PPG Meeting minutes April 2023

Minute taker Sarah Baker

Present

• Reuben Lewis (RL)
• Robert Cresswell (RC)
• Lyn Fitzjohn (LF)
• Adrian Pitts (AP)
• Peter Williams (PW)
• Patricia Williams (PW)
• Sarah Baker (SB)
• Julia Wakeham (JW)
• Mary Ovens (MO)
• Arlene Hansell (AH)

Apologies

• Andrew Stanley
• Andrew Mackie
• Winsome Mapp
• Helen Bancroft

Introductions

• None needed

Minutes of last meeting

• Agreed

Matters arising

• See Woodlands update and Actions from last meeting

Election of Chair

• Adrian Pitts agreed to be Chair for 12 months but PPG Meetings need to be at 6pm for this to work. Agreed

Annual Report of Achievements

• Facebook page set up
• Promoting Clinical Pharmacists, First Contact Physio, Signposting in the community.
• Leaflets on who to contact at the chemist
• Website improved
• Photo board up to date
• Reception improved
• Phone system upgraded

Forward Planning

• PPG Awareness week-looking to increase awareness of the PPG. AP will look again at the website. AP will do some posters and an action plan. To put posters up in the community (Butchers, Library, Churchill Development Centre, St Andrew’s Church) AP asked if anyone has any ideas to email him. “Next Door “also discussed.
• Seasonal Flu jabs. AP advised PPG can help with these if needed.
• Car Park Management (see Woodlands update)
• Pedestrian Crossing opposite the surgery on the main road. A few years ago there was a petition to have one installed but was declined by the council. AP will write to the council on behalf of the surgery. AP and SB to action

Woodlands Update and Actions from last meeting

Actions

• Car park Management. SB has found a company that will install ANPR cameras and will send parking tickets to those who use the car parks inappropriately. Patient swill need to register their number plates when entering the surgery. Elderly and Vulnerable patients who do not enter their registration numbers/enter them incorrectly will get a ticket but SB can revoke these. A few hoops to jump through and partners need to agree. They are discussing this on Friday.
• Pharmacy leaflets-who to see and when These have been given to Field Pharmacy and Paddock Wood Pharmacy and they will distribute for 1 month.
• Patient Access - Yes there are services offered on patient access, some of which there is a charge for.
• Healthchecks -  These are back up and running. These do not include a finger prick test for diabetes as very unreliable results.
• Greg Clarke Minutes-updated
• Type 2 diabetics under the care of Abbey Court. These patients are not recalled by the practice and is left to Abbey Court to recall their patients.

Update

• Covid Spring Boosters are underway. They can be booked online (google book my covid jab) or by ringing 111. These are not being done at Woodlands. Field Pharmacy are offering these vaccines. The boosters are only being offered to those who are 75 and over or immunosuppressed. Housebound patients need to ensure their records are coded as housebound. If they received a domiciliary visit last time they will still be coded as housebound. Add information regarding Covid boosters to the facebook page. SB to action
• Tonbridge PCN has employed a paramedic who will visit housebound and frail patients. Her name is Bex and will be with us most Friday mornings.
• Alison Hasemore Brown, practice nurse, has left Woodlands. Charles and Julia Speight manage diabetes. Charles is qualified to manage insulin.

Phone System AP

• AP advised Mobile phones seem to cut out but landlines are good. Agreed the mobile reception is very poor in Paddock Wood. AP asked if there could a line for non urgent matters. SB and JW advised no, better to send an econsult. Call back are working well. Patients can request a call back when there are 10 or more people in the queue
• Welcome message is long. Can patients bypass the message if they know which option they want? SB will investigate. SB to action

PPG Awareness week AP

• See Forward Planning

Feedback on Services Provided RC

• RC gave good feedback on reception. He had reason to call on the Tuesday following the Easter bank holiday weekend and was impressed with the service. Reception helpful, cheerful and empathetic.

Guidance on A&E v GP appointment RC

• JW advised patients ring and book an urgent call with their GP. The GP will review the reason and if necessary the GP will ask reception to ring the patient and ask them to go to A&E. JW gave an example of an 80 yr old patients vomiting blood and stomach pains. GP in surgery will not be able to help these symptoms and should go to A&E.
• Nurse’s appointments discussed. Sometimes these cannot be booked 3 months in advance. JW explained appointments booked too far in advance can be forgotten

Patients invited to PPG meeting RC

• RC concerned in the newsletter patients were told they could just turn up to the next PPG meeting. Concerned about overcrowding. SB advised never happened before and is confident this would not happen in the future

AOB

• JW very keen for the PPG to spread the word regarding the First Contact Physio in the community. These are joint specialists who deal with all musculoskeletal issues. They are at Woodlands on Mondays but patients can be seen at any of the Tonbridge PCN practices. They are experts in their field. They can give steroid injections, refer for radiology and physiotherapy. AH asked if they actually give physio therapy. SB confirmed they do not but can refer onwards and give the patient exercises. Patients urged to accept signposting from reception.
• AP asked for the minutes to be published on Woodlands website SB to action

Date of next meeting

• Wednesday 19th July 6pm