SOBELL MEDICAL CENTRE
272 Holloway Road, London, N7 6NE
Tel: 020 7609 3050
www.sobellmedicalcentre.nhs.uk
SMC PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
MEETING 11.02.2014
2.15 – 3.15 pm
MINUTES
Attendees:
Practice Staff
Christine Cook (CC)
Dr V K Gupta (VKG)
Maria Valente (MV)
Maureen Grant (MG)
Najira Yasmin (NY)
Savoulla Costi (SC)
Sheetal Deo
Receptionist
General Practitioner
Practice Manager
Practice Nurse / Administrator
Receptionist
HCA
Administrative
Patients
Erif Rison (ER)
Gloria Bevney (GB)
Janet Marina Bailey (JB)
Valerie Dagne (VD)
Patient
Patient
Patient
Patient
Apologies for not attending
Hemvanti Kapadia (HK)
Janet Jefferies (JJ)
Ozdemir Ergezmis (OE)
Rodothea Nicolaou (RN)
Samuel Adae-Amoakoh (SA)
Natalie Teich (NT)
Patient
Patient
Patient
Patient
Patient
Volunteer member of ‘Healthwatch Islington’
Welcome and introduction
The meeting was chaired by MV and she welcomed all to the meeting. ER and VD joined us
for the first time.
MV distributed the following documents on care.data –
 ‘Better information means better care’ leaflet
 ‘Better information means better care’ article by Dr Geraint Lewis, NHS England’s
Chief Data Oficer.
 Better information means better care – NHS choices
 ‘Anonymisation – ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office)
 Frequently asked questions for patients from hscic (Health and Social Care
Information Centre)
Note: The above mentioned documents are enclosed for patients who did not attend this
meeting.
Matters arising from last meeting
 No matters were raised from patients. Agreed to send minutes of previous meeting
to new members GB and VD.
1 – Better information means better care
MV asked to patients - Did they receive leaflet on Care Data at home.
Patients said they did not receive it.
MV said that it was distributed in London last month and only two members of this practice
have received it. The leaflet will be displayed on our website (also enclosed with meeting
invite letter sent to patient group members). MV mentioned to patients that there is a
helpline number to contact on the leaflet.
ER voiced a concern about a friend who had severe depression. He was seeing a private
psychiatrist and it was costing him a fortune.
ER asked friend - Why he was going private and not NHS?
Friend was concerned that if his employer requested GP to release his medical record and if
he consents then all the information on ‘Depression’ will be released.
ER said that it is a legitimate concern particularly for patients with mental health and HIV as
lot of employers are prejudiced about these conditions.
MV said that practices have been reassured that patient’s details will be anonymised.
Dr explained further by saying that hscic will collect patient’s name, date of birth, gender,
address, GP and NHS number but when it is sent further to organisation for research then it
will be anonymised.
ER said that it is mentioned on the leaflet – ‘If you do not want information to be shared
outside your GP practice, please ask the practice to make a note of it in patient’s medical
record.’
VKG said that unless patient says ‘No’ it means it is an implied consent.
ER asked - Would some of the identifiable information of a patient will be shared within NHS
collection body or outside agencies?
VKG said the clinical data (medication, disease process) will be shared within the NHS. Data
shared with outside agencies will be anonymised.
MV added further by giving example that they would like to collect data on certain age
group with diabetic retinopathy or other medical conditions but it will be anonymised.
MV also said that if patient gives consent to practice to release the data then practice has to
release patient’s record.
ER said that my friend was right to go privately to a certain extent. Otherwise it is an
excellent idea to share data for research and other purposes.
MV said that unless it starts to roll out we cannot have a clear answer.
ER said that it is a good idea to share data as there is lack of communication between NHS
bodies and data sharing would help to build up the interface between different NHS
services.
ER asked to VKG - As a GP, would you object or agree to share data?
VKG said that it depends on person’s circumstances. However, it is a good idea.
MV requested patients to complete survey on anonymisation online by end of this month.
Also asked patients to go through above information and share it with their relatives and
friends.
ER and JB said that information given on leaflet ‘Better information means better care’ is not
clear to patients as it is not answering lots of questions.
MV suggested patients to go through blogs on www.nhs.uk/caredata and said that patients
can leave their comments on it.
GB said that she is attending patient group meeting for the first time and she would like to
have previous meeting minutes. MV confirmed that GB and VD will receive it soon by post.
MV also said that we will publish the meeting minutes and a small report on patient group
meeting on our website.
ER said that men are less likely to go to a Doctor than women.
MV gave example that women do go for breast screening and cervical screening but men
find it difficult to go to Doctor for prostate screening.
VKG said that women since young age start seeing health professionals for smear,
contraception, pregnancy etc. So they are more used to visit health professionals than men.
ER said that we should have a nationwide men health week in NHS where all the
concentration is on men’s health.
MV said that it is a very good idea and can be suggested in CCG meetings.
2 - Improved Access Local Enhanced Service (LES) survey
MV gave a brief description of this LES commissioned by ICCG; how the practice participates
in this LES with the aim to Improve Access. Primary Care Foundation (PCF) is a consultant
company hired by ICCG to support Islington practice to improve access.
MV said - Practices that participate on this LES sent survey questionnaire to 5% of practice
population in June 2013 who had an appointment with GP in last 6 months. We did have
good response and positive feedback last time. Feedback from patients demonstrates a
good access. We are repeating this survey now. Patients are requested to fill in the
questionnaires and send it back in SAE. Feedback from patients will be anonymous.
ER asked how 5% of practice population are selected?
MV said that we run a search on our system which selects 5% of the practice population
randomly. Then we send the survey with SAE to patients. We know to whom we have sent
but when we get it back we do not know who has replied back.
Staff and patients had a general chat about how much effort it takes to run a surgery. Staff
agreed that the system has changed a lot especially in past 3 years and said that we will try
our best to deliver efficient services to patients.
VD said that if you have a magnificent team then it works really well otherwise not. All
agreed that we do have a good team.
ER asked MV about recent changes made to the appointment system. What is it and is it
working?
MV said that we used to release appointments everyday for the same day, next day and
same week day one week in advance and offered first available appointment to patients.
Now the change is not to release the week day but instead to ask patients when they would
like to have an appointment. We give a wider choice to patients’ upto 6 weeks in advance.
MV said it will take another couple of weeks to see how the appointment system is working.
MV also said that we will be sending the access surveys to 5% of practice population in 2-3
working days. Results of survey will be sent to PCF who will then generate a report based on
the results. PCF will meet with the practice to analyse the report and agree on action plan /
changes to implement.
VD appreciated and said that Dr and staff at this practice are very nice and helpful. That’s
why she is still with us and she has got no problems with this practice. She does recommend
this practice to other people.
Next meeting: June 2014
MV closed the meeting thanking everyone for attending and requested all, if any comments
or queries not to hesitate to contact Maria or any member of the staff.
PS - You may have heard that Care.data has been delayed by 6 months. Attached latest
information from Tim Kelsy, National Director for Patients and Information.