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PPG Meeting Minutes
Meeting Notes – 15/05/2024 (Williton Surgery – 5pm to 6.30pm)
Item 1
Welcome and group rules
Present
- Elizabeth Grigg
- Sandra Wilson (Chair, Somerset PPG groups)
- Sharon Rowe
- Dr Jane Armstrong
- Mr & Mrs Keenan
- Dr Rowe
- Izzy Sylvester
- Dr Margaret Tatham
- new member Sally
Item 2
Apologies
- Kate Butler
- Liz Blakey
- Ian Aldridge
- Tracy Brick
Item 3
Review last meeting minutes
- There was a correction to item noted by Sharon, and she will send Jane the corrected version.
- Collection of prescriptions, Sandra noted that there is a different way of making up medications now where medications are only made up when the customer arrives for them, adding to waiting times.
Item 4
Sign off minutes
- Jane to recirculate the minutes when amended.
Standing agenda items
Item 5
Practice update
- Measles – cases have been reported in Somerset (not in West Somerset). Public health guidance has been issued. Clinical staff need to wear FFP3 masks (fit masks) not the fluid resistant surgical masks used during COVID. This is a problem as practices do not have the masks and access to fitting is extremely expensive. GPs will telephone patients rather than bringing any possible cases into the surgery.
Practice Update - Staff Update
- New GP – Dr Andy Moss will join us from Monday 03 June. He will work four sessions per week (two days) to replace Dr Andrew Allen’s sessions. Dr Allen retired at the end of March.
- Receptionists – two new receptionists have been recruited to our team. A part-time staff member joined this month. A full-time receptionist joins on Monday 03 June 2024.
- HCA – we have a full-time HCA joining our team from 10 June 2024. This is to replace an HCA who recently left our team.
- Current patient numbers – our practice list size is now 10,587. Our practice list is fully open. There was a temporary closure following the Minehead Medical Centre CQC inspection, preventing the movement of patients already registered at West Somerset practices regardless of boundary areas. Newborn babies and patients moving into the area were allowed to register. Normal service resumed on 1 April 2024.
- CQC – changes to the CQC inspection framework have been rolled out in England. The former Key Lines of Enquiry have been replaced with Quality Statements. There remain 5 key questions, is the practice: safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led? The Quality Statements then sit within each of these key questions. The most important areas are safe and well-led – both of which contain 8 quality statements each. There are 34 Quality Statements altogether. It will be important that we ensure that CQC compliance sits at the heart of everything we do and is woven into the fabric of our service provision. Sharon and Emily will lead on this for our practice and will be grateful for any support the patient group can provide in terms of supporting us, for example this may be through requests for patient feedback, analysing and interpreting results, etc. We will need to ensure that our work focusses on outcomes for patients. There is also a need to consider our team well-being.
Item 6
Village Agent Update
- Izzy reported that Steve has now left, but is being replaced by Sam Newland, and Emma, their complex care nurse is doing well. The Families Officer Maya, MCCT, will have Jess returning to work as Family and Children’s Worker. The Community Transport Network is a key role, and responsibility of her job. The newly launched Food Pantry electric truck is an exciting and very needed resource. As a consequence of changes to the making up of prescriptions as noted by Sandra, Izzy reported that there are challenges to getting prescriptions in Williton.
Item 7
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust update
- The Productive People Group are to explore roles in SFT and to respond to the different ways staff want to work with an integrated thread of wellbeing. This is part of the SFT 5-year People’s Strategy that was launched in March 2023. There are specific areas focused on each year to enable the delivery of what is needed given the expansive areas of care supported by SFT, mental healthcare, acute care, community care, primary care, and all other areas. There are vacancies but a limit has to be placed on workforce numbers as the workforce transforms as the SFT infrastructure is now transforming. There will be a particular focus on retaining staff once recruited and an aim to optimise integration across all areas.
- Maternity services were sadly rated as inadequate by the CQC recently. Many aspects were related to the structural infrastructure within which the services are sited. Enhanced ways of working have been implemented to make sure that all women are seen immediately, and their needs assessed for ongoing optimal care.
- Managing the patient load in A&E remains a daily challenge, and really impacted by what is called no criteria to reside, meaning patients are fit to be discharged from the hospital, but the ongoing service/help they need are not in place/available etc, so they cannot be discharged, meaning there becomes a blockage.
- There is now a much reinforced team responding more promptly to issues raised by patients and more effective management of complaints to ensure learning is acted upon.
Item 8
2024 PPG managed educational community events/activities update
- 2024 PPG managed educational community events/activities update
- As agreed the PPG is holding the planned Carers Event on Saturday 15/06/24 in Williton Pavillion. It is not possible to contact carer’s directly via the surgery because of GDPR restrictions, so the planned posters and publicity will be very important, along with word of mouth.
- There will be stands available as last year, a free raffle and prizes as can be sought. Margaret will have a stall for Dementia Alliance Watchet group. Elizabeth requested that the agenda of the next PPG meeting include an item on fundraising by the PPG for such events and for items of equipment for the surgery. Sandra stated that formally fund raising was not a PPG role, but PPG’s can do it if they wish. It is usually easier to raise funds for a specific event/purpose/piece of equipment etc, e.g. equipment for minor surgery for dermatology.
- Izzy had done a great deal to secure stall holders/therapists etc.
New Adenda Items
Item 9
Community feedback - Patient concern
- There was a misinterpretation between a patient and the receptionist, which was resolved.
Item 10
Dementia Alliance Watchet/other
Margaret stated that the Dementia Alliance had received a £2000 donation for involvement in two research studies, one, Dr Dodd at University of the West of England, The Somerset Engagement Project, research about conducting research. In celebrating nine years of the presence of Dementia Alliance Watchet, £150 was raised. The group won the 2024 Millington Shield for its work.
Item 11
Any Other Business
PPG Chairs from West Somerset have been discussing the development of a logo and associated recognition marketing, further information at a later date.
Item 12
Date of Next Meeting
- 14 August 2024
- 13 November 2024 with AGM