PRESENT
Patients: Gill Walt (Chair), Mimi Colahan (Vice Chair), Gordon Meen, Susan Hutton, Kathy Graham-Harrison, Robert Graham-Harrison, Isky Gordon, Judy Hildebrand, Millie Kiene, Jony Bucknoll, Eddie Malfiggiani, Nicola Dexter, Sarah Bridget Acheng
Practice: Siobhan Moriarty (Associate Practice Manager), Dilini Kalupahana (GP).
APOLOGIES
Veronica Brinton, Ian Critchley, Ruthina Newton,Judy Sands, Loni Booker
1. Welcome to Dr Dilini Kalupahana on her first PPG meeting as link doctor.
2. Verbal Report On July Meeting
The ‘Meet Your Practice’ event in which there was a discussion on what had been achieved in the Practice over the last year by Dr Levy, a presentation by Bess Frimodig and colleagues about a project on wellbeing in the Health Centre garden. She then did a tour of the garden, where refreshments were offered to all.
3. SELF-HELP WEEK (12-18) NOVEMBER.
This will consist of members of reception explaining to patients how to do things, and giving out information, i.e.
- providing numbers to call when referrals are not followed up
- minor ailment cards
- helping with EMIS patient access
- Helping using check in screens
- Promoting what surgery provides
It was suggested that the PPG might help with manning the check in screens, particularly at busy times. The PPG email list will be asked for volunteers.
4. FEEDBACK FROM CPPEG (Cathy Graham-Harrison)
Issues covered:
- Camden wide self-help
- Redevelopment of St Pancras Hospital Site. Three consultations have already taken place, but there will be one more for those interested on 26 September at St Pancras Hospital.
- The Out of Hours Service, which is privately controlled and contracted by Camden, which has now been running for eight months. It is well used (in September utilisation rate was 77%). However, Nurses and telephone slots are underused. There are a lot of DNAs which might be due to the methods of cancellation not being clear.
5. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Current Consultation
The redevelopment of St Pancras Hospital proposes:
- Moving in-patients to Highgate
- Out-patients to remain at St Pancras in a new facility
- New Services to move on to the site, such as Moorfields
- Housing development
There will be a MENTAL HEALTH IN CAMDEN open day at St Pancras on Wednesday 26th September 2018, from 18:00 (6pm) to 20:00 (8pm) as part of the consultation process
Services provided by Practice
The James Wigg is highly regarded for its mental health services, and provides good links to external services.
Free Space, the arts and health charity is very active, providing various social prescribing projects, including Art Therapy and specific projects in the Garden. Concern was expressed for the mental health of carers, and it was suggested that Free Space might be interested in providing a drop-in area for carers.
6. OUT OF AREA PATIENT REGISTRATION
Patients who are registered at the James Wigg practice, but who move, or live, outside the catchment area, and who require home visits and community services, may be asked to consider moving to a more local practice. However, patients can choose to stay at the practice, if they prefer through the ‘Out of Area Scheme’. This allows patients outside the catchment area to remain at the James Wigg practice, knowing that home visits and some community services may not be available through the practice. The letter which is sent out to patients advising them that they need to consider changing practice was discussed, and changes have been made to it.
7. PRACTICE FEEDBA
Paramedics
The practice has five paramedics on rotation who sit in on clinics and see patients under supervision, 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.
Awards
The practice has been shortlisted for two awards. There will be feedback at the next PPG meetin
Flu jab and child immunisation
There will be a number of drop-in clinics from October. Last year there was a 75% take up.
Audit of reception queue
It is still being worked on. Intervening in the queue by reception staff, to redirect patients and help with the check in monitors was discussed and it was suggested that this could be a role for the PPG. Susan Hutton, Judy Hildebrand, Millie Kiene, Robert Graham-Harrison, Kathy Graham-Harrison, Isky Gordon and Mimi Colahan expressed an interest in participating in such an activity.
8. AOB
Telephone Service
A fourth option is to be added to the telephone system, allowing patients to speak to a receptionist about subjects other than appointments, hospital referrals and practice information.
Online access
Some patients are finding on-line access difficult, but any suggestions for change need to be feedback to EMIS, who run the system
Letters
One patient expressed dissatisfaction with how the practice (and other services such as Physiotherapy) communicate with the practice. Precise examples are needed to follow through on this issue.
9. DATE OF NEXT PPG MEETING Thursday 22 November 2018 from 14.00 to 15.30.
