PPG: Meeting Minutes 20th November 2024

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• Date: 20th November 2024
• Time: Via MS Team at 3pm to 4pm
• Attendees: Adrienne Banks (AB), John Rokos (JR), Ingrid Babcock (IB), Louise Regan (LR), Patricia Idusogie (PI) PM Hurley, Mary Weaving (MW) (acting Chair)
  
  
  Unless otherwise stated, attendees are PPG members

Agenda Items

Welcome & Apologies: (MW)

MW welcomed all to the meeting.   Apologies were received from Olympia Thoma, Paige Sharp and Clive Boutle.

Approval of Minutes of the last meeting 

The previous meeting minutes (September 11th, 2024), meeting was discussed and agreed.  

Practice Report

Phone data

We continue to make improvements to make it easy for patients to be able to have their calls answered quickly.  This is one of the areas where  our patients have provided about feedback in our surveys. Our percentage of answered calls is improving each month. We have monthly targets, and we have addressed the importance of each staff being mindful of the calls waiting.  

When the calls waiting reaches a set threshold it is all hands-on deck. Basically, everyone available needs to pick up calls. Our phone menu offers callback system, which means that patients do not have to stay on the line waiting. Our callback system works efficiently patients are utilising the callback system, which is working very well, rather than have patients queue they have the option to opt in for a callback.  

We have menu options to deal with urgent matters such as Prescriptions, the calls that come through this menu are directed to our prescription clerk,  we have a menu for referral queries where the calls are directed to the referral team who will provide more information regarding a referral, we have an option for Immunisation and  smears for patients who need to be booked in or may have a question.  

We have allocated more staff to cover the heavy volume timeframes which is usually 8am in the morning

Staffing

With regards to staffing, we are adequately staff for clinicians, the area that we are working on is the admin/reception staffing. Having staff cover the high-volume timeframes.

Digital day at Staunton

This is scheduled for January, we are trying as much as possible to work with patients who have smart phones to access and  gain access to their records, such as medication, their results by showing the patients how to view these items via NHS APP, Patient Access on their phones, this will allow for important calls from patients to be answered quickly.

Flu Vaccination

We continue to send out invites to our patients who are eligible for the flu vaccine, especially those patients who are at risk, but we are finding that many of the patients are declining the flu vaccine. 

Premises

I have no update concerning the premises, I know that the senior managers are working behind the scenes to ensure that the building work commences.  Once I have more information I will share it with the group.

AOB

Someone asked about the COVID Vaccine, we do not administer the COVID vaccine in house, there are two locations within Haringey where the covid vaccine is being offered, at Morris House Group Practice and Bounds Green Group Practice.

AB asked about the RSV vaccine, the vaccine is been offered to all adults over 75 and older and adults 60-74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV.

LR shared information from the NCL PPG learning and network event. Some of the items discussed, were sharing best practices across the PPG’s, promoting the PPG, digital skills and training, having clear actions and updates in meetings. Insights, support and guidance in achieving Equality, Diversity and inclusion which will involve engaging the Turkish population and support from the practice team. Future collaboration, which highlights the importance of groups. I have attached the document from the meeting for those would like to read through it.

Another item that was brought up, was how the PPG could reach out to the new MP for Haringey.

Next meetings

January 29th, 2025@ 3pm via Teams.