PPG Minutes: 31st January 2025

Location

Bridport Medical Centre (BMC)

Attending

Ammonite Rep's:

Dr Saw
JG (ICB)
AMa
AM
MM
CG

PPG Rep's:

PE (Chair)
PM (Notes)
BH
BB
GP
JS
RC
SS

Apologies:

Room booking:

Agenda Items

Introductions
Apologies
Notes of last meeting
Update from NHS Dorset
Clinical update
Patient Services update
Staffing update
Practice website
Newsletter
Recruitment of Advocates
Other ways PPG can help
AOB
Date for next meeting

4. Update from NHS Dorset

JG explained his role and how he supports PPG’s around the Dorset locality.
He explained how the best PPG’s are those where the PPG and Practice work hand-in-hand.

There followed a Q&A:

There are no differences in PPG’s regarding location or size of the practice area.

JG explained that a 2-tier system has proven to be the most beneficial:

A Committee who meet with the Practice
A larger active patient group (a virtual group) also known as “Operational Group”

Other PPG’s which JG is in contact with undertake the following activities:

Help the Practice – newsletter, create and distribute
Vaccination marshals
Walking and Health Groups
Health talks – for proactive health management
Health events
Road test the website

Some PPGs have a member of the Practice Social Prescriber team attend the PPG meetings. Also a Digital Care Coordinator, to provide continual updates. This can be arranged for future Ammonite PPG meetings.

Action: Practice to invite relevant parties

Question concerning information to assist the Symondsbury Resilience Plan regarding the Social Prescribing team and Digital Care Coordination. The JG advised to contact Dorset Council for resilience plan, plus they will also hold other pertinent information. These teams are only contacted via GP referral and cannot be accessed directly.

Question concerning support associations, and if the Practice can release information. Due to GDPR this is not feasible, but all support associations have to register with the local council, so advised to contact Dorset Council for this information.

Question asking how the PPG can uncover the local needs. The Practice advised that they are unable to release some information due to Patient Confidentiality. The Practice advised that there are NHS campaigns which are issued to address widely accepted challenges such as Childhood immunisation and Cervical Smear campaigns.

Action: PPG to observe media for ideas

Action: Practice will share campaigns released to them by NHS England.

5. Clinical update

Dr Morrow has joined the team as a salaried GP.
Flu Clinics are still open, and available to book online or via the Reception Team.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Shingles immunisation appointment slots are still available for the Saturday Vaccination Open Day on 8th February.
Pneumonia vaccinations are available for over 65’s and those with diagnosed breathing conditions.
Note: RSV has a tight age limitation as directed by NHS England, ages 75-79, as no benefits are recognised for those over the age of 79.
A new recruit has started in the Nursing Team.

Question was asked if the Practice has filled its vacancies. It was affirmed that the Practice was up to its full complement for Clinical and Support staff.

Question was asked regarding the ratio of female GP’s as it has been reported that the ratio is poor across the UK. It was advised that there are currently 3x female GP’s and 5x female Advanced Clinical Practioner’s.

Question was asked if a female GP was available upon request, as some ladies find discussing certain conditions uncomfortable with male GP’s. The Practice advised that this was always investigated and offered if feasible.

Question was asked about vaccines, Dr Saw explained that the NHS Green Book contained 100’s of pages and every individual was reviewed against their own clinical needs, variants are too huge to publicise, therefore handled between Patient and GP.

6. Patient Services Update & 7. Staffing Update

A new Carer Lead has started.
New staff included 2 completed probation.
Maternity leave returns in March.
Existing Team Lead has reduced hours, so currently looking for a new Lead to support across all hours.

Advised that due to the call volume, there are always 4x members on the phonelines at all times. Bridport does have a good cover for telephone service. By the end of January, there had been no complaints received for 2025.

There will be a new Patient Questionnaire released next month. The Practice will forward the questions to the PPG to see if there are any additions or suggestions.
ACTION: Practice to forward draft to PPG

Question regarding the eConsult and the paper version, as there are questions which appear irrelevant and duplicated. Advised that this is a generic online facility that the NHS Dorset contract into the Practice, therefore no changes can be made. The paperwork version is an adaptation.

The Practice will review the paper version to ensure this still mirrors online.

Action: Practice to review the paper version of eConsult.

Question regarding the announcement that NHS Integrated Care Board have served notice on Care in the Community providers Weldmar Hospice and Marie Curie, to understand what other providers will step in and how the Practice will cover these services. JG and the Practice explained that this was a transition time.

It was explained that the elderly patients either have no knowledge or no online facilities to be able to request via eConsult, or that they have a distrust, which is why there are always 4x members of staff manning phone for telephone eConsult.

8. Practice Website

A critique of the website was sent into the Practice with recommendations and questions. The Practice outsources their website, and so changes do cost them money, so they update frequently but not daily – UNLESS there is a critical error which needs immediate rectification. The Practice asked if the PPG could support them with any changes and further critiques. A member of the PPG team volunteered.

Action: PPG and Practice to liaise when changes are being made

Dr Saw showed the video of Dr Finucane on the website which is uninspiring and asked the PPG for support to help them create an interesting and informative video. This video is to explain eConsult, Triage and how patients can easily access services. A member of the PPG team volunteered.

Action: PPG and Practice to record a new video

9. Newsletter

The Practice have started to collate information for the newsletter. It was agreed to include information about the PPG and advertise volunteers for the ‘Operational Group’. The Chair agreed to create some content to be included. The Newsletter will be sent to the PPG prior to release for feedback. The release date is expected to be end of February.

Action: Chair to create content for Newsletter

Action: Practice to issue Newsletter for feedback

As the Newsletter is a quarterly publication, and the PPG also formally meets quarterly, it was agreed that it would be suitable to hold the PPG a month prior to the Newsletter release to enable contribution and feedback.

Action: Chair to check with Practice to coordinate diary dates

It was explained that due to GDPR only patient care information was released to patients on their email/phone contacts, so the Newsletter cannot be sent out to the patient database.

A suggestion was made for the Newsletter to be issued to Parish Councils to include with their parish information. It was also suggested that printed versions are available in the Bridport Library and any other hub.

Action: Practice to distribute print version

10. Recruitment of Advocates

There are currently 3x Advocates. One additional person has expressed an interest and is meeting with the Advocates to understand the tasks and commitment. If anyone is interested, then their details can be forwarded to the Practice.

11. Others ways PPG can help

The Bridport Community Charter Fair was discussed, where it was agreed that this was a good avenue for the PPG to assist to spread news and information concerning the Practice, and to recruit people to become PPG Operational Group members.

It was agreed that the PPG would collate the list of suggestions that the members had already made, and send this to the Practice for them to prioritise what they believe to be the most important/most useful.

Action: Chair to put a call out to all PPG members for their suggestions if not submitted

Action: Chair to collate and forward list to the Practice

Action: Practice to return with priorities listed

12. Any Other Business

It was agreed that the Practice can provide a list of official Care organisations they have listed, but no information concerning patients or individual carers.

Action: Practice to provide list of organisations

13. Date of next meeting

Monday 28th April 2025

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