1. WELCOME & APOLOGIES
PRESENT
Patients: Gill Walt (Chair), Mimi Colahan (Vice Chair), Judy Hildebrand, Eddie Malfiggiani, Gordon Meen, Jonny Bucknell, Kirsten de Keyser, Robert Graham-Harrison, Kathy Graham-Harrison, Judy Sands, Susan Hutton, Marianne Nichols, Jill Harbord, Isky Gordon.
Staff: Siobhan Moriarty, Sharon Gordon (Social Prescriber), Sarah Worboys (GP)
APOLOGIES
Donatella Soldi, Ian Critchley, Dilini Kalapuhana
2. MINUTES FROM MAY 9TH 2019 & MATTERS ARISING
a. Self-registration Machines:
- The out of order machine is to be repaired within the next 3-4 weeks.
- Moving the machines to more propitious positions was discussed.
- Having a sign at the right hand side of the reception desk, indicating where to queue was suggested.
b. Social Prescribing (presented by Sharon Gordon and Sarah Worboys)
- Although social prescribing has long been part of the James Wigg practice, this is a new position. The service is directed at patients who are isolated, have financial issues, problems getting out etc. It is a one to one service that aims to find out people’s likes, dislikes and strengths, and to get them involved in appropriate community activities, groups, workshops in Camden.
- The service will be eventually taking on volunteers.
- Patients can self-refer to Sharon Gordon.
3. FEEDBACK FROM CPPEG
Kathy Graham-Harrison fed back:
- The recent extraordinary meeting of the 5 boroughs which make up North London Central, discussed the merging of the 5 CCGs into a single one next March. This will be applied throughout the London Boroughs. There will be around 200 GP Practices in each enlarged CCG.
- Half Camden’s budget will be retained for primary health and care services, half going to acute hospitals and acute mental health services.
- Of the 5 boroughs, Camden was the only one to remain within budget this year.
- A discussion took place regarding the fact that no patient consultation had taken place, and PPG members expressed a number of different concerns over the proposed new structure.
- It was decided that a letter should be sent from the PPG Chair (who is a member of CPPEG), regarding the lack of patient consultation.
4. FEEDBACK FROM VOLUNTEERS MANAGING THE QUEUE
Judy Hildebrand, Kirsten de Keyser and Mimi Colahan have been successful in reducing the length of the queues and are enjoying their shifts. There has been positive feedback from patients and reception staff. The following suggestions were made:
- Have Camden New Journal on all tables in reception.
- More information regarding what rooms the Diabetes Clinics are taking place in.
- Remove the wall sign for the non-existant Café. (Chair to write a letter to the Manager of the Health Centre).
- ‘In Health’ needs to give more information regarding their clinics. As they have no check in, patients are reassured when queue workers can tick them off their list. However, quite often, ‘In Health’ only provides part of their lists.
- ‘In Health’ should let reception know when there is an absence due to illness.
- It was suggested that a PPG leaflet be handed to people in queue.
- Sanitiser containers should be topped up regularly.
- A sign for rooms 18 and 19 should be displayed on doors.
- Ways of letting patients know how long they may have to wait was discussed.
- Receptionists need to tell patients when they check in if they need to wait in upstairs waiting room.
5. FEEDBACK FROM VOLUNTEERS ON KTHC GARDEN
Marianne Nichols has been volunteering in the garden with a few other PPG members. She fed back on activities so far:
- Volunteers have pruned, cleaned, watered the garden during the summer. As a result it looks well-kept, and a number of patients use it. One concern expressed was that children sometimes run around unsupervised, and that some of the plants might be hazardous. This will be taken back to the Free Space group, which manage the garden.
- There have been communication problems between garden volunteers, the James Wigg Practice and the KTHC. These will be discussed at a meeting with Free Space on 23rd September, to be reported back to the PPG at the next meeting.
6. FEEDBACK ON ‘MEET YOUR PRACTICE’ EVENT
This will be covered in the Annual Report at the end of the year, and will be available on the JW website, under patient participation.
7. DOCTORLINK AND ‘ACTIVE SIGNPOSTING’ PROJECT
DOCTORLINK is a website or app which analyses patients’ symptoms and suggests ways of dealing with them such as directing them to GPs, pharmacist, hospital etc. Patients’ input is transferred into their GP notes.
This pilot service went live in August 2019, is being paid for by the CCG for 18 months, after which the Practice will have to decide whether it is worthwhile.
The Active Signposting project was described briefly by Dr Worboys, as a training to help reception staff ask the right questions when patients telephone or present themselves, in order to direct them to the next best step. This may be to see a pharmacist rather than a GP, for example.
8. PRACTICE FEEDBACK
- The Clinical Pharmacist has been successful and a second one is being recruited.
- 5th year medical students and Specialist GP trainees are joining the Practice and will be seeing patients or sitting in on consultations.
- JW had a telephone CQC inspection and was deemed to be continuing to provide a good service.
- Two teams were shortlisted for the GP awards (Mental Health and Team of the Year). Results will be out in November.
- A team from the James Wigg Practice ran a 10K race as part of Free Space’s support for the Movement for Mental Health.
9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
Thursday 14th November 2019, 2 – 3.30pm.
