April 24, 2023

Minutes

Patient Participation Group Virtual Meeting

held on 24.04.2023 at 1pm

Present: Chair/Patient Group Lead - Rose Parry

HHC GP - Dr Philip Ridsdill Smith

Patient Representatives - Sally Barr, Andrew Culshaw & David Bonser

(Minutes Secretary – Jane Walter)

Apologies: HHC Practice Manager Stephanie Ashdown; Patient Representatives Jill Bowman, Linda Donaldson & Liz Tyler

Welcome by Rose.

Minutes of Last Meeting were agreed.

Matters Arising.

1. Laminated copies of HHC’s Newsletter had now been put in the waiting rooms at both HHC and Fernhurst.

2. Information that comes through from Surrey Heartlands will hopefully be adapted for relevance to patients.

Practice Update.

Phil said GP numbers were up to strength with Dr Hannah Field having recently joined the Practice. The volume of patients attending HHC was still high due to the knock on effects of long hospital waiting lists, the junior doctors/nurses strikes and catching up from pandemic shortages. He said that the Government were setting out a plan to provide more and better access to services for patients. Finances already in the system were being re-directed at a PCN level but there was no increase in funding for General Practice. Currently 65% of patients were seen within two weeks of making an appointment (this included doctor/nurse appointments, triage, home visits, nursing homes & other practitioners), which Phil hoped would get closer to 90% but felt this would happen in stages but it was a very tall order. One of the ways of achieving this had been the idea of a Same Day Access Clinic in one of the disused buildings on the hospital estate creating a multidisciplinary hub using existing doctors, nurse practitioners, healthcare assistants, first contact physio, mental health practitioner, social prescriber etc. Disappointingly funding to convert a building for this had been turned down. An application went into Waverley Borough Council for CIL funding in October 2022 however in March the Practice learnt this was not successful. Andrew added that out of 25 applications for CIL funding only 5 had been successful.

Sally felt it was difficult for those without IT skills to navigate the website to arrange an appointment within the two weeks Phil had mentioned. Phil thought that with cancellations and on the day appointments this was achievable. She also felt that patients were unhappy at having to tell a receptionist whether on the phone or in person at the reception desk what an appointment was for. Phil explained that this helped signpost the patient to the most appropriate healthcare professional. It also saved time preventing the need for a phone call from HHC in the first instance and then the patient having to make an appointment with a doctor, nurse etc. Sally asked whether something could be put in the Newsletter informing patients why information was being asked for by receptionists. Rose said she would ask Steph to put something in the next Newsletter. Andrew agreed communication to patients could be further improved.

David raised the question of diabetic review, which seemed to involve two different appointments. Phil said that diabetic patients did need two different appointments to be seen firstly by a healthcare assistant to record blood pressure, weight and height and then followed by review of medication, latest blood test results etc. which did not necessarily mean the patient attending the surgery. David thanked Phil for the explanation.

Following on from this Phil was asked whether any role play or training was given to help staff deal with patients or problems that might arise. Phil told the meeting that there were early Monday meetings for all staff in on that day to discuss the week ahead and any issues that might arise. The minutes from these meetings were published for all staff to read. He added that a new course had been introduced in Guildford & Waverley, which is a simulated session where a team will come with various different scenarios to talk through with staff and he hoped to get this up and running for HHC.

Sally queried whether the telephone message had been updated recently and whether the information re flu and COVID vaccinations was still relevant. Phil said he would get the messaging looked at.

4. 1) David asked to defer his agenda item until the next meeting when Steph would be present.

2) Andrew felt it was essential that user testing should be carried out on any new system at HHC.

3) Update on the new telephone system. Rose asked Phil if HHC would be using the new system already in place in some surgeries. Phil said HHC did use a Cloud telephony system.

Phil said email for patients sending messages to the Practice would be changing over the next two months with Footfall being replaced by AccuRx but there was no timescale as yet for this.

David thought this discussion had been very useful and perhaps this PPG should discuss matters that were more HHC patient focussed rather than wider NHS committees. Phil and Rose agreed it was very useful for HHC that the PPG raised issues and thanked the PPG for their contributions.

Rose agreed to look at the agenda format.

Clinical Network/Procare – West of Waverley (WoW) Update. Phil said there was the ambition to appoint further health providers.

Healthwatch Update. Although not able to attend the meeting, Jill submitted the following report. “The Health Centre came out very well from the recent engagement visit – 23rd Feb. You will be pleased to know that the majority of people we spoke to found the Practice excellent and they were impressed with the access to GP/Nurse! 8 of the people there were there following a phone call that morning, which had led to a phone call by either GP or Nurse, and an appointment for that morning. A couple of people commented that they couldn’t make a non-urgent appointment and they found that irritating. And one lady commented on the 6 mins of recorded message on the phone before she got the chance to be connected. (Has this changed recently?)

HealthWatch are asking all GP practices for information about the training of staff in working with clients who have a learning disability and autism as this is a current cause of concern – some practices are not offering/unable to offer tailored appointments.”

Rose added the following – In addition to the above a patient spoke to me last Thursday stating the Health Centre had saved his life. He had a known aortic aneurysm and had monitored scans. COVID skewed the regular scans. HHC picked up that he hadn’t had his since 2019. The receptionist badgered him to get a scan ASAP. He reluctantly did as he was told. When scanned - his aneurysm had doubled in size to 4.5cm. Frimley admitted him because of the risk. He had to wait 36hrs for operating space due to the doctors’ strike and spent 6 hours in surgery. Now home and he said in future he would always act immediately on advice from the HHC, they saved his life!

LoF/RSCH/HHG update. Rose said it was Haslemere Hospital’s Centenary Year. The League of Friends had arranged a seminar at Haslemere Museum on 19.05.23.

Dates of Monday Meetings for 2023: 3 July, 2 October and 11 December. All meetings start at 1pm.

The meeting closed at 2.05pm.