PPG minutes 14th October 2021

Minutes of the meeting of St Bartholomew’s Medical Centre, Patient Participation Group

Monday 4 October via Teams

Welcome and attendance

Present: Jennifer Darnley (Chair) Geraldine Coggins (Vice-Chair) Nargis Khan (Practice Manager), Jo Hearle (Deputy Practice Manager) Mark Gould (GP partner) Penny Faust, Miriam Jellinek, Paul Luff

Apologies

Apologies received: Daisy May Hopkins, Louise Ballinger, Richard Stoneman, Amanda Robson, Jill McCleery, Marie Tidball, Wendy Spray, Alison Fairley, Lynn Degele

Minutes of the last meeting

Approved

Matters Arising

MJ reported problems with phones and very long queues. She was at one point 23rd in line.

NK reported that the practice are aware of the problmes and monitor calls. The problem is unavailability of large numbers of staff unavailable through illness, isolating, bereavement which resulted in only one person per site answering calls. This problem should be resolved now

Practice Updates

Oxford Brookes

The practice has been open for four weeks and has been very occupied registering new students

SOHC

One member of staff will be on maternity leave from late November. The front of the building is being painted, the garden has been tidied and fencing will be renewed. One room has had new flooring and the repair to the front door operation will be undertaken imminently.

SBMC

Nothing new to report

MG: reported that Government policy is to triage all non emergency cases and divert non-clinic cases to appropriate non GP health providers such as physiotherapists, mental health specialist, podiatrists etc. across the Patient Care Network of local practices. Patients can still elect a GP consultation and GP time will still be needed to supervise and brief staff. Government policy is to tri-age non-clinical cases and divert these to non-GP roles (e.g. physiotherapists, mental health professional) across the PCN. Patients will still have choice to see a GP and GP time will still be required to supervise and debrief staff. JD raised questions concerning non-clinical front line staff and patient confidentiality. NK reassured the meeting that standards of confidentially apply to all staff.

NK also welcomed feedback on new staff and spoke of the plan to build the practice team, including GPs. PF asked how continuity of care can be maintained across staff (PCN population 50,000 patients). MG acknowledged this is a challenge and reiterated that GPs still maintained oversight of patient care.

PF suggested communicating this to patients in some form and there was a discussion about website and/or newsletter.

Action: MG offered to draft a paragraph for website and there will be further consideration of a paper version.

Vaccination clinics

Flu

There will be 4 walk-ins at SBMC, 3 appointment sessions at SOHC and Cowley Road Practice will be using SBMC this weekend for their flu jab. JD, GC and PK volunteered to assist.

Covid

For just over a week practice been giving boosters who had first jab in first round (i.e. January 2021) There was poor take-up for the first booster clinic and PK questioned who had been called up. GC reported previous problems with the IT system over one weekend which might have added to the problems. NK referred to the staff limitations and said that the situation should now improve

JD, GC and PK will be volunteering along with the wider team at these clinics and PF asked that PK, GC and JD be thanked for all their hard work on volunteering for vaccine clinics

Any Other Business

GC raised issue about refusal to register undocumented migrants. NHS guidance is not to turn anyone away. NK reported practice will not turn patients away, but cannot register patients without a fixed abode but would register patients with temporary address.

JD reported that good feedback on new website design

Date of Next meeting

Next meeting date – 18:00 - 6th December 2021 Aim to meet in person (SBMC)

Will discuss review of PPG’s Terms of Reference, particularly membership, non-attendees and diversity of membership. GC and JD will present a report for discussion

MG and JH need to ask for attendees and probably will require mask wearing

PL/jd