PPG Meeting 5/02/2025

Meeting Date: 5th February 2025

Practice Update:

Team

The meeting was opened giving various staff introductions, one being Dr AI who has been doing surgeries since August 2024 and who is a qualified Doctor training to be a General Practitioner as of this August he will be qualified as a GP and moving on.

Also mentioned our new Registrar Dr NB, who is with us for 4 months, and Dr G who has worked for the Practice now for couple of years, all of which have become an integral part of the team. Also included were our Mental Health Practitioner, Physio and Pharmacists, plus our new starter in Reception.

A new member of staff will shortly be joining the Reception Team as one of our staff is coming up to retirement.

PCN

We remain in the Cannock North PCN and have the temporary assistance of an extra GP on a Tuesday pm at the moment. There is no guarantee when this funding will stop so are making best use of an extra pair of hands over the winter pressure months.

Winter Pressures:

Discussed appointment situation and various ways these can be accessed, such as via online and e-consultations and how these are triaged through the Care Navigation route. It was explained how a Winter Hub surgery has been set up to deal with the pressure of appointment requests for the usual ‘seasonal respiratory bugs’ of which this year is exceptionally busy and the demand for GP slots great. This will run until the end of March and is held at Chadsmoor Medical Practice. It is manned by local GP’s and is often beneficial as it is accessible outside of work/school hours.

State of General Practice

Demand for appointments has changed since the pandemic, experiencing unprecedented demand on the service and with the extra waiting lists at the hospital this also impacts on the service hugely. A&E have been at critical level most of the winter.

Modern General Practice

MR explained that the NHS of the future requires us to move away from the system of GP does it all and to be more forward thinking in our approach to accessing healthcare. We may hate technology but it is being imposed on us thick and fast.

Ten Year Plan:

3 big changes for the NHS:

Better use of technology – increasing use of computers, smart phones, IT solutions

• More money for new digital machines for scanning and taking images.
• We can easily share digital patient information with other health services.
• We can spend more money on AI to help us understand health problems.
• Video appointments with doctors and nurses.

Moving care from hospitals to communities – People would get more tests, scans, treatments and therapies nearer their homes. Like at a GP practice or pharmacy. So hospitals can help more people who are very ill or need help fast. Eg of this is Pharmacy First, virtual wards, community test centres

Do more to stop people from being ill – have tests to see if they have a disease before they get ill

• choose healthy food
• give people more information about how to live a healthy life. Eg stopping smoking, weight management and improved mental health
• If you live a healthy life, you are less likely to get ill

For the 10-year health plan, alongside the ongoing call for the public, staff and the wider health and care community to share their thoughts on the ambitions for the NHS and healthcare, GP practices are asked to connect with their Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) to engage in Change NHS through using:

Change.nhs.uk – individuals are also encouraged to share their own experiences to help prioritise key challenges facing health and care or suggest an idea for improving the NHS.

Folder: In case you missed it | Change NHS

Practice List:

Has increased from 2800 in 2019 to 3900 now (was 3800 when we last met in June 2024) GW asked if there was a ‘cut off point’ as regards patient numbers. As a Practice we are not allowed to refuse any person who wishes to register, providing they reside within our practice boundary.

NHS Survey:

Overall Experience of this practice (this is what we are heavily weighted on nationally) 85% up from 70% 2023

National GP Survey

Greatly increased our % from 70% last year to 85% this year.

The NHS are currently doing this year’s round of surveys, MR reminded patients to please complete if you get one as our surgery is heavily weighted on the results of this nationally.

MR has copied the National Survey and is currently sending out to the patients who use the service (rather than being randomly selected) and the results are very encouraging so far.

Friends and Family Test:

These go out to patients every Friday for the week’s appointments and show:

• January 2025 – Good/Very Good = 96%, Neutral 1%, Poor/Very Poor 1%
• December 2024 – Good/Very Good – 92%, Neutral, 3% Poor/Very Poor 1%

These are sent to patients who have used the service weekly and are also very good coming out as 96% good/very good experience of the service feedback for January 2025.

NHS App:

MR said that this will be promoted as the system of the future for appointment bookings, medication requests, referrals to hospital via e-referrals and any messaging. Two surgery staff are trained as NHS App Ambassadors and will offer help and assistance to any patient. This help is also available from local libraries.

E-Consult

MR explained that patients can send the practice a message e.g. order a sick note, minor symptoms etc can be directed through the website to easy pressure on the phone lines. We are encouraging patients to use this to avoid queues on the telephones and have a target to reach of 5/1000 per week which for us is 20 e-consults per week.

Facebook Page

This is hosted for us by a health IT specialist to advertise health campaigns, the practice does post messages on there too. (currently 323 followers just under 10% of the population)

ANY OTHER BUSINESS:

LB requested details of the “Message in a Bottle” be passed to patients. Lions Clubs Message in a Bottle is a simple but effective way for people to keep their basic personal and medical details where they can be found in an emergency on a standard form and in a common location – the fridge. Further details are available from Message in a Bottle – Providing Lifesaving Information from Lions Clubs British Isles

It was also explained (as part of our Practice Team) we can refer to a Social Prescriber. She can help with any non-medical social problem eg difficulty in the filling out of forms, financial worries, moving house etc. Issues outside of the GP’s realm but which still can impact
negatively of general wellbeing.

IB asked if Acupuncture was included within the NHS, recounting his own experience with this procedure to help with sciatica.

HW mentioned that it may be useful to re-arrange Reception area information board to give out more relevant ‘hands on’ information such as any Extended Access appointments that can be opted for, especially outside working hours, plus on line facilities.

MR thanked everyone for their input and attending the meeting. The group commented that they felt lucky to be part of the practice and that they always recommend us to friends and family seeking health care.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING: to be arranged but expected to be in the Summer of 2025.