Glendale Surgery Patient Group
Meeting held on Wednesday 9th April 2014 - 6.30pm in the meeting room
Present: Jackie Stewart (Chair), Fiona Hall, Joyce Robertson, Peter Bates, Colin Burn, Pat Robertson,
Chris James
1. Apologies: Esmond Roney, Andrew Piercy, Bob Snooks, John Roberts
Invited Guests: Alan Bell, North Locality Manager, NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning
Group (CCG).
Alan handed out slides giving an overview of the structure of the CCG, the current spending levels and
budgets, the practice spending on care services and the charges for various procedures in secondary care
(hospitals). He stated that Scottish Hospitals have a different way of charging and the CCG is currently in
negotiations with them to reduce the proposed charges in line with Northumbria. He said that the CCG has
ended the year in target regarding the overall budget and, when asked what would happen if we went over
budget, said that NHS England would then become involved and possibly put another CCG in charge. This
is unlikely to happen if the practices continue as they are but as prices increase, especially for drugs, this is
becoming more difficult when there is no extra funding given nationally and that Northumberland has used
its Management budget to ease financial pressures on other budgets.
One question which arose was on the prescribing budgets and patients being issued with different forms of
drugs. It was explained that dispensing practices and pharmacies are businesses and therefore need to make
a profit and have to look at pricing when ordering drugs. Some drugs are reimbursed under the Drug Tariff
at less than the actual cost so the practices and pharmacies have to look at costs of these and other drugs.
However, Chris will speak to the doctors and the local pharmacy and discuss informing patients when
brand names are changed as this can affect older people not knowing what the drug is for and therefore not
taking it.
Alan was thanked for coming and said he would happily come along again in the future.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Matter s Arising from previous minutes
a)
Doctors Fund AGM – Colin attended the AGM on 5th March. As Dr Dean was retiring, he resigned
from the Fund as did Susan Purvis, having done the administrative role to support Charles for many
years. A new Trustee from Glendale Surgery will need to be appointed. Cheviot Medical Group to
take over from Charles as secretary until replacement appointed and they will provide the
administrative role. Finances are in good shape at £3570, funded by donations, memorials and fund
raising. The Fund is controlled well, research is done before purchasing equipment and agreement
made by the Primary Health Care Team. Planning to have another health day on the High Street in the
summer, primarily showing people how to do CPR and operate defibrillators.
b) Practice Brochure – to next meeting
c)
Dr Dean’s retirement – Dr Dean’s last day was Friday 28th March and he, the staff and a few friends
went to No.1 on the High Street after work where he was presented with presents. He had a retirement
party for colleagues past and present and the PHCT last Saturday at the Cheviot Centre. A voucher in
the sum of £400 from the PHCT and patients was presented and he will look for something to spend it
on as a fitting memory of his time in the surgery.
Cheviot Primary Care Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler, NE71 6BL
Tel: 01668 281740
Fax 01668 281514
Website: www.glendalesurgery.nhs.uk
Chris James, Practice Manager: 01668 280036
Email: chrisjames@nhs.net
Dr Miller started last Thursday and is fitting in well. He has been very busy and is having to cope with
learning a new computer system but things going smoothly.
Joyce said it is becoming difficult to get an appointment and it was reported to her that a patient had to
wait a week for an appointment. Chris said that the practice has increased in patient numbers to 1900
so it is busier but that it has always been the case that patients requesting to be seen urgently will be
seen that day. Patients who need a non-urgent appointment will be offered an appointment with the
doctor on duty within 48 hours/2 working days. Patients can wait more than this if they want to see a
particular doctor who might be day off, on a course or on holiday. This information is in the practice
brochure and on the website.
d) PHCT Meetings – an open invitation stands for a representative of the PG to attend the meetings.
Fiona attended the one before last but said she wasn’t sure if her presence was really useful and if it’s
really the right forum to attend. Chris explained that discussions are mainly around what is happening
in the practices, nursing team, paramedics and other PHCT members and other clinical topics. The
invitation stands and the next scheduled meetings, all at 12.30pm in the meeting room are on 20 th May,
15th July, 16th Sept, 18th Nov.
3. Any Other Business
Annual Patient Group Report – this had been circulated prior to the meeting and all agreed its contents.
Action Plans for 2014-15 we will need to look at 3 action plans for the Group. Dr Dean completed a
patient questionnaire before he left and we could look at the results when they come back and see if any
action plans need to be agreed from that. The patient brochure is an ongoing action plan that could be
incorporated. Thoughts to the next meeting
Patient Champions – these are patients who work with the practice and patients to help meet the health
needs and improve services within the practices and give support to patients on an individual basis. It
could be someone with a particular interest or suffering from a disease who could help people newly
diagnosed. Full training is given. A pilot is taking place in Well Close Square Surgery in Berwick and the
practice manager is feeding back to the local practice manager group. Further details when available.
(An Alnwick husband and wife are keen to set up a local support group in Alnwick for men diagnosed with
prostate cancer and their families. Details will be sent out to relevant patients).
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) – Liz has offered to do a presentation to
the Group and CMG Patient Group about the new hospital. Agreed. Liz to liaise with Rosanna Reed.
Minor Injuries – agenda’s by John but had given his apologies. Chris said that, in order to reduce
attendances, information had been displayed in the waiting area and on the website. Ian Joy, the
Community Matron for the Minor Injuries Units at Alnwick and Berwick is going to the next practice
manager meeting to discuss future plans for saving attendances. In the meantime, we have asked that
patients who attend the hospitals with things that should be treated in the surgery are turned away and
asked to make an appointment with their doctor. Pat will bring in the leaflet on display at the Cheviot
Centre in which patients are told to go A&E for minor injuries. Chris had gone across but couldn’t find
any. Joyce said this could go to the Parish Council Meeting on 28 th April and, as the press are there, this
would be put in the local press. It could also go into the Parish Council display box and the Parish
magazine. Chris to speak to GPs and to Caroline as it would need to be agreed with CMG.
Healthwatch Northumberland – have asked if we would like them to do a presentation. Their work
involves gathering feedback from people living in Northumberland about their experiences of local health
and social care services, highlighting areas of concern. They have recently employed a children and young
people’s development worker to engage with children and young people about their experiences. Chris
said she personally thought this is an area the practice could improve on. Although the practice offer
appointments to children under 16 who the doctor thinks are ‘Gillick’ competent to discuss their own
health, how do we engage with them in a small village and get youngsters on the patient group. George has
Cheviot Primary Care Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler, NE71 6BL
Tel: 01668 281740
Fax 01668 281514
Website: www.glendalesurgery.nhs.uk
Chris James, Practice Manager: 01668 280036
Email: chrisjames@nhs.net
only been to one meeting so far and we could do with more representation. This could be one of our 3
action plans.
Agreed to try and arrange a joint meeting with CMG in May. Chris to speak to Rosanna and Liz Prudhoe.
Health Matters – CMG patient group are looking to organise a health show based on the one run by the
Belford patient group last year and suggest we run this as a joint campaign. Would need to meet regularly
to organise this and decide what areas should be targeted. The Health Promotion department are always
willing to help. Meeting is on 20th May. Chris to speak to Rosanna re time etc.
Put Patients First – Back General Practice campaign
Funding of primary care is shrinking year on year and is at an all time low of 8.39% of the entire NHS
budget, down from around 11% in 2004/05 and it is estimated it will drop to around 7% by 2017. To
provide effective patient care, this needs to increase back to 11% and patients and patient groups are asked
to back general practice by giving their support to the campaign by writing to local politicians and sharing
their experiences. (See copy of campaign header below and link to the website for full information)
General practice is facing a growing crisis, as it struggles to provide the care needed by an
increasing patient population. Ballooning workloads, declining resources and an overstretched
workforce are placing huge strain on services that remain the first point of contact with the health
service for most of the UK public. This is bad news for patients, who face longer waits for
appointments to see their GPs and a lower level of care than their GPs want to provide. Too often
non-urgent care is being provided in our hospitals, at great expense, when most people want to
be looked after in their local community.
In response, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the National
Association for Patient Participation (N.A.P.P.) have launched Put patients first: Back
general practice – our campaign to improve patient care by increasing funding for general
practice from 8.39% to 11% of the UK NHS budget by 2017.
We need your help!
Your help will be vital to reversing the decline in resources invested in general practice so that
GPs can deliver the improvements to care we want to achieve. We need your ideas and
involvement so that together we can make a difference to patient care:
1. Read about the crisis in general practice and our case for change
2. Read about our vision for patient care
3. Take action to support our campaign
4. Stay informed and join in the conversation: facebook.com/rcgp.org @rcgp #putpatientsfirst
Further information on: www.putpatientsfirst.rcgp.org.uk
Mental Health - Fiona to arrange speaker for next scheduled meeting.
Meeting closed at 8.15pm and Jackie thanked everyone for attending.
NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING: Thursday 24th July at 6.30pm in the meeting room.
Chris James
10.04.14
Cheviot Primary Care Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler, NE71 6BL
Tel: 01668 281740
Fax 01668 281514
Website: www.glendalesurgery.nhs.uk
Chris James, Practice Manager: 01668 280036
Email: chrisjames@nhs.net