Standard Reporting Template – Patient Participation DES 2014/15
Surrey & Sussex Area Team
Practice Name Dolphins Practice
Practice Code H82044
Signed on behalf of practice
Date 24th March 2015
Signed on behalf of PPG
Date 24th March 215
1.
Prerequisite of Enhanced Service – Develop/Maintain a Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Does the Practice have a PPG? YES / NO
Method of engagement with PPG: Face to face,
Email, Other (please specify)
Number of members of PPG:
Yes
Monthly Meetings, Email
12 Committee Members + 2 New Committee
Members Following Questionnaire Feedback
Detail the gender mix of
practice, population and PPG:
Detail of age mix of practice population and PPG:
%
Male
Female
%
<16
17-24 25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74 >75
Practice
49.6
50.4
Practice
20.4
7.1
12
14.6
15.7
11.4
9.5
9.2
PPG
50
50
PPG
0
0
0
8.34
0
16.66
33
42
Detail the ethnic background of your practice population and PPG:
White
Mixed/ multiple ethnic groups
%
British
Irish
Unknown
/Patient
Refused
Practice
PPG
48.9
91.67
0.4
0
43.10
0
Other
white
White
Black &
Caribbean
White &
black
African
White &
Asian
Other mixed
3.5
0
0.1
0
0.1
0
0.4
0
0.3
0
Black / African /
Caribbean
/ Black British
Asian/ Asian British
Other
%
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Other
Asian
African
Caribbean
Other
Black
Arab
Any
Other
Practice
PPG
1.0
0
0.1
0
0.2
0
0.3
0
0.7
0
0.6
8.33
0.2
0
0.1
0
0
0
0
0
Describe steps taken to ensure that the PPG is representative of the practice population in terms of gender, age and
ethnic background and other members of the practice population:
The Patient Participation Group and the Dolphins Practice are continually endeavouring to recruit new members,
and following recent events we have two new members who have agreed to become active members of the group.
We have a Patient Reference Group with over 48 Patients who we have recruited over the last few years, who are a
group who are more representative of the patient population, but for various different reasons prefer to remain as a
reference group.
Are there any specific characteristics of your practice population which means that other groups should be included
in the PPG? e.g. large student population, significant number of jobseekers, large numbers of nursing homes or a
LGBT community? YES/NO
No specific characteristics although continually try to encourage single mums, carers, patients with learning
disabilities and younger patients to join the Patient Participation Group to ensure that everyone’s views are
considered and to raise awareness of other groups difficulties
If you have answered yes, please outline measures taken to include those specific groups and whether those
measures were successful:
Email and texts sent to patients, Patient Participation Group try to encourage at events they hold, attendance at flu
clinics, carers events, educational talks, etc.,
2.
Review of patient feedback
Outline the sources of feedback that were reviewed during the year:
Questionnaire was sent out to 6000 Patients - email and paper responses received
Practice has a suggestion book and box for Patients to make comments and receive feedback
Flu Clinic/Drop In Session Feedback
How frequently were these reviewed with the PRG?
Monthly meetings are held with the Patient Participation Group whereby a GP and the Practice Manager attends to
discuss all the current issues that the Practice and Patients are facing, awareness is raised of the activities of the
Practice, in addition to relaying information back to the Practice.
Educational events are organised whereby consultants and speakers are invited to talk about issues relating to
Health and Clinical Commissioning Group updates, providing information around activities, changes and new
services.
Health promotion events are organized.
A newsletter by the Patient Participation Group is produced for patients called Healthwise that is delivered to
patients in Haywards Heath and is available from the Practice.
The Patient Participation section on the practice website asks that if patients are interested in joining the group to
email hsccg.dolphins-haywardsheath@nhs.net so that details can be forwarded to the Chairman.
3.
Action plan priority areas and implementation
Priority area 1
Description of priority area:
Access – A large proportion of the Dolphins Practice patients live directly behind the practice which is soon to be
increased by an adjoining development of some 64 family homes.
In a recent survey a significant number of patients responded by saying they would like to access to the practice via a
pedestrian entrance in the rear of the car park. This would remove the necessity of a significant walk along a muddy,
ill lit and overgrown footpath which has security issues in that there is no "escape" along its entire length even if
circumstances deemed it advisable.
The site grounds are open to public access 24/7 and there would not seem to be any particular difficulties or security
issues in installing a pedestrian entrance at the rear of the car park, the Practice and the Patient Participation Group
agreed that they would like to see this particular initiative progressed, especially as it was felt that this may alleviate
to some degree the very difficult parking issues on site as there is road parking available in the residential area albeit
with some restrictions which patients tend to eschew in view of the footpath issue. As a consequence they then
drive to the practice.
What actions were taken to address the priority:
The chairman of the Patient Participation Group wrote on behalf of the patients and the practice to NHS Property
Services, in London, with a copy being sent to Workman LLP who are the landlord GPG No 1 Ltd.’s agents highlighting
the difficulties and suggesting that a meeting is arranged so that this can be discussed further.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
Awaiting response to letter but it is hoped that this will improve access to site for patient’s and carers, the action
undertaken is notified to patients via a newsletter, which is emailed to the 6000 Patients who have been asked to
complete the questionnaire, whether they participated or not and the results of the meeting etc., will be
incorporated into future newsletters which will be available via email, as stated previously plus delivered locally and
hard copies will be available for patients in the Practice.
Priority area 2
Description of priority area:
Parking – A quarter of the patients who responded to the survey stated that parking is an on going problem when
attending the Practice, resulting in appointments being missed, as the queuing system due to the car park
configuration, means that you are unable to move when you are queuing.
What actions were taken to address the priority:
The Patient Participation Group wrote to the PAL Complaints Manager in January 2015 who acknowledged the
letter, which was then forwarded to NHS Property Services, who own the land, which is subsequently rented to the
landlord. The letter highlighted the difficulties that patients were experiencing and pointed out that whilst the
practice lease states ‘THE LANDLORD GRANTS ...The exclusive right at all times to use for parking of private motor
vehicles belonging to the Tenant its permitted under tenants and licensees and its or their visitors the fifty car
parking spaces in the Car Park as allocated by the landlord (acting reasonably and taking into account the Tenants
representations and concerns.) This was not being adhered to due to other users of the site who feel it was
reasonable to use the practice parking space due to limited parking themselves. Several meetings had taken place
with the site users and landlord and whilst measures had been put in place these were not being adhered to
resulting in the difficulties still being experienced for Patients.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
Continuing to obtain a response from NHS Property Services, to try to reduce/improve stress/anxiety levels and
more importantly to avoid a real life experience, when a Mother with a small child was trapped in an emergency
situation. The action undertaken is notified to patients via a newsletter, which is emailed to the 6000 Patients who
have been asked to complete the questionnaire, whether they participated or not and the response received from
NHS Property services will be incorporated into future newsletter which will be available via email, as stated
previously plus delivered locally and hard copies will be available for patients in the Practice. Agreement received
24th March 2015 that a meeting has been agreed so that this can be discussed further.
Priority area 3
Description of priority area:
Transport – Patients have difficulty with public transport and timings of appointments as the Dolphins Practice is on
the outskirts of Haywards Heath and the bus service has been reduced, the taxi fare is very expensive, not a walkable
distance and if travel by car can’t park.
What actions were taken to address the priority:
This has been addressed with the Bus Service, who feel it is an adequate service for the Haywards Heath residents.
The Patient Group have contacted live signage to ensure that it is clear when the bus service operates and have been
advised that there’s no budget for this for 2014/2015 but will ensure it’s a priority for 2015/2016.
The Practice and the Patient Group have been discussing for sometime the difficulties that patients are encountering
with regard to appointments and have introduced telephone consulting, whereby a GP will speak with the patient
over the telephone to determine whether it is necessary for them to visit the Practice, thereby saving them the
difficulties with transport, parking etc., which has had a mixed response but believe that this may resolve transport
issues for the patients and resource issues for the practice, whilst ensuring that patient care is paramount.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
The action undertaken is notified to patients via a newsletter, which is emailed to the 6000 Patients who have been
asked to complete the questionnaire, whether they participated or not. These publications will continue to provide
on going education to patients regarding changes that are taking place in the Dolphins Practice, provide them with
other services that can be accessed in time of need such as NHS 111 and local pharmacies, which will be
incorporated into future newsletter and made available via email, as stated previously plus delivered locally and
hard copies will be available for patients in the Practice.
Progress on previous years
If you have participated in this scheme for more than one year, outline progress made on issues raised in the
previous year(s)
Free text
Telephone Access – All administrative staff answer the telephone between 8.00am and 9.30am each day.
Patients not needing to speak with a member of the clinical team that day are encouraged to phone after 9.30am
when phones are less busy.
On line access appointments have been available to reduce telephone calls
In some circumstances text messages are used when contacting patients with routine blood tests when no follow up
is required.
Availability of Appointments – Telephone consultation service, has been developed to ensure that patients can at
least speak with a member of the clinical team on the day of their call, if required, which has resulted in an increased
number of appointments available
On line access appointments have been increased and raised awareness to Patients that this is available.
Administrative Team – On going training has been undertaken with the administrative team to ensure that there’s
an increase in working knowledge of options available to patients in order in make informed decisions. Customer
service skills have been developed to provide a customer focused service to patients
4.
PPG Sign Off
Report signed off by PPG: YES / NO
Date of sign off:
How has the practice engaged with the PPG:
How has the practice made efforts to engage
with seldom heard groups in the practice
population?
Has the practice received patient and carer
feedback from a variety of sources?
Was the PPG involved in the agreement of
priority area and the resulting action plan?
How has the service offered to patients and
carers improved as a result of the
implementation of the action plan?
Do you have any other comments about the
PPG or practice in relation to this area of work?
Yes
24th March 2015
Monthly Meetings
Emails
Educational Events Held
Newsletter
Yes
Yes
Work Ongoing
Idea’s regarding how to recruit other PPG
Members to ensure improved representation