Patient Participation Group Open Day Saturday 10 September 2011
An enjoyable morning for those who attended the open day; patients, service providers and medical centre representatives. Below are issues and feedback raised during the event. These will now be discussed by the Practice team to see what further improvements can be made.
Issues Raised
- Telephone appointments with doctors – conflicting information about when and how you can book them from GP and receptionist.
- Telephone appointments – would like to see greater availability
- Would like to see better system for booking advance appointments
- Needs to be clearer information about when and how to collect results. Pt not happy to be told to go away and phone for result
- Often queuing out of door
- Would be good to hold more of these events.
- Need better signage/advertising from main road
- Would like to see workshops linked to diabetes
- Prescriptions office. There is signage above window for prescriptions collection, often have to go back to main reception desk. Need to be clearer.
- Reach for Health Team and nurses especially helpful today
- Nice to see how back office works
- Nice to have an open day, would like to see more such events
- Positive feedback – very happy with service provided by practice, even though sometimes have to wait 2 weeks for appointment. If the matter is urgent the need is always met
- Some people attended the event to see specific organisations for specific information and support. They would like regular access to support services here at the surgery rather than just being signposted with information leaflets and contact numbers.
Feedback cards
“The whole event has been very successful for my husband and myself. Well done! Till next time. Thank you.”
“To have more open days, so that patients are kept up to date and can register their concerns”
“I found the Disability people and Warrington Carers particularly helpful. Would like to see improvements on the 2 week waiting time to see a doctor and to be able to see the same doctor instead of a different one each time”.
“Continue with the good service you all do. Other events like this would be welcome”.
“Continue to be accessible and open. An excellent day, time well spent”.
“Whilst understanding the pressure you are all under so well explained by Julie. I retain my view that additional support staff would assist with the need to limit release of prescriptions to after 2pm. Staffing of telephones on a staggered lunch basis would also substantially reduce the surge of demand at 1.30pm. The spread of prescription release time would also assist with queues at local chemist”.
All patients who attended said they would attend similar events.
All service providers were very impressed and were happy they had the time to network with each other as well as with patients and the surgery team. All would be happy to support future events.
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Patient Participation Group - results of questionaire run during April 2011.
Four topics were highlighted in Patient's replies:
- Prescriptions
- Queues & Delays
- Telephone system
- Appointments
Why are prescriptions only available for collection after 2 pm?
- With an average of over 500+ requests daily, the processing of prescriptions takes place in the mornings. Being able to deal with the volume of requests without interruption is the only way we can achieve a "two day" turnaround.
- An extra member of staff has been made available between 2 pm and 3.30 pm to help at the busiest time for prescription collection.
- We encourage the use of Community Pharmacies and the Collection and Delivery Service they provide, to enable collection at individual preferred times and weekends.
- We encourage use of the website to place prescription requests.
Queues & Delay - Regarding Booking-in and information if clinics are running late.
- A computerised Booking-in system is being looked at, which will reduce queuing time at reception.
- A community screen is to be installed which has the option to have "rolling information" available so Patients can be informed if any Dr/Nurse Practioner/Nurse clinic is running late.
- Two receptionists will be available at the busiest times.
Why does it take time to get through on the telephone?
- We are a busy practice with 17,500 patients. Each morning we have 4 members of staff constantly taking calls.
- A new system was installed in April; unfortunately there was a technical problem which the practice was unaware of, which has now been rectified.
- A new scanning system to enter data on Medical Records is to be installed enabling a further receptionist to take calls.
- An extra telephone line to be installed when an extra receptionist becomes available.
Appointments/Access
- Discussion on how to improve the Appointment system/ improve access to Clinicians and continuity of patients treatment is at the top of the agenda.
- Practice nurse led triage is being looked into.
- We have 3 nurse Practitioners who Diagnose/Prescribe and Refer patients as necessary.
- Routine reviews via telephone consultations are in discussion.
We have considered the views and concerns of our patients. We hope the proposed changes will improve the service we provide. Communication is the key element and we will continue our new established Patient Participation Group/Patient Reference Group. The Patient Reference Group will regularly ask for Patient opinions via email. Concerns and suggestions will be discussed at the Patient Participation Group meetings.
Contact details: karenwright7@nhs.net
bernie.wilkinson@nhs.net
Stockton Heath Medical Centre;
Patient Participation Group ( PPG ) – Terms of Reference
The Patient Participation Group will align its Terms of Reference to the practice Aims and will undertake activities as outlined below to;
Improving the Patient Experience ;
· Consider the nature of customer complaints and develop a strategy to improve common areas of complaint
· Take on board the views and needs of customers, challenging the practice constructively where necessary and balancing the needs of the business when suggesting improvements
Developing Health Promotion
· Assist the practice and its patients by arranging/liaising with local voluntary groups to raise awareness of health promotion
· Support promotion of health clinics by developing links with other relevant local community groups in the area to share information (such as parent and toddler groups/ elderly persons forums/ well woman/man clinics/ carers groups etc)
· Support communication in the local community which may affect healthcare
· Support activities within the practice in promoting preventative medicine
· Work with the practice to canvas customer opinion to influence the provision of Secondary Healthcare and Social Care locally
· Work with the practice to monitor the effectiveness of other health services in the community e.g. support following hospital discharge
· Help patients take more responsibility for their health through improved communication activities
Improving communication
· Gather and communicate information about the community which may affect healthcare (through its involvement with local community groups)
· Foster improved communications between patients and practice
· Provide an avenue for patient views on the organisation of their care
· Receive and communicate information and feedback from GP’s and practice staff, cascading to local groups as necessary
· Develop information centres in the surgery regarding communication with and through the PPG
· Liaise with other PPG ’s in the area
· Support feedback to NHS trusts on consultation exercises
Developing New Services
· Contribute views to the continuous improvement of services
· Support the practice in consultation and service planning, operation and development of proposals for change
· Provide practical support and help to implement change