PPG Minutes 6th March 2023

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Welcome, attendance and apologies

JD welcomed everyone both in -person and online and thanked Nargis and Jo for facilitating the meeting outside their working hours.

Present: Jenny Darnley (Chair) Nargis Khan (Practice business manager) Jo Hearle (Deputy Practice Manager and 8 others 

Apologies: 4 received

Minutes

The minutes were passed as an accurate record with minor corrections.  JD said that the contact with the MP, Councillors and NHS Property Services had been delayed after it appeared that work was continuing and opening imminent.

Chair: Annual Report

The Annual report was presented.  JD said that in a difficult year there were positives.  The group had enlarged and she welcomed the members from Manzil Way; meeting with the OBU student representative had been very helpful; there is wider awareness of the PPG via the posters in every surgery and the group had remained active in vaccination support.  

Practice News

Nargis reported that the loss of three practice staff attributed to difficulties in commuting which seemed to have been exacerbated by LTNs.  Dr Alison Fairley will be retiring at the end of May when Dr Hanif Rahim will be Senior Partner.  The current GP registrar, will be joining the practice later in the year, attending for one day a week which was welcomed. 

SBMC has been in talks with the Hollow Way Practice and has now agreed to merge with a six month transition period while systems are aligned.  This brings another nine thousand patients, three GPs and a nursing team into the SBMC making it the largest medical centre in Oxford and which will now become its own Primary Care Network (PCN).  JD congratulated NK and JH on a very successful outcome.  The, as yet to be named PCN will be able to organise services as required for the patients of the group and offers improved services for the patients from all the sites.

Lake Street Building Works

JD reported on a meeting on January 3 when she, NG, Cllr Naomi Waite met with NHSPS and the contractors on site.  Despite firm assurances no further progress had been made, the surgery remains closed and clinics have had to be rearranged at short notice.  The failure to adequately protect the roof had allowed for water to come through, damaging the electrical system resulting in a further delay.  JD had written to Annaliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East and subsequently Cllr Waite and Cllr Baines had co-signed a letter from Annaliese Dodds to the head of NHSPS.   

Any other business

Issues relating to using the AskFirst system and the accessibility of the web site.  The site had been tested when it was developed by a small group from the PPG. Three members agreed to take another look to see if there were improvements that could be suggested. JD thanked them.  

It is apparent that accessing appointments remains difficult for quite a few patients who resort to telephoning.  Nargis will check to see if there any specific problems that could be addressed.  

Date of Next meeting

Monday 15 May 2023 at 18.00 hours. The hybrid model seems effective and JD thanked practice staff who give their time outside working hours to facilitate the meetings.