Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Area Team
2014/15 Patient Participation Enhanced Service – Reporting Template
Practice Name: Probus Surgery; Dr Bridger and Partners
Practice Code: L82045
Signed on behalf of practice: Debbie Barnicoat, Practice Manager Date: 23 rd February 2015
Signed on behalf of PPG: Virtual Group (unable to sign)
Method of engagement with PPG: Email
Number of members of PPG: Virtual Group= 45
Detail the gender mix of practice population and PPG:
%
Practice
PRG
Male
4235
17
Female
4498
28
Date:
1. Prerequisite of Enhanced Service – Develop/Maintain a Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Does the Practice have a PPG? YES
Detail of age mix of practice population and PPG:
%
Practice
PRG
<16
1570
0
17-24
658
2
25-34
791
5
35-44
1007
8
45-54
1404
9
55-64
1225
9
65-74
1225
8
> 75
853
4

Detail the ethnic background of your practice population and PRG:
Practice
PRG
British
480
27
Irish
3
2
White
Gypsy or Irish traveller
0
0
Other white
180
4
White &black
Caribbean
0
0
Mixed/ multiple ethnic groups
White &black
African
0
0
White
&Asian
0
0
Other mixed
272
1
Practice
PRG
Indian
1
0
Pakistani
0
0
Asian/Asian British
Bangladeshi
0
0
Chinese Other
Asian
0
0
0
0
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
African Caribbean Other
Black
0
0
0
0
2
0
Arab
Other
Any other
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:
Until a few years ago the practice did not ask for this information. Now every new patient is asked when they complete the new patient questionnaire.
Are there any specific characteristics of your practice population which means that other groups should be included in the PPG? e.g. a large student population, significant number of jobseekers, large numbers of nursing homes, or a LGBT community? NO
If you have answered yes, please outline measures taken to include those specific groups and whether those measures were

successful:
2. Review of patient feedback
Outline the sources of feedback that were reviewed during the year:
Patient feedback is sourced through our complaints system along with the comments book and the comments box in the front foyer.
The virtual group are emailed and since December 2014 the patients can access the Friends and Family Test at Probus and all the branch sites.
How frequently were these reviewed with the PRG?
The practice will consider suggestion made by the patients and if anything can be improved the practice will suggest and ask for feedback via email to the virtual group. The practice does not meet with the group with it being a virtual group but the practice does have a representative who attend the Friends group who are also very important on obtaining feedback regarding services.

3. Action plan priority areas and implementation
Priority area 1
Description of priority area: Patient and Carers who have to live with Dementia
What actions were taken to address the priority?
Dr Campbell was very much part for the team who help set up the Dementia Café. These are held at regular intervals and have proved invaluable for everyone concerned.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
These have been publicised through our newsletters and we have potters in the waiting room. They are also on our website.
The Friends group have been consulted and agreed to help with vital equipment needed. This is currently ongoing.

Priority area 2
Description of priority area: Medication deliveries to branch sites
What actions were taken to address the priority?
There were some concerns not just through the complaints system but the comments book about the delivery system we had in place which was for 2 days per week. The main concern was that if the patient missed the last delivery of the week they had to wait until approximately 4 days later before they could collect it from the branch sites or they had come to the surgery to collect it.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
The Dispensary has gone through a phase of looking at the way they work as a whole and one change was to look at the deliveries. The practice decided to employ an additional driver and start delivering 4 days per week. This has proved successful and has reduced the number of phone calls from those patients living in rural areas regarding their medication.
This new services has been publicised through posters going out to all branch sites, website, ‘you said we did’ board.

Priority area 3
Description of priority area: DNA and Reminder service
What actions were taken to address the priority?
This was a comment flagged up in the practice survey. The practice decided to install a reminder service for those who wished to receive a text message about their appointments. Patients were asked to inform the practice if they wanted to opt in.
The virtual group were asked to help with the demo run to iron out any issues before it went live.
Result of actions and impact on patients and carers (including how publicised):
This seems to be working well. The practice publicises the DNA rate in the front foyer along with the option of opting in to receive text message reminders.
This has also been publicised in our newsletters and on the website along with the ‘you said we did’ board.

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):

Car parking: The practice has updated all external signs around the building to indicate the extra parking.

Waiting times for repeat medication: Dispensary has put together an educational display which is put up on regular intervals in the front foyer. This show the journey of a prescription. The practice also changed the wording to 48 working hours which has made a huge difference with the dispensing of the medications.

Communication about long term medication issues: On occasions the dispensary is unable to order and receive medications. They now have a method of informing patients and will also up regular updates on the board in the dispensary reception area.
 Availability of wheelchairs: It was highlighted through one of our surveys that patients were not aware of where they can access the wheel chairs. These are now highlighted throughout the practice and there are several made available at the front desk for those who need them when they use the disable bays.

Carers register: There were several comments about whether there was a carer’s register or not. The practice decided to be proactive in this a few years ago and added the question to their new patient questionnaire but to also ask during last year’s flu clinic whether the patient was a carer or whether they had a carer. This information was then logged onto our carers register within the practice.

4. PPG Sign Off
Report signed off by PPG: 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?
All patients are asked if they would like to join the virtual group. The practice has always found it very difficult to engage the under 16’s within the group.
Has the practice received patient and carer feedback from a variety of sources?
The practice encourages and receives various methods of feedback; CFEP, GP survey, practice survey, comments book, friends and family test, complaints procedure.
Was the PPG involved in the agreement of priority areas and the resulting action plan?
The practice will assess all the suggestions made. If there is a way of improving a service the practice will take the appropriate action. For example we are asking the virtual group for their help with the next newsletter before we put it together.
How has the service offered to patients and carers improved as a result of the implementation of the action plan?
The practice would hope that by improving the service that everyone will benefit from the changes. The practice has always encouraged feedback and even after the initial change has been made it has on occasions needed to change the service again to meet the patients/carer needs.
Do you have any other comments about the PPG or practice in relation to this area of work?
The practice would like to thank the virtual group for their input and feedback and fully understands that not everyone has the time to help with feedback. The practice has found this method of communication to be more productive and less time consuming for all.