaP replied that the Community Navigators couldn't offer rides themselves but could find someone like the Red Cross who had the capability. RW added that some villages had community car schemes and that Care Network Cambridgeshire was trying to get such a scheme started in Bar Hill. The Red Cross was capable of transporting special needs patients but would charge a mileage fee.
GH wanted to know if Care Network Cambridgeshire was an umbrella network. RW said they were more of a partner of organisations such as Age UK, Cam Sight, CAMTAD, Crossroads, etc.
JD thanked RW and JaP on behalf of the Committee.
The minutes from the meeting of 27 March 2013 were approved.
The minutes from the meeting of 24 April 2013 were approved pending the correction of a typographical error.
FM reported that Dr Simon Prince will join the clinical team on 4 June, thereby allowing the surgery to have two regular GP both mornings and afternoons five days a week. The surgery is still employing a locum nurse but are hoping to recruit a nurse or nurse prescriber.
There are have been a few teething problems and several unhelpful comments have been made about the surgery on the NHS Choices web site. FM encouraged patients with positive experiences to post their reviews and that anyone having a complaint to approach the practice manager who can then investigate. DaH said that unhelpful negative comments on the NHS Choices web site has been a long-standing problem and pointed out that complainers were more likely to leave comments. He also said that part of the problem may be historical high rates of GP turnover; now patients are seeing yet another round of new faces. GH said that some people simply won't be satisfied no matter what is done. JJ sympathised with FM and said that new beginnings must be difficult for the staff too.
LMS enquired about infrastructure: building maintenance, grass cutting, etc. She said that the grass had been left uncut until this week and that the interior of the building looked tired and unkempt, things unlikely to impress potential new patients. FM said that Serco Group Plc. was employed by the local CCG to take care of such items. Practice manager LD will meet with representatives from Serco later in the week to discuss maintenance issues.
The general consensus amongst Committee members who attended was that the meeting was a success, with a good turnout of 70-80 people. CS thought that the managing and medical director of Malling Health Ltd. gave the meeting just the right tone. JD was pleased and impressed that director had attended and was encouraged by what he had to say. JD said that he knew it was early days yet but that he thought the patients of maple surgery were in good hands. GH asked what JD though the philosophy of Malling Health Ltd. was. JD replied that it was all about the patient. The director didn't necessarily agree with all of the new NHS reforms but would work with them to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. DaH noted that one of the Committee's chief concerns had been that Malling Health Ltd. was a private company and was in it only to make a profit; that it was an example of privatising the NHS; and that maintaining high standard of care would take a back seat to making money. CS said that the Acorn Partnership had done a good job during their three-year tenure but that the new group might be even better, and that he had been impressed with Dr Yasser Rasool.
LMS said that an account of the public meeting is available at the web site.
After some discussion it was generally although not unanimously agreed that it was too late to organise a stall at the village fête in July. GH suggested that perhaps the Committee should do something on its own along the lines of soliciting comments from the residents about how to best improve the surgery. This led to a discussion of putting a suggestion or comment box in the surgery, to be emptied regularly and discussed at PPG meetings. LMS suggested that perhaps the Committee should put its energies into organising another Health Awareness Event later this year, but CS thought that deferring it to next spring would allow the new staff more time to settle in.
Action: Participation in the village fête and putting on a Health Awareness Event next year will be discussed at the next meeting.
LMS had some examples of patient leaflets from other surgeries that might be useful in designing the new patient brochure or leaflet.
Action: Deferred until next meeting.
CS said that he would like to see uniformed organisations like the Scouts included on the Activities leaflet. LMS said that the leaflet was aimed at adults, not children.
Action: LMS will see about altering the wording of the leaflet to include a mention of uniformed organisations and the new Community Navigators scheme.
The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
The next ordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the PPG will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 26 June 2013, in the TNT Room at Bar Hill Church. Tea and coffee will be served before the meeting, from 6:00 p.m.
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