Patient Participation Group

 

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Department of Health wants to ensure that patients are more involved in decisions about the range and quality of services provided by their GP surgery and, over time, commissioned by their practice. We have agreed to set up our very own PPG (Patient Participation Group).

We need to work with as many different patients as possible and make sure that the group is a fair representation of our entire patient population.

We want to seek views from our patients through the use of local practice surveys. The outcomes of the engagement and the views of our patients are to be published here on our practice website.

PPG

We hope to develop our PPG in the most appropriate way to most effectively reach the broadest cross section of our community. This could be a virtual or a face-to-face group or a combination of the two. We will strive to gain feedback from a representative cross section of our practice population. We will make every effort to engage with any underrepresented groups.

You can join the group by either completing the online membership for at https://www.leeroadsurgery.co.uk/ppg-signup-form or by completing the leaflet sign up form and handing it to our receptionists. 

Minutes of Meetings

9th September 2024 @ 18:30

Present                                                                                                         Apologies

C I                                           A J                                                                                                          P P

B C                                         X Z                                                                                                          P C

R S                                          S M                                                                                                        A C

T C                                          C M

M T                                        Grant Griffiths (Practice Manager)          

A C                                         Dr Adams (GP Partner)

Dr Butler (GP Partner

 

Grant opened the meeting and welcomed all the new members and thanked everyone for taking the time to come along. Discussions opened on the GP Patient Survey results. Everyone agreed that the results were extremely good.

Issues were raised around the appointment system with a lack of understanding of how it works from the patient’s perspective and that it isn’t being communicated effectively.

Whilst discussing the appointment system, booking appointments via the NHS App was put forward by the practice as a way of finding appointments without the telephone queues. Some of the PPG members indicated they were not aware of all the functionality the app offered i.e. appointment booking, repeat medication requests, viewing of medical records, pharmacy nominations and viewing test results.

It was agreed that the practice will put together some text explaining how the appointment system works and how best the patients can use the system to their benefit. When the text is approved, it will be displayed on the practice website, in the reception waiting area, waiting area tv screen, information pack for the reception team and an email campaign to all patients.

Grant said that the NHS App is used by 65% of those patients eligible. It was agreed to communicate more effectively about the NHS App with the reception team informing patients about it opportunistically as well as an email campaign. Appointing NHS App champion in the reception team to help patients with issues/setting up.

Issues with the reception team were raised. Whilst for the majority of the time the service was good there has been a small amount of instances of inaccurate information, unhelpfulness etc. Grant and Dr Adams stated that we have been aware of some of these issues and have been trying to correct this. Grant agreed to take this feedback away and discuss with the reception team.

The car parking situation was raised as the practice has now made the parking facilities for staff only and patients with a blue badge. Dr Adams explained we have had situations where a patients have blocked the duty GP’s car in when they need to be able to visit patients for urgent home visits. Additionally we have had numerous situations where patients had damaged staff cars whilst using the car park and had left without informing anyone.

The untidy nature of the reception front desk was raised with all the posters around it. Grant has agreed to look into this. A member of the reception team will be nominated to take charge of all poster communications in the reception area.

The next meeting has yet to be scheduled.