Station Drive Surgery, Ludlow.
Patient Reference Group Report 2012/2013
Introduction
The Station Drive Surgery Patient’s Group comprises 18 – 20 patients including an elected Chair and
Secretary. The Group meets quarterly and the Agenda is drawn up after consultation with the Partner
responsible for Patient Group liaison.
The overriding aim of the Group is to improve services to patients, and to work constructively with the
Practice to inform and shape developments and changes.
In addition to its work directly concerned with the Station Drive Practice, the Patients’ Group is involved
in wider NHS activities in Shropshire. The Group is represented, usually by the Chairman, on the South
West Patients’ Group and the County body, the Shropshire Patients’ Group.
The Shropshire Patients’ Group is responsible for appointing patient representatives/observers to all the
decision-making bodies in Shropshire who are reshaping the NHS in line with government policy, and
which will be managing it when all the reforms are complete. Patient representatives are in place, and
making sure that the patients’ view is taken into account, on the County Clinical Commissioning Group,
the Health and Wellbeing Board, and many other county and local bodies. Patient reps. have been
particularly influential in ensuring that the take over of out of hour’s services by ‘Dial 111’ does not
reduce the excellent service we get from Shropdoc.
The Station Drive Patients’ Group chairman is a member of the South Locality Clinical Commissioning
Group and the Ludlow New Hospital Commissioning Group. Members have also been active in the Long
Term Conditions Group and Mental Heath issues.
Considerable effort is made to ensure that patients are informed of the existence of the Group, and
what it is doing. There is a large Patient’s Group Notice Board in the waiting room displaying current
information about the group; the Agendas and Minutes of Group meetings are posted promptly to the
Practice website (www.stationdrivesurgery.co.uk) , and information about the Group is included in the
Practice Booklet, which is given to all new patients.
The Patient Fund is overseen by the Patients’ Group. Any donations to the Practice are paid into this
Fund, and every donation is acknowledged by a letter from the Practice informing the giver that the
money is to be paid into this separate account. The Patient’s Group agrees expenditure from the fund
for items that benefit patients. Examples of this are the introduction of a water cooler in the Waiting
Room and the ambulatory blood pressure machines for patients’ use.
The Patients Reference Group (PRG) is a sub-group of the Patient Group which was charged with
determining patient issues, survey and to solicit patient feedback. Appendix 1 details how the Patient
Reference Group was established and operates. Key has been the drive to ensure the constituents of
the PRG represent the patient demographic and to this end we have ensured an equitable male/female
balance. It is acknowledged that younger patients are under-represented but the PRG continues to try
to solicit representation from this group. All members of the PRG are registered patients.
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Priorities for 2012/13
In the 2011/12 survey four areas were identified as priorities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
privacy at the Reception desk
Opening times
Appointments
Telephoning the Practice.
The priorities for 2012/13 were discussed at meetings of the Patient Group (as minutes on website).
The priorities were seen as soliciting as wide a scope of comment as possible and as such the patient
group decided to canvass the opinions of a very large number of patients at the ‘flu day, in order to
determine priorities for the survey. This exercise was so successful that the patient group determined
that the results could be used directly as a survey output for 2012/13, not least because over 800
patient comments were received.
The Patient Group also considers direct feedback and solicited comments from patients via a
‘comments’ posting box in the waiting room, and direct comments received by the Practice as well as
consideration from complaints and significant events.
2012/13 Survey
The Patient Group chose to conduct the survey by face to face discussion with patients visiting the
Practice for a ‘flu vaccination at the Saturday morning special clinic on 20th October 2012. Three
members of the group spent 4.5 hours each talking to patients and recording their issues. They estimate
that they spoke to 850 out of the over 1,000 patients who attended on that day. Patients spoken to
included those who visited the Practice frequently as well as those who rarely visited. Although many
were older patients, there was a wide age range which included expectant mothers and young children
and patients with disabilities.
75% of patients did not have any issues they wished to raise – the vast majority of these were quite
happy with things as they were.
25% of patients wanted to talk about various aspects of the Practice.
The PRG reported back to the Patient Group and indeed a direct transcript of all negative comments was
made available to the whole Group in order for the full range of comments and discussion to be
considered. This was presented at an open meeting and it was determined that the PRG would
consolidate the comments into themes and produce a report of the main areas of concern and interest
summarising these to the Practice so that an action plan could be evolved.
Survey credibility
Whilst the survey did not address a randomized group of patients the very large numbers and the direct
and open discussions facilitated by the PRG were felt to provide a very credible and representative
formative output and survey.
2
PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP SUMMARY
There were very many patients who were very happy with the staff and service at the Practice and it
was obvious from the many positive comments that patients hold clinicians at the Practice in high
regard. It is unfortunate that these numbers were not accurately recorded as I’m sure they would have
demonstrated a high percentage of satisfaction. However we were trying to see if there were any areas
where patients felt there could be an improvement, which the survey could then focus on. Also if a
comment or concern had already been recorded a repeat of that comment/concern may not have been
noted. This has been a bit of a learning curve for the volunteers from the Patients’ Group. We will know
next time to record all comments.
In addition to the high level of satisfaction with the Practice and its staff, the following areas were
identified as the main areas of concern to patients:








Difficulty in making appointments, especially to see a specific doctor
Problems getting an appointment with a GP of patient’s choice at convenient time
Turnover of GPs
Difficulty in getting through on the phone, especially first thing in the morning
Difficulty in using numbered key system when phoning the surgery – find it confusing and would
prefer to speak to someone
Confidentiality in the surgery, especially for hard of hearing patients or those in wheelchairs –
receptionist either has to shout and/or lean forward out of the hatch. Patients at the surgery,
especially those waiting to book in, can clearly hear telephone conversations when hatch is
open
Lack of ‘publicity’ re on-line booking system
Special concern re amount of long term use drugs prescribed e.g. insulin, inhalers etc. Usually 1
month prescribed which can be costly for some patients.
In addition, the Practice reviewed all of the solicited comments and proposed several other items to be
addressed in the action plan. The draft action plan was then circulated to all Patient Group members for
their comments.
Action Plan
Telephone system
– problem of
getting through
especially in the
mornings
Telephones –
difficulty in using
the new system
Access to named
Doctor and
ACTION
To audit call back wait times
To trial dedicated telephone
answering responsibilities for
Receptionists
To consider message (esp in light of
111)
To look at reducing telephone
demand by adjustment to results
protocols
Reception team to review message
and to arrange meeting with Patient
Group representation to
modify/amend message.
Recruitment of new GP Partner
3
WHEN
March/May
BY WHOM
Reception
Immediate
March
Reception
May
Reception and Clinical
Team
May
Reception
Patient Group
Advertising
February
Partners
problem of
turnover of GPs
Confidentiality at
the Reception desk
Ventilation in
waiting room
Advertise
volunteer car
service
Magazines in
waiting room
online
appointment
booking for Nurse
appointments
prescriptions
test results system
To remind all Receptionists of this
issue, and to close the hatch when
not dealing with a patient
Make one duty Receptionist
responsible for checking
temperature of waiting room and
taking action.
Practice to ask Care Co-ordinator to
liaise with Patient Group
February
Practice Administrator
February
2013
Receptionists
May
Patient Care co-ordinator
Patient group to review and discuss
how this can be improved.
Implement this
April
Patient Group
May
Reception team
Discuss frequency of prescriptions
with CCG and then strategic review
Process review of this system
June/July
Partners,
March
Partners, and Practice
admin team rep.
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