MINUTES OF PATIENT GROUP MEETING
HARROGATE ROAD SURGERY – 8 APRIL 2015
Present:
Beverley Kite
Peter Kite
Jose Brooks
Dr Maricarmen Ruiz-Huertas
Pat Tansey (P.A.) - Minutes
Rosemarie Harris
Mike Connolly - Manager
David Harris
Harold Morris
John Haigh
Debbie Beirne
Jaqui Williams-Durkin
Angwen Vickers (Senior Engagement Office – care.data)
Apologies: Deborah Leach
Mavis Morris
Dawn Benson
Christine Haigh
Paul Reid
Denise Fairbairn
Nandlal Bhatia
Welcome.
Beverley welcomed everyone and thanked them for their time.
1.
Introduction of the new HR Manager (Mike Connolly)
Mike Connolly introduced himself and gave a potted history of his
experience. He explained that originally came as HR Manager but this
appointment has now ‘morphed’ into something else. He is not
technically employed by the Practice. He is in effect a consultant with a
wealth of varied experience that he will put to use in develop the
practice, which is now an SME (small to medium enterprise).
He was with Leeds City Council until 1995 and was instrumental in
bringing the Royal Armouries and the new DSS building to Leeds. He
then moved to Jersey and worked in a German private bank, where he
rose to be a director. From there he moved on to a bank in Dublin. After
deciding to move back to Yorkshire he managed a medical practice in
Todmorden where he supervised a £13M build project. From there he
again changed tack and moved to a Barristers’ Chambers in Leeds and
then in Manchester. A further change into logistics for a squadron in
Afghanistan, from where he was head hunted by an American company.
From there he came back to Manchester to work for the Strategic Health
Authority.
He enjoys a challenge (or an opportunity!). The partners want this
Practice to be the best and he is here to help make that happen.
2.
Patient Partner etc
We will soon be moving into our temporary accommodation next door.
Unfortunately because the current building is only one storey high the
planners, in their wisdom, will only allow a one storey temporary building.
Unfortunately this means we will probably have less space than we have
at the moment and so are trying to think of other ways of managing
patient contact other than attending at the surgery.
Mike is in the process of composing a letter to send out to all households
explaining the timelines involved in the new build; it will also contain a
reminder to patients of all the ways they can contact the Practice, e.g.
booking, cancelling and amending appointments, update contact details,
access records, access results. They can also engage in email
consultations.
The Practice received 5,000 calls in March, not enough of these were
making use of Patient Partner. We think perhaps too few patients are
aware of the fact that Patient Partner can be used 24 hours a day. This
needs advertising. We need to try and encourage patients to use this
facility more. It should be easier to use before reception is open and
staff begin using the telephone lines. It is fine for patients to use mobile
phones – technology is being used increasingly.
Beverley said she thought digital surgeries might be a good idea for the
future. Mike said that he and Marcus had a passion for innovation and
they felt new things should be tried even if they turn out not to work.
One or two members felt that Patient Partner might be difficult for some
people, especially elderly, but others felt it was a very easy system to
navigate. Patient Partner does work, though there are a few problems.
Jose asked why they weren’t being solved and Beverley said the group
had agreed to send another quick questionnaire to some of the patients
who had used it (as a follow-on from the last one), but had not received
replies as yet. Further discussion and suggestions, e.g. music instead
of the engaged tone when you are holding for a receptionist.
SystmOnline is another useful facility; patients need to come to the
Practice to register and obtain a password. Passwords are not given
any other way but face to face.
3.
New Build
Fencing due tomorrow, clearance and demolition of 353 to follow shortly.
Unfortunately planning, which has all been approved except they have
only allowed a one storey temporary building, which we hope to move
into mid-June followed by the demolition of 355 in early July.
Mike asked the PPG if the group would like their name attaching to the
letter – they would. Mike will email a copy to them first.
A patient asked if the pharmacy being incorporated into the building was
Pharmacy2U, as she had received a flyer informing her that they were in
partnership with four practices, one of which was NLMP. Mike said no,
and that this company were basically working a scam to get repeats.
Beverley had brought a photo of a metal information board in the form of
a tree, with the leaves carrying the info. Mike thanked her for this and
said it was a nice idea and he would welcome any others and said the
PPG needed to be involved. We will have auto check-in screens,
hopefully multilingual – Jacqui pointed out that these need to be clean
as people are touching these all the time. Staff will be having uniforms,
also at Milan Street, and hopefully the colour scheme of the new centre
will be mirrored at Milan Street. It will be bright and airy and hopefully
have the ‘feel good factor’.
There will also be some changes at Milan Street, they will need some
TLC and upgrading too. There may also be some temporary relocation
of staff as we will have very little space throughout the build.
We will also try and have some meetings at Milan Street.
Jacui mentioned how excellent the staff at Harrogate Road is and was
concerned they might be discouraged if moved around. Mike said the
request for change was being driven by the staff; we are responding.
We want their working lives made easier. There have been attempts in
the past to relocate the Milan Street surgery and we are still always on
the lookout for a suitable site.
4.
DNAs – how can the group help?
Mike pointed out how expensive DNAs are and said the Practice would
be highlighting these in the future. Milan Street has more but it will be
the same message at both sites.
Members of the group thought the figures needed analysing, concern
was expressed that there may be reasons for not attending
appointments. Mike explained that patients are given quite a few
warnings before anything is done, but we really do need to act as the
issue is beginning to get out of hand. Patients are given the chance
before being removed of contacting the Practice to explain why they
have missed so many appointments without letting us know.
5.
Care.data – patient engagement. Angwen Vickers
The three CCGs are part of a pathfinder project in amongst a small
national group. It’s about better sharing and joining up information, not
about direct care. The information will be used to look at the whole
system, e.g. finding out what and where is doing well, picking up early
warning signals, helping with survival rates.
The HSCIC (Health and Social Care Information Centre) has been asked
to run the project with NHS England. After the concerns about
anonymity etc, they have had a rethink. The information will be
extracted and then coded, matched and pseudonomised. It is
acknowledged there will always be a very tiny risk.
Examples of usage – e.g. If McMillan Cancer Care wanted the
information for a study say, they would need to put a proposal together.
It would then go to a committee and then on to the HSCIC to check for
breaches of data and anonymity. There will be a cost but this is to cover
the costs of doing the work. Dame Caldicott has been involved. A cyber
security system has been set up to ensure on alert and can combat that
risk.
Still in infancy so not sure of how the information will be shared.
Discussion followed around who would want the information – apparently
it has to be linked to an NHS project. It is possible to opt out of the
process and this should not affect a patient’s direct care. The reason for
engagement is to make sure patients had some understanding before
the letter goes out, potentially at the end of May, beginning of June.
Examples of benefits are not available as yet – still a work in progress.
A long and animated discussion then took place around research and
data etc. It is about informed choice – there is often a certain amount of
scaremongering by the media. It is a changing NHS – can’t plan, can’t
make new drugs etc without the information. It is the ‘joined up’ issue
this will try and solve. It is a developing pilot so could change. FAQs
are being developed for various groups, e.g. staff, patients and GPs.
There is still concern over the extraction and use of information as was
apparent from the discussion.
NHS England will be undertaking the promotional work. Angwen said
she can come to the practice and run information sessions. Information
is being gathered about the best way to raise awareness, e.g. where to
put posters and how best to target particular groups etc. Voluntary
groups are also helping with this. It is generally felt that face to face is
best so practice information sessions could be a good idea.
It was also felt the third sector (not part of the NHS but provide a service
e.g. AA) will want to make use of this information.
7.
Newsletter
There are 29 practices and only 13 have active attending PPGs. The
CCG are to fund a newsletter. Adrian was helping to get PPGs started
as this is now mandatory but he has had a major heart attack.
8.
Practice Invitation
It was thought a good idea for members of the group to attend Target on
the 14th May to meet the whole practice and have a little more
involvement, see what we do on training days etc. Anybody can attend,
not just one person. The group to communicate by email and then let us
know nearer the time who will be attending.