Patient Participation Group Report 2013/14
Whitehall Surgery has continued to commit to working with patients to improve the service we offer.
Over the last year we have met with our PPG on several occasions and listened to what we are doing well, and listened to suggestions on how our service might be improved.
Overall the feedback has been very positively reinforcing, that we are providing a high quality and timely service. Comparisons have been made to local and national data.
The suggestions / feedback we have received were:
- To continue to provide on-the-day as well as bookable in advance appointments as at present, and to continue to provide good timely access for appointments. We have been advised repeatedly that our PPG members see this as a strong positive feature of the practice.
- To continue to provide continuity of care in a compassionate setting
- To display surgery times clearly in the waiting area as not all patients have access to internet. With regard to opening hours, the early starts on 3 days weekly, from 07.20 were appreciated by some, but others were unaware. The PPG members have not requested us to open longer than at present.
- To continue with our text messaging service to remind patients of their appointments, as this is appreciated.
- To continue to notify by text message to patients who do not attend that the patient had missed an appointment, and to ask them to cancel another time.
- To continue with online ability to request repeat prescriptions and make appointments. PPG members are happy with the on line booking service as this allows remote access for them to book with a doctor of their choice.
- To continue to provide toys for waiting area, recognising that these have to be washable to comply with CQC standards.
- That the clinicians are asked to discuss the Diabetes pathway and how often patients need to be seen, particularly whether it is necessary to have one appointment for blood tests separate from the Review appointment.
- To discuss with the clinicians and the prescribing advisor regarding the cost of drugs and chemists over-issuing repeat medication which have not been requested by patient.
- Agreed would be useful to have more people in the PPG, a suggestion where we receive a complaint to ask the patient if they would like to join the group, and for all of us actively to canvass for more members.
- Discussed staff changes and new recruitment at the practice over the last year, of 2 new practice nurses, a new receptionist and an admin person employed, to try to improve both telephone access and access to appointments.
- Discussion of Quality and Outcome framework targets and Local and Directed Enhanced services, and Surgery hours, and how we compare both locally and nationally, and the actions taken by the practice to keep standards high
- To circulate and put on practice noticeboards the results of the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire
We discussed all points and agreed to action all points where action is appropriate.
The diabetes pathway will be taken forward to the team practice meeting to agree patients who have good control may need only 1 appointment for bloods / check pulses/ HBA1C and then telephone triage follow up if necessary if further management required.
Paul Wright our practice prescribing advisor is already talking to our local chemists to discuss best practice regarding unused medications and over-ordering.
We plan to meet again with our group in June 2014, date to be confirmed.
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