Meeting Notes: Wednesday 26 May 2021 / 18:00 – 20:00PM
Meeting Details: Online Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 845 4042 0920 | Passcode: AspenPPG
PPG
Web: Aspen Medical Centre Patient Participation
Group (aspenppg.blogspot.com)
Meeting Notes: Wednesday
26 May 2021 / 18:00 – 20:00PM
Welcomes, Introductions and Apologies
Chair: Kevin Gannaway-Pitts (KGP) - Interim Vice Chair
Attending: Eve Butler (EB), Christine Hart (CH), Georgie Kemp (GK), Sandra Nicholson (SN), Steve Talbot (ST), Julie Hapeshi ((JH), Kate Edgar (KA), Judith “Jude” Morris (JM), Salina Wathen (SW), Zareen Ahmed (ZA), Nicholas Osborne (NO), Bernadette “Bernie” Fishpool (BF), Linda Matthews (LM), Georgina Shaw (GS), Frederick “Fred” Wood (FW), Andrew Wrightson (AW), Gillian Brook (GB), Akbal “Bill” Singh (BS), Ashley Bowkett (AB), Pauline Mitchell (PM)
In Attendance: Katherine Holland GCCG (KH)
Apologies Received: Dr Nicky Wilson (NW), Michele Bonner (MB),
Mary Haines (MH)
The following Conflict(s) of Interest were raised prior to the meeting taking place:
- Kevin Gannaway-Pitts – Declared his role at the CCG with his employment.
- Katherine Holland – Declared who relationship status with one of the members of the PPG and is also a patient at Aspen.
Notes from the Last Meeting
Paper 1 – 202104 – PPG Notes 28 Apr 2021
https://aspenppg.blogspot.com/p/ppg-meeting-28-apr-2021.html
The group has reviewed the notes and agreed they were a fair representation of the last meeting.
Proposed by Steve Talbot and seconded by Eve Butler
Actions from the last meeting
Paper 2 – All actions and updates
from the previous meeting were discussed and agreed by the group
PPG Induction Session
PPG Members Introductions - The group spent the first part of the meeting introducing each other and covering a brief description of their background and why they wanted to join the PPG. This is a brief summary and more detail can be found on the PPG site https://aspenppg.blogspot.com/p/ppg-members.html where members have submitted a bio. It is worth noting that we have a diverse membership and experience from within the public and private sector. A matrix has been added as an appendix to the minutes.
PPG Discussion – Following the introduction the floor was open to allow members to discuss experiences using Aspen and where some focus would be beneficial for patients in the future. The themes that were raised are highlights from the discussion:
- Telephone appointment booking process and average wait times are perceived as to long and no understanding of the infrastructure in technology and staff to provide an efficient service to patients.
- Telephone and video consultations generally work well depending on the GP response time to contact the patient. Points were raised about patients who do not have the facilities for online consultations and maybe disadvantaged with this approach.
- Processes for annual health checks, blood, urine tests and chasing results when patients have not heard back from the practice.
- eConsult – mixed views and functionality of eConsult is not always easy and in some cases points patients to call the practice or NHS111. Patients with long-term conditions are asked to complete medication as part of the eConsult process and causes various issues for patients. Is this requirement needed when the surgery has the up to date medication history?
- Confidentially in the reception area is an area of concern, especially with screens and masks being worn by patients.
- Follow up appointments with GPs are difficult to arrange when a GP has asked the patient to request a follow up.
- Arrival and reception at the practice – hand sanitation, use of masks and difficulties patients experience, toilet facilities available, queuing at reception and maintaining the 2m rule.
- Procedures followed by receptionist to book patients follow up appointments when they have just seen a GP and asked the patient to book a follow up appointment is not clear with receptionists. (Clear instructions for making follow up appointments)
ACTION: Develop FAQ and raised questions from the PGG
for the practice to review and feedback KGP
Quiz Feedback
The group discussed the quiz which was used as part of the
induction process to help with the development of knowledge that would be
useful when collaborating with patients.
These are the highlights from the discussion:
- Members had to look up and navigate through resources to find information to complete the quiz.
- Aspen website site is not friendly or intuitive to navigate.
- It is not easy to make a complaint or just give feedback including compliments.
- Submitting a
compliment to a member of staff is challenging – Advise to go into the
Administration Office on the website and click on Ask the Practice a Question |
Complete the online form to submit. (Checking with the practice all
compliments are passed to staff).
- Information can be found on either the NHS App or Patient Access. Although gaining access to these Apps are challenging if you do not have any photo identification for the NHS App e.g. no driving license or passport.
- The opening
times on the website are not updated when changes happen e.g. if a practice
closes early this is not reflected on the website.
- Encourage the use of the online facility for obtaining test results where appropriate – Under Reception and Enquiries
- Abuse to reception staff and Clinical Staff is horrendous – what is the policy? It should not be tolerated. A Zero Tolerance statement is available on the website but is not easy to find. KGP mentioned that notices are not large enough and displayed to promote a No Tolerance approach to patients that attend the practice. A campaign video is available on the PPG Blog https://aspenppg.blogspot.com/2021/05/end-abuse-in-gp-practices.html
- Aspen Facebook page needs promoting to encourage the ‘Aspen Community’ A feature that the comms and engagement stream can work with the practice to share with networks and promote messages.
- KGP gave the group an example of a Community Nurse who works with Aspen that went above and beyond with EOL care of a patient registered at the practice.
- Perception as to what reception staff do – clarity would be useful to understand how admin functions operate in the practice.
- Getting an appointment is becoming increasingly difficult – e-consult is good, but it is taking longer and longer. An e-consult appointment offered 3 weeks in the future, then didn’t need the appointment, took 3 days to work out how to cancel. Wonder how many e-consult appointments are not being kept because it is so difficult to cancel an appointment.
- Would be useful if when patients call there is an option to leave a message for the practice.
- Need to improve the communications to say that the practice is open, and doctors are seeing patients. Perhaps a text/ email to all patients would be helpful to let them know the practice is open. A media release from the CCG has been published for the health community and should be used to promote through social media campaigns. https://www.gloucestershireccg.nhs.uk/help-your-gp-surgery-to-help-you/
- Need to check that patient mobile numbers are correct on the patients record as this can cause patients to miss out on vital communications. This is dependent on patients providing updated information to the practice.
- Feel the practice use diversionary tactics to send you elsewhere to avoid the doctors. This is another area where understanding the operational processes would provide clarity that PPG members can discuss with patients when issues like this are raised.
PPG Structure
Due to the time taken with the introductions and
discussions, KGP took the group through the PPG structure and highlighted that
an interim arrangement was in place for the leadership team and this will need
to be addressed in time. As the group is
new and it will take time to embed the current membership, KGP proposed that
the current arrangements remain in place until mid-autumn when we look at
appointing a permanent Chair and Vice Chair.
It is likely that the approach will be for expressions of interest for
the leadership roles and the membership will vote on the successful
candidates. A term of reference will be
developed to ensure that the suitable candidates are appointed to take the PPG
forward based on the principles in place that reflects the direction the PPG
are developing.
The appointment for a PPG secretary is open and any member who wishes to take up this appointment should contact the vice chair to discuss the requirements of this role.
Working Groups
KGP presenting the first draft of the working groups and
invited members to reflect over the slide and notify areas of interest that
members would like to be involved with.
Some of these areas included:
- Armed Forces Veterans – Rachel Bucknell is the lead for the practice and has attended seminars
- Mental Health
- Healthy Lifestyles and Prevention – Eat real food campaign and the Fitbit community programme
- Deprivation, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Communications and Engagement
- Carers – Adults and Young Carers.
ACTION: Members to inform KGP which group they would like to support and be involved with.
AOB
No other Business was raised as part of the agenda items
Dates of the next meeting
Some of the group felt that it would be helpful for the group to meet in person to get to know each other when safe to do so.
Suggestions included a walk and talk group or a socially distanced coffee.
Next meeting scheduled for Wednesday TBC 2021 | 18:00 – 19:00hrs.
KGP thanked everyone for their attendance and closed the meeting at 20:00hrs.
