Little London Surgery

Patient Representative Group (PRG) Report

Date of Report – Saturday 22nd March 2014

Introduction

Patient representatives  are a valuable and independent source of information about patients views of primary care services and it is essential that we work together to ensure quality patient services are maintained.

The Patient Reference Group meet quarterly and the practice would like to thank those patients who have given their time and energy to help support the on-going development of the Patient Reference Group over the last twelve months.  

Description of the Profile of the members of the PRG

The PRG group members should be a broad spectrum.  We would still like to encourage patients of all ages, patients who are from an ethnic minority and parents of young children.  We feel that representatives of these groups would be an ideal addition to the group to represent all our patients drawn from a cross section of the practice population, as evidenced in Public Health profiling data.  Also, due regard to national and local guidance.  Finally highly dependent on response from patients themselves.  Sadly the response did not reflect the practice ethnicity profile.  However, continuous efforts are on-going to engage and encourage involvement of the ethnic community.  

We need to work more closely with the translation services to engage with a specific category of patients that are not represented.  It would be beneficial if the PRG literature could be accessed in a number of languages and if funding permitted a permanent translator based at the practice.

How the practice has taken steps to engage with under represented communities

The practice welcomes new representation. Posters and leaflets have been distributed and invitation by word of mouth is actively encouraged by GPs, staff and current PRG members.  Patients can advise reception if they wish to join the PRG and dates of meetings are advertised in the surgery and on the website.

The practice has been promoting PRG for the last three years via the surgery website www.littlelondonsurgery.co.uk, posters and leaflets around the surgery.

The practice has made strenuous efforts to engage with every cross section of our practice population.  As a result of a practice meeting the GPs committed to additional time and effort at consultation to discuss Patient Reference Group with patients and encourage them to participate.

Every GP made particular efforts with BME patients, single parents and patients with disabilities including learning disabilities and even patients, where possible, in care homes.

Patient Questionnaire and Methodology

At the last PRG meeting we asked for volunteers to help hand-out questionnaires during the month of February 2014 to ensure that no completed questionnaires to be removed from site but must be handed into reception in a sealed envelope and put into the survey collection box.

PRG members actively got involved with reception staff handing out the questionnaires and ensuring the questionnaire was completed after consultation.  They were identified by PRG badges including their name.  Photocopies of “Guidelines for Staff” were produced for reception staff and PRG members so they had an understanding how the process worked.

All patients over the age of 16 that attended the surgery during the 3 weeks in February were asked to complete the questionnaire.

Patients have also been encouraged to complete a patient survey the results of which have been advertised on our website and at the surgery.

The practice sought views of its registered patients though an independent survey conducted by CFEP “Improving Patient Questionnaire”.  This is a nationally accredited independent survey containing 28 questions about the practice, the practitioner, about the staff and around complaints, illness prevention, reminder systems and second opinion/complimentary medicine.

The results of the survey were reported to the PRG meeting on Thursday 20th March 2014 to discuss the contents of the action plan.

Key findings

Performance on the whole is very good and commended by the PRG.  The main priorities identified:

•	A continuing focus on improving important priorities e.g. access to appointments and doctors

Opening Hours

We would like to remind our patients of the surgery’s opening times and our extended hours on a Tuesday.
Monday 08:00 – 12:00 and 15:50 - 18:00
Tuesday 08:00 – 12:00  and 15:50 -18:00
Wednesday  08:00 – 18:00
Thursday 08:00- 12:00 & 15:50 – 18:00
Friday 08:00 -12:00 and 15:50 – 18:00
Telephone Lines open Monday – Friday 08:00 – 13:00 and 16:00 – 18:00 in the evenings

Extended opening  hours:
Tuesdays 18:30 – 20:00
To see GP & Nurse

Patients who can spare some time to be involved in the PRG please contact Gayna Tapper  email address gayna.tapper@walsall.nhs.uk or Sue Millward email address sue.millward@walsall.nhs.uk our PRG Co-ordinators or by contacting the surgery on 01922 628280/622898