PRESENT
Patients: Gill Walt (Chair), Mimi Colahan (Vice Chair), Isky Gordon, Kathy Graham-Harrison, Gordon Meen, Penny Gamez, Peter Lyons, Judy Hildebrand, Riva Joffe.
Practice: Natasha Smeaton (GP), Asif Dewan (Practice Manager).
Visitor: Anna Wright (Deputy Director, Healthwatch Camden)
APOLOGIES
Patients: Judy Sands, Tracy Morgan, Pat Banks, John Banks, Philippa Fraser, Veronica Brinton, Adam Leys. Two new patients have been added to the PPG mailing list: Judy Hildebrand and Riva Joffe.
PRESENTATION BY ANNA WRIGHT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HEALTHWATCH CAMDEN
Anna explained that Healthwatch Camden is part of the Health and Social Care framework, and every local authority has to have one. It has been going for three years. Its role is to provide the public with information, and point them to services. It also gathers in opinions and experiences of users which are fed back to providers and commissioners, to whom recommendations are made. These have to be responded to formally and publicly.
Among recent activities, Healthwatch undertook research into local residential care, producing a report on seven Camden care homes, using ten new indicators of quality. Six out of 7 homes scored well, although a concern was that there was no cost evaluation to tie in with the assessment ratings. Another recent project looked at access to GPs for patients with communication impairment. It was agreed that the PPG should discuss the recommendations from this report at the next joint PPG – Reception staff meeting. Gill and Mimi to take forward. . The reports are available on the Healthwatch website: www.healthwatchcamden.co.uk.
CLINICAL PHARMACISTS (Presented by Asif Dewan)
The Practice is planning to diversify the clinical workforce by employing Clinical Pharmacists trained in how to care for patients. Funding has been obtained for three pharmacists for 3 years, one senior who will prescribe and two juniors, who will supplement the GP force across seven practices in Camden. More details on their roles will be disseminated later in the year.
CPPEG REPORT (Presented by Kathy Graham-Harrison CPPEG representative)
Gill Walt has been elected as one of the three new PPG members for the South Locality.
Clinical Quality Review Group – CNWL: Concerns were raised about the recent NHS decision to merge the 28 London hubs holding child records into 4 hubs. Camden’s Health Visiting Service has been decommissioned to North East London Foundation Trust. It is early days but already some births are not being recorded and some new mums have not been visited. The CNWL team are actively monitoring the situation. James Wigg Practice reported no problems with the new system so far.
South Locality Meeting – March: The three localities in Camden may, at some later date, be re-organized into neighbourhood models. James Wigg already have an informal neighbourhood scheme operating with their sister practices and with the Caversham and Parliament Hill practices. They consider this a positive development.
Blood Pressure kits: Questions remain about the unasked for delivery of Blood Pressure kits to Camden GP practices. The cost is likely to be above £50,000 and CPPEG members will continue to raise this with the CCG.
Next PPG Forum will be late June or July. We will circulate the date when known. All members urged to attend.
NEWSLETTER
Loni has now taken over the newsletter, which she hopes to bring out four times a year. PPG members were asked to suggest items for future newsletters.
PPG ACTIVITIES
A proposal to support or befriend carers or people with long term conditions was discussed as a possible activity for PPG members. Befriending could range from a telephone call once a week or fortnight, to a support group of carers coming together once or twice each month.
It was agreed to draw up a plan for discussion, and to ask Melanie, the Age UK navigator attached to the Practice to come to the July meeting to join the discussion. Gill to approach Melanie.
‘MEET YOUR PRACTICE’ MEETING IN JULY
It was agreed that we will use the mobile phone Practice list to invite people to the next PPG meeting in July, which will also be a social occasion for patients and the Practice. Gill and Mimi to follow up.
FEEDBACK FROM PRACTICE (Presented by Natasha Smeaton)
- The Practice Manager, Asif Dewan, is leaving, and from June Loni Booker will be Practice Manager. Asif was thanked for his enthusiastic support to the PPG.
- One of the doctors, Ann-MariTully is also leaving, and Dr Dilini Kalpuhana has become a partner of the Practice.
- Four Trees surgery and Queens Crescent Practice were formally amalgamated, as part of the James Wigg Practice.
AOB
Peter Lyons handed out the spring/summer newsletter of Healthy Minds community programme which is produced by Mind. For more information contact: [email protected]
NEXT MEETING
‘Meet Your Practice’ from 6pm to 7.30pm, on 20 July 2017.
