At Eastmead surgery we are committed to providing excellent care to all. In order to achieve this it is essential that we use the feedback of our patients.
The Patient Participation Groups primary purpose is to encourage patient involvement in the practice’s objectives both clinically and organisationally, contribute to the improvement of services and the implementation of new services and to spark the implementation of new services.
We would like to know how we can improve our service to you and how you perceive our surgery and staff.
To help us with this, have a patient representation group so that you can have your say. We ask the members of our group questions from time to time, such as what you think about our opening times or the quality of the care or service you received. We aim to have meetings quarterly but they do vary.
We welcome patients from as broad a spectrum as possible to get a truly representative sample. We need young people, workers, retirees, people with long term conditions and people from non-British ethnic groups.
Contact the Patient Group
Contact the Patient Participation Group to join, or with any suggestions, comments and feedback for the forum meetings by speaking to our patient advisors.
Meeting Notes
Meeting 15th February 2024
Eastmead Surgery
PPG (Patient Participation Group)
15.2.24 1.30 – 2.30pm
Agenda
- Welcome and introductions
- What is a PPG – our (Surgery and PPG) expectations
- Roles and responsibilities
- Patient survey
- Agree next meeting dates and rotations of timing
Actions
1.Reviewed our current staffing and recent changes and new starters. Suggestion made to put staff photos into a poster for the wall so that patients know who they will be seeing and who works in the PA/admin teams. AC to organise
2. We discussed role of the PPG and how we would like to work together as a group to help the surgery run as well as it can for patients and staff. We will put our PPG statement onto the PPG notice board in the surgery – AC to organise
We are looking for another 1-2 patients to become members, AC to communicate to interested patients via website.
3. We discussed how the meetings are an open discussion for the PPG to raise issues and ideas and for the practice to update the PPG on potential staffing changes going forward, proposals for change coming from NHS England, patient surgery questions etc. Clear that personal issues not to be discussed in this forum. Agreed to meet every 3 months.
4. Patient survey – we discussed the results from the national patient survey and the survey undertaken by the practice in 2023. Our main issue is access as the demand for services outweighs our capacity of Dr appointments and we talked about some of the recent changes we have made and some of the proposed changes going forward.
a. Employing 2 additional clinicians (pharmacist and paramedic) who can consult with patients who have minor ailments. Both can prescribe. Service started 12 February.
b. Using our Patient Adviser team to care navigate patients to the correct services i.e. in house physio, nurse, Pharmacy First scheme
c. Issues on phone when in the queue and miss the call back – have to start the process again.
d. Leaflets for new patients to explain how to get an appointment and who with – put the information onto our website and direct patients there from our phone messages.
5.Discussion round repeat prescriptions and how to increase patients using the NHS App and the move away from paper requests – suggestions that we check if promotion of the NHS App is on our patient’s television screen, more information on our website regarding how to use the App and include in the patient leaflet for new patients. Suggestion that we could target patients without the app to come to booked appointments using our IT staff to show them how to download and what information is available on the app – AC to organise
6.Blood tests – how to let patients know that their results are normal. Discussed that GP ordering tests should advise that normal results not communicated but can be found on NHS App.
7.Learning Disability assessments – patients to be seen by GP of their choice – Dr Wasan or Dr Crust. Eastmead admin team to give the choice when booking appointments for patients.
Meeting 13th June 2024
PPG Meeting
Date
Thu 13 Jun 13:30 – 14:30
Confirmed attendees
Anne Cooper, Dr Bonna Wasan
Other Attendees
Comfort F, Eve A, Debbie W, Sonya L Apologies James Y Invited but did not attend Lucia P and Chyril H
Details/Agenda
- NHS App help sessions
- Support for over 65’s
- Blood results
- BMA ballot
Actions - NHS App help sessions – started a drop in session for all patients who want help with NHS App and online applications,
Wednesday pm with IT lead, Victoria. Proving popular and any PA team are booking patients in. - Support for over 65’s – walking group for over 65’s on a Tuesday at 11.00am, messaged out to all patients, on website
and poster in reception. Coffee morning twice a month for over 65’s Hanwell Community Centre, messaged out to all
patients, website and poster in reception. - Blood results – patients are being advised to view results on nhs app and will be contacted by GP is result needs
discussion/abnormal. - BMA ballot – Gp’s are being balloted on taking collective action – results in August
Collective action is not the same as strike action, but it could see GPs prioritising their patients’ needs over local NHS
system wants, pulling out from data sharing agreements, or pushing back against NHS England to instead offer face-to-face
appointments as a default.
5.Carers notice board/ events /cafes – Julia , practice Carer Lead to contact Debbie to promote what is happening in Ealing
to our patients. We have approx 45 patients registered as Carers. - Patient survey August 24 – put poster into reception and onto website to alert patients that survey will be taking place.
Investigate is we can send this out to patients via email – Anne - Staff photos – clinicians photos to be taken and put into reception area for all patients to be aware of who they are seeing.
Next meeting – date tbc Oct 24