PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP MINUTES
Please find attached the minutes from the last PPG meeting on 12th December 2024.
Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Minutes of a Meeting Wednesday 11th December 2024
ATTENDANCE
Sam Sandell (Chair), Sarah Dennis Burrell (Operations Manager BMS), Sarah Hill (Practice Manager BMS), Jonathan Hazell, Sara Shaw (QEII Governor), Peggy Sizeland, Miles Connell
APOLOGIES
There were no apologies.
MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING 10/10/2024
There was an adjustment to the last minutes, rather than 2patients with Dementia” they should read “patients living with Dementia.”
PRACTICE UPDATE
GENERAL SURGERY UPDATE
Doctor Sarah Gorrod will be retiring in April 2025. A GP from King’s Lynn has been recruited and once all clearances have been made, we will be able to know his name. He will be working with Sarah for a short period before she retires. The consensus was that she will be missed as she is a very good Doctor. The New GP will not be a partner: he will be a salaried GP. No one really wants to take on the responsibilities of partnership in these changing times. Sarah’s list is large so there will be challenges managing this and no new Doctor can be expected to take on this large number of patients so there will have to be adjustments made. Patients will be able to see whomever they wish to see. For continuity there will be frequent discussions about patient’s care. Sarah has been with the practice for thirty years and in that time, there have been significant changes to the way surgeries’ work and are expected to work. JH asked about the Doctor discussed in the December 2023 meeting. She is still available for flexible working. The new GP is a male, a gender specific advertisement can not be made. Doctor Simpson will be the only female GP in the practice and it is important that she is not overloaded with female patients. Doctor Ince and Doctor Deol are partners but they are based in Wells, this is not a problem as the oversee both practices. Some practices are closing as some Doctors have no desire to work in what is an extremely challenging area, not a nice place to be sometimes. Patients in general appear to be more hostile now, people’s expectations are very high, patients needs are more complex and a lot more work is being carried out in Primary care than in Hospital. Patients want to see a doctor but this is not always necessary as a number of professionals are available to see them e.g. Nurse specialists.
RSV VACCINATIONS
This is a new vaccinee for 75–80-year-olds. It was trialled on 60+ patients. This year was a catch-up year. 108 (79–80-year-olds) were eligible there are still 13 to do. There will be 235 75–80-year-olds to do by 31st August 2025.There were weekly clinics for 79–80-year-olds in December and these will continue through January 2025. The vaccine is not as effective for those who are 80+
AUTUMN COVID CAMPAIGN FIGURES
This is now finished. There are a handful of housebound patients still to catch up on. 2028 were eligible, 1117 were given and 115 declined. The numbers that declined was larger this time possibly because some people have had severe reactions in the past. Covid morbidity is now low.
FLU CAMPAIGN FIGURES
2211patients were eligible 1262 had the Flu vaccination 66 declined. The last few will receive their vaccinations this week. Most people who were eligible had both Covid and Flu vaccinations. This surgery was the only one offering Covid vaccinations. The Hospital Vaccination Clinic is closing due to poor uptake. Since the vaccinations are given on Saturdays and over the last few years it has been honed to perfection, plus it is cost effective to give both vaccines at the same time. It is hard work running these clinics but they are happy clinics.
SURGERY DATA
An audit to look at frequent offenders is to be carried out. If the appointment is booked well in advance, these are usually the non-attenders. There are courtesy calls to remind people with Dementia or memory loss. The largest number of DNA’s are for the nurses, patients tend to attend Doctors appointments.
ONLINE ACCESS
The biggest problem with PATCHS is that you can’t order prescriptions online. The surgery has been looking at a better system called System Connect, it appears to be more user friendly, more specific. PATCHS doesn’t talk to the NHS App, System Direct does. The PATCHS contract ends in April 2025 then there will be a move to System Connect. There are roughly 1,500 patients who use the NHS app or system online. 2,000 signed up for PATCHS but it’s not really used, of the 4,000 patients about half use system online. MC questioned what he was losing by not using online access or NHS app? It is for busy people and is a personal preference but it does mean that you can order prescriptions from wherever you are obviating the need to take repeat prescriptions to the dispensary. The surgery now has WIFI access for all first time since the surgery opened. Sarah DB did run some NHS app sessions which were fairly well attended.
REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE QUEEN ELIZABEHT HOSPITAL -SARAH SHAW
The new Multi Story Car Park will be pay as you leave. Feedback from patients that they had difficulty knowing how long they would be in a clinic or visiting has led to this decision. There have been difficulties refunding fines as the present Car Park is run by an outside company. The Multi Story Car Park has had some delays but the plan is for “spades in the ground” by March 2025. The strategic outline case for the new Hospital is still with NHS England but there shouldn’t be any problems. Doctor Andy Wood is the new interim Chair, he lives in Norwich. He is the interim Chair because the last Chair stood down for personal reasons. The Hospital’s finances are not in a good place. The new Peddars Way Unit opened on 11th December 2024. It is a beautiful place for end-of-life care. The rooms are very spacious so families can spend time with the patients. There are five specialist bedrooms. The Hospital has been working with Tapping House Hospice: staff from throughout the Hospital will rotate so all will gain a little knowledge about end-of-life care. A & E is very, very busy, mainly with walk in patients. Recently there have been 60 ambulances per day visiting A & E. The assessment unit is working well as is the Emergency Care Unit for the frail and elderly so that they can go home on the same day.
The question was asked about whether all the plans for the new Hospital had been approved? The NHS is dictating what should happen and this keeps changing. Ther is also a survey about which Hospital should be allocated specialist services. The model for the new Hospital does not dictate everything but the challenge is to take into account the demographics of new house builds and the needs from Norfolk and Waveney. The model is based on single bed rooms.
The community Diagnostic Centre is now up and running and fully staffed.
PPG MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT
Sam hasn’t had time to look at this yet she has had a difficult few month
AOB
The members of the PPG should be in the forefront of disseminating information about what is happening to all patients. Sam suggested an open morning drop in session where queries and questions can be answered.
The surgery has four registrars Doctor Ravi, Doctor Obinnia, Doctor Chimza and Doctor Talwoste, they are working very well with the GPs and have been a credit to the surgery.
JH mentioned that he had a query that he wished to discuss at this meeting. Sarah Hill said that this should be directed to the surgery rather than through the PPG as it appeared to be a complaint and that the PPG meeting was not the correct place to air it..
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
19th February 2025 at 2pm.