Introduction to the PPP Constitution of the PPP Reports on Open Events
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Membership of the PPP is open to all patients registered at the Practice. Membership of the PPP Network is voluntary. It is a means for informal communication on a personal basis between patients and the Practice. The business of the forthcoming meeting of the Network is to decide upon and arrange future open meetings on health issues and broader NHS issues.
If you would like to become involved you would be very welcome, as the bigger the Network, the more effective it can be. Please email: ppp@wrington.org.uk
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Wrington Vale PPP Network
Meeting 23rd September, 2009, 7.30pm at Churchill Reading Room*
AGENDA
1. Apologies
2. Welcome new members; to note the circulated agenda paper concerning the Network’s role. It would be helpful if existing network members briefly outlined their experience of this, so new members could begin to identify their circles of contacts.
3. Future plans
:
Open meetings on health issues.
Suggestion that the Practice should run a First Aid course for patients – Jan Murray
Open meetings on NHS issues of concern
Summary Care Record (the NHS Database) -
It looks as though this is being rolled out in some parts of the country already, and is scheduled to be implemented across the south west in the next couple of years. There are indications that the Conservatives, if they are elected, will dismantle the database project. We broached this topic which caused so much controversy, with many people apparently not wanting their medical records uploaded onto a national database. We had a very useful meeting led by Charles Tricks at Churchill Primary School
NHS funding and how it's changing -
The direction of policy in England over the past 15 - 20 years (under both administrations) has moved in a pretty consistent direction. Given the projected spending cuts to public services in the next few years, it would be relevant for us to consider possible implications for the NHS.
4. Recent PPP Committee action and future plans
i) Meeting on Friday, 18th September with NHS CEO Chris Born – Andrew Densham
ii) Affiliation to the National Association for Patient Participation* – Jan Murray
iii) Transparency in operation of PPP Committee - Bill Dale
AOB
Date of next meeting
[*The National Association for Patient Participation, NAPP, a national charity formed on June 2nd this year (http://www.napp.org.uk/), advise that the agenda for meetings should contain a reminder that the PPP is not a forum for pursuing individual personal complaints or for single issue campaigns]
*Please note change of venue necessitated by the number who have indicated their intention to attend. It is the first building on the left behind the clock tower in Churchill having forked right off the main road into Front Street. There is ample parking in the Methodist Church car park (go under the
arches of the church and straight through).
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At the suggestion of the PPP, the Practice held an open forum at the Sports & Social Club on Thursday, 20th November, 2008, attended by approx. 40 patients.
Dr. Patel outlined the appointments system in some detail, including the constant work and analysis that goes into trying as far as possible to match supply with demand and deliver an appointment system that best meets the needs of all 9,100 patients while also making sure mandatory government targets are adhered to.
She also noted that the Practice has about 60 missed (wasted) appointments a month out of a total of about 2,000 monthly. Dr. Patel emphasized that whilst the Practice tries to maintain continuity of care with patients seeing the same doctor, this is not always possible but the good electronic clinical notes mean that the Practice as a whole can offer a good standard of continuity of care when patients decide to see another doctor.
Dr. Portas made the point that, in hospital services as well as GPs, patients seem increasingly to be choosing convenience and speed of access as opposed to waiting to see a specific clinician.
It was noted that all doctors and nurses offer the convenience of telephone appointments which suit some patients in certain circumstances. It was also noted that increasingly patients are registering to be able to book appointments on line - and that if they lose their on line password, the Practice can advise them of it as it is retained in their clinical record.
Questions had been invited in advance in order to gauge people's concerns, and these were addressed by the various staff attending, with lively follow-up questions being taken. The topics included:
Choose & book : an explanation of the system and why it is that patients are sometimes not referred using choose & book. Equally, there had been complaints at the opposite end of the spectrum, from patients who find the whole C&B system tiresome and unnecessary !
Waiting times for hospitals : When in December 08 the new End Waiting policy of 18 weeks from hospital receipt of referral to receiving treatment/surgery is operational, patients were assured that the Surgery aims to process referral letters in a week at the very outside, with urgent referrals being dealt within 1 - 2 days or on the spot if required.
The impact of the Pharmacy White paper 2008 which proposed an end to dispensing by doctors; as things stand at the moment, he Practice does not anticipate any adverse effect on the dispensing service provided by Wrington Vale Medical Practice.
Referral management schemes The misleading newspaper articles which have given the impression that GPs would be paid extra not to refer patients to hospital, were contrasted with the reality behind the referral management scheme in place in North Somerset, and the guarantee for patients of this practice that everyone judged to have a clinical need for referral to hospital will be referred.
The NHS national database (Summary Care Record, or SCR system): this was, in effect, a follow-up to the previous open meeting held at Churchill primary school when this matter was discussed at an earlier stage of its development. Dr Charles Tricks, in particular, led the discussion of the present state of play and the advantages and disadvantages of this system.
He also described the new version of the EMIS computer system used within the practice currently being implemented, EMIS Web, which would give enhanced backup security against system failure for GPs' notes of their patients.
The Practice has posted on its website a brief document setting out the current state of play with this national SCR database project.
Jose Tarnowski outlined the lengths to which she and her staff go to achieve the daily back-up of patient records - and ensure their physical security.
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Those attending from the Practice, in addition to administrative staff, included
Dr Shruti Patel, Dr Jo King, the Practice Manager, Josie Tarnowski, Dr David Portas, and Dr Charles Tricks.
The PPP Chairman, Andrew Densham, drew warm applause from patients attending when he expressed on their behalf appreciation for the careful and open way in which all questions had been dealt with, and for the effort which the Practice had clearly put into making the evening such a success.
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Expert Patients’ Programme
Expert Patients' Programme (EPP) run by North Somerset Primary Care Trust (PCT). It seems a really good service that the PCT is anxious to promote, and want as many local people as possible to be aware of.
It is a free service which patients with a long term conditions can book themselves into. Patients who have participated in the past speak very highly indeed of the programme. Transport may be available to help patients access the venues
It's for anyone with any long- term or chronic health condition(s).
Groups of 8 - 16 participants meet over six weekly sessions (of 2 ½ hours each) and are led through a structured course by trained tutors who are also themselves living with a long term/chronic health condition.
Each session looks at ways patients can help manage their own conditions, such as
Dealing with pain/extreme tiredness
Coping with feelings of depression
Relaxation techniques and exercise
Healthy eating
Communicating with family, friends and health professionals
Planning for the future.
Anyone who feels they might benefit from participating in the programme should contact Marilyn Edwards at North Somerset PCT, Waverley House, Clevedon
tel. 01275 546757 email marilyn.edwards@nsomerset-pct.nhs.uk
Jose Tarnowski
Practice Manager
Wrington Vale Medical Practice
01934 854041
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Patient Practice Partnership event on Diabetes
Wrington Vale Medical Practice patient liaison group held another successful evening in the Sports & Social Club pavilion, Wrington, on Tuesday, 21st November.
The programme had been arranged by Practice Manager, Jose Tarnowski, and included contributions from Judith Wood, the specialist diabetes nurse from the North Somerset Primary Care Trust, Dr Joanna King, one of the GPs and Nurse Vicky Cheater from the Practice, Sally Furniss, a specialist dietician, and two patients, all chaired by Dr David Portas.
We learned that 2 million people in the UK are known to have diabetes (Type 1 & Type 2) and probably another 750,000 are unaware they have it.
Type 1 mainly affects the under 40s, whose body fails to make insulin, and are treated by daily injection. Type 2 hits mainly the over 40s, whose natural insulin is not effective enough in dispelling sugar from their bloodstream. Their treatment includes diet, physical exercise, weight loss, and medication.
There is a steady rise in the proportion of the population suffering from diabetes, as there is in the rate of obesity. In particular, waist size is an issue. Diabetes can lead on to heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness, but, if spotted and treated early, it can be controlled.
A sensible diet generally involves a 'healthy eating' regime of regular meals, which should include carbohydrate intake through the day, olive oil or rape seed-based spreads.
The two patients, one Type 1, the other Type 2, gave realistic and encouraging accounts of their experience since they contracted the condition - and managed to include not a little humour.
Two representatives of Diabetes Weston support group had kindly brought a comprehensive display of material, promising information and assistance for sufferers.
The committee of the Patient Practice Partnership are most grateful to all who made the event so successful, and look forward to their next open event on children's ailments early in 2007.
RT
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Wrington Vale Medical Practice
Patient-Practice Partnership
was set up in 2005 by a group of patients
(i) to be an independent means of maintaining and improving communication between patients and practice,
(ii) to hold events on specific topics,
(iii) and to monitor developments in the wider NHS beyond this rural practice.
Every patient of the practice is by definition a member of the PPP, which has an agreed constitution, and is run by a small committee of patients, subject to annual re-election at an AGM.
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