Download 24 Aug2011_PPG_Minutes - Mickleover Medical Centre

Dr Doris & Partners
Meeting of Mickleover PPG 24th August 2011
Present:
Mary Innes (Assistant Practice Manager)
Mike Bramley (Nurse Practitioner)
Jools Taylor
Miriam O’Sullivan
Keith Pratt
Charlotte O’Toole
William Peryer
Julia Vincent
Vera Stubbs
Doug Lumley
Tony Lamb
Des Keeling
Sue Hartley
Apologies:
Patricia Rogers
Sue Askew
Meeting Started at 7pm.
Julian Taylor: Chairman
Miriam O’Sullivan: Secretary
Introduction
Mary Innes informed the group Pauline Sperring and Vera Stubbs had decided to leave and that
invitations had been made to other people to join the group.
Keith Pratt, William Peryer and Charlotte O’Toole were welcomed to the group.
1. Acceptance of Constitution for Mickleover PPG
Chairman led discussion regarding the acceptance of the draft constitution for Mickleover PPG as
circulated at the last meeting of the group on 27th July 2011. It was agreed by the group with the
exception to setting up a financial provision and appointing a Treasurer unless the group decides
at some later date to move into issues that require fund raising.
A question was asked by a member as to the purpose of the PPG acting as a pressure group
regarding the availability\ quality of services of hospitals that serve the area and it was agreed
that the PPG would focus on practice issues and efficiency and has no plans to look at wider
NHS questions at the moment.
2. Questionnaires to patients
Mary informed us that questionnaires had been sent to all patients registered with the practice to
find out their views on the services provided. The results will be given to the PPG at a later date
and will help form a set of questions to be sent out to the virtual group of the PPG who can
respond and identify issues that the patients at the practice would like to be resolved. Mary
informed the group that the practice is keen to get feedback from younger patients registered and
their specific needs as they are not represented in the PPG group.
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Mickleover Patient Participation Group Meeting
3. Appointment of permanent Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary
This issue was raised by the Chairman to be discussed by the members present and it was
agreed by the group that this should only be done once a stable group of approximately 12
members is formed and everyone has the opportunity to consider standing for the positions. It
was also agreed that the PPG would be quorate if 6 members of the group were present at a
meeting with either the Chairman or Vice Chairman.
4. Appointment System
The group returned to one of the issues raised at the initial PPG meeting of 27th July and that was
the ongoing to review of the current appointment system.
Mike Bramley informed the group that background discussions have already taken place amongst
the practitioners and they think more information needs to be given to patients regarding the skills
of individual nurses at the practice, to try and cut down on the number of patients who insist on
making an appointment with a Doctor rather than seeing a nurse practitioner. He pointed out that
the surgery has already extended the appointment times available with the nurse practitioners to
try and cope with the demand for appointments.
A question from the group raised the possibility of trialing an open surgery where patient without
booked appointments could wait at the surgery from 10am in the morning and be seen at some
time during surgery time that morning. This idea would be added in to the discussions ongoing
regarding possible changes to the present system.
Another question from the group raised the possibility of installing a ring back telephone system
when the caller could access appointment availability themselves, Mary informed the group that
such systems can be expensive to install and that not all patients may feel confident using such a
system and that all patients would have to be approached before such a system could be
installed. She also thought that an operating charge may be incurred by callers using such a
system which would be an important consideration.
A member asked if all telephone requests for an appointment could be vetted by a nurse
practitioner to see if the caller needs to see a Doctor, Nurse or simply go to a pharmacy. Mike
informed the group that a nurse answering calls has been trialed but was not time efficient to the
practice as a whole.
5. Update of the Practice Website
The group also asked if all patients registered at the practice could be asked for their e-mail
addresses (where available) so that updates regarding the running of the surgery be updated to
the patients as they happen rather than information only being available at the practice.
Members of the PPG also thought that the practice website should have useful links regarding
general health and nutrition rather than just information on what services are available at the
medical centre.
It as at this point that Mary informed us that the practice website is being updated at the moment
and should be finished in time for the next meeting of the PPG. She asked all members of the
PPG to look at the site in its current form then check back to view the new website and be able to
comment at the next meeting in September.
She said that it was possible that some appointments would be allocated for patients to book
through the website direct in the future and it was being looked at. She also reminded everyone
at the meeting how well the mobile phone text reminders for appointments are working for
patients and the practice as it has cut down on appointments not kept.
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Mickleover Patient Participation Group Meeting
A member of the group raised the issue of a computer check system being available to use on
practice systems that automatically alerts doctors to possible allergies and interactions regarding
patients taking multiple medications. Mike informed the group that the system of patient reviews
already in place either with a nurse practitioner or with a doctor adequately deals with this issue.
The group asked that more information should be made available via posters on the walls of the
waiting rooms of the medical centre regarding accessing Doctors and the practice nurses and
what sort of illness or request they can deal with. This would raise general awareness amongst
patients who attend the medical centre but may not look at the practice website or handbook
regularly.
Mary agreed to have notice board regarding the Mickleover PPG to be in place at the entrance of
the surgery in time for the next meeting and agreed to post out the minutes of the meetings to
PPG members who do not have access to a home computer.
6. Proposal of visit to Meadowfields PPG
The Chairman asked if any member(s) from the group would be willing to attend a meeting of the
Meadowfields PPG at Chellaston and report back to Mickleover PPG as their group has over 10
years of experience. Mary said that any member(s) wishing to do so should contact her and she
could help make the appropriate arrangements.
7. Next meeting
The Chairman asked for a member to volunteer for the post of Vice Chairman at the next meeting
and agreed to continue as Chairman for the next meeting in September unless another member
of the group contacts him and wishes to volunteer to chair the next meeting, which was agreed to
be held on Wednesday 21st September 2011 at 7pm at the Mickleover Medical Centre.
Any items for Agenda are requested to be passed to Julian Taylor at least 10 days prior to
meeting date.
Julia Vincent volunteered for the position of acting Secretary for the next meeting of the group.
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