Patient Reference Group (PRG) Report

 2011/12

The Surgery Little London

	Requirement	Comment	
	
a	Description of the profile of the members of the PRG. (See Appendix 1)

	Drawn from cross section of practice population, as evidenced in Public Health profiling data. Also due regard to national and local guidance. Finally highly dependant 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 Patient Participation Group literature could be accessed in a number of languages and if funding permitted a permanent translator based at the practice.	
b	The steps taken by the practice to ensure that the PRG is representative of its registered patients and where a category of patients is not represented, the steps the practice has taken in attempt to engage the category.	We have made strenuous efforts ourselves to engage with every cross section of our practice population. As a result of a practice meeting the GP’s committed to additional time and effort at every consultation to discuss PRG with patients and encourage them to participate. Every GP made particular efforts with BME patients, single parents, patients with disabilities including learning disabilities and where possible patients in care homes.

 Worked closely with the PCT PPG co-ordinator who helped set up our first meeting. Letters were sent out to patients who had been identified by practice staff and clinicians who had expressed an interest in joining the group. A variety of well tried approaches were 
used – poster display in reception area,  posters displayed in surgery car park 
Practice website information
Information on the “Jayex Board”
Direct recruitment by all practice staff including GPs. 
Information attached to prescription requests.
Patient Participation leaflets displayed throughout the surgery building.	
	
c	Details of the steps taken to determine and reach agreement on the issues which had priority and were included in the local practice survey.

	Essentially decision from discussion at formal PPG meeting which was attended by practice staff but Chaired by Patient Elected Chair. The deliberations of this meeting informed the survey.  We decided to use CFEP, a well established and experienced national organisation to conduct and analyse the survey 	
	
d	The manner in which the practice sought to obtain views of its registered patients.

	PPG survey was conducted along guidelines advised by CFEP essentially 300 consecutive patients were given survey forms to complete.  Most of these patients were those attending the practice, some were sent the survey report by post.  Please note that we decided to have a 2 part survey, the first part was CFEP nationally validated survey, additionally we separately commissioned from CFEP a local survey to seek patients views on Little London’s approach to commissioning, and also Little London’s approach to cost savings.

e	Details of the steps taken by the contractor to provide an opportunity for the PRG to discuss the findings of the local patient survey and how agreement was reached with the group on any changes in service provision that have been agreed.
	The action plan resulted from a PPG meeting on 22nd March 2012. 	
	
f	Details of the action plan setting out how the finding or proposals arising out of the local practice survey can be implemented and, if appropriate, reasons why any such findings or proposals should not be implemented.
	See action plan 
In particular we are committed to exploring telephone streaming technologies in an attempt to improve patient experience of telephoning the practice.	
g	A summary of the evidence including any statistical evidence relating to the findings or basis of proposals arising out of the local practice survey.
	See CFEP survey and display poster. 	
h	a.	Details of the action which the practice
b.	
i). and, if relevant, the PCT intend to take as a consequence of     discussions with the PRG in respect of the results, findings and proposals arising out of the local practice survey

ii). where it has participated in the Scheme for the year, or any part thereof, ending 31st March 2012, has taken on issues and priorities as set out in the Local Patient Participation Report.

1. At PRG meeting it was agreed that Little London was unique in Walsall in terms of combination of deprivation and challenges arising from increased diversity of practice population – this is evidence by the fact that Little London is the highest user of the PCTs translation budget.
Also we have a higher turnover of patients than most Walsall practices. 
Little London is known for the high quality of care it provides and this has also lead to Little London being a victim of its own success as patient’s want to join our practices from other nearby practices. All of these factors are beginning to affect quality of care that is provided and it is exerting a considerable amount of stress on the staff including receptionists, secretaries, nurses and GPs.
PRG is keen to open discussions with the PCT for additional resources to be made available locally to help Little London address these challenges; otherwise there is a risk that patients will suffer adverse outcomes. 
 2.  PRG lead GP actively participates and promotes patient participation meetings and events within the local health economy. 

	Date of publication of report on practice website.	
30th March 2012		
i	The opening hours of the practice premises and the method of obtaining access throughout core hours
	 Monday 08:00 -18:00
Tuesday am 08:00 – 12:00  & 15:50 -18:00 pm
Wednesday  08:00 – 18:00
Thursday am 08:00- 12:00 am & 15:50 – 18:00 pm
Friday am 08:00 -12:00
Telephone Lines open Monday – Friday 08:00 – 13:00 & 16:00 – 18:00 in the evenings

j	Where the contractor has entered into arrangements under an extended hours access scheme, the times at which individual healthcare professionals are accessible to registered patients.	Extended opening  hours :
Tuesdays 18:30 – 20:00
To see GP & Nurse