Patient Participation Group (PPG)

 

The SMG Patient Participation Group work voluntarily to provide a two-way communication between patients and staff and supports the practice in improving the service provided to patients. We aim to represent patient views and provide the means for patients to make positive constructive suggestions about the practice.

The PPG group consists of registered patients, Operations Manager and a GP. The group meet to suggest positive ideas and voice concerns usually every two months in the evening at one of our surgeries.

The aim of our PPG is to provide the following:

  • Provide an opportunity for patients to make positive and constructive suggestions/ideas about the practice
  • Work positively to help identify any problems and engage with the practice to seek solutions.
  • Liaise with the practice to provide practical support and to help patients take more responsibility for their own health.
  • Help the practice to deliver change.
  • Support the practice in its aim for excellence.

At the meeting of the PPG on 9 Jul 2024, among other administrative matters, the following items, which may be of interest to Swan Medical Group (SMG) patients were discussed:

  • Digitally excluded patients
    It is estimated that potentially up to 8000 Swan patients may be uncomfortable using digital devices or may not wish to do so. Dr Kershaw advised the PPG that patients can choose their preferred method of communication i.e. phone/text/email, though it will take time to get all patients categorised. Hard of hearing/deaf patients currently communicate with their GP by text and email. NHS England is currently updating their coding system which will make it easier to identify patients with additional communication needs.
  • Surgery update
    The PPG reviewed the appointment numbers update and numbers of ‘Did not attends’ which have also been published in the recent Swan newsletter.
  • Pharmacy First
    The Pharmacy First service has been enormously helpful and the SMG (Swan Medical Group) has a particularly good relationship with, and confidence in, Swan Pharmacy next door to the Swan Street surgery. They can consult with patients for a variety of symptoms and can dispense antibiotics which helps with the GP workload. Some patients use this facility repeatedly in view of the service they have received. NHS England are coming to visit Swan Pharmacy because they are the single highest user or provider of Pharmacy 1st in the whole of the South of England.
  • Health promotion event – digital teach in
    The PPG agreed with a suggestion by Dr Kershaw at a previous meeting that it would be good to have a digital teach in for patients who want to be able to take advantage of various health apps. A decision was taken for Swan to work with local U3A (University of the Third Age) branches to help patients gain greater confidence with digital technology. These sessions would be followed by individual ‘tuition’ at Swan surgeries for patients wanting to use the NHS App. Dates to be arranged.
  • NHS App and Patient Access
    There was discussion around the difference between Patient Access and the NHS App. Patient Access is produced by EMIS – the clinical system currently in use at SMG and deals with primary care data only. However, an advantage of it is that it shows graphs and trends of results. The NHS App gives the same GP data plus some details of secondary (hospital) care and appointments and is constantly being developed. ‘NHS online services’ is an alternative web-based platform for accessing the same patient clinical details.The Patient Access Login now requires an extra layer of security and this cannot be changed by SMG. However, it is possible to change the Patient Access login to use the NHS login details which avoids the complex security checkA PPG member asked that Swan clinicians take care to fill in accurate comments on the system so that patients using the NHS App have confidence in the information added.
    In response, Dr Kershaw acknowledged the point but also said that the system was not originally designed with patient viewing in mind and things such as the same report received from different sources could cause confusion. He explained that ‘DOC MAN’ was shorthand for the document management system.
  • eConsult survey
    The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) had conducted review of eConsult following criticism from several PPG in the area. Dr Kershaw confirmed they had received the results. He explained that the contract for eConsult is let by the ICB and not SMG as the ICB can get a better price for Hants and the Isle of Wight.
    eConsult has been around since 2013 and has done 40 million consultations and in that time has only had 81 significant critical results which is a good record. Dr Kershaw felt that while filling in eConsult is time consuming, it can be a useful tool and that patients had to be prepared to invest time in their own health analysis. Nevertheless, telephone remains the principle means of contact for SMG patients but eConsult is useful for people at work in the day with its early and late availability.

 

    At the meeting of the PPG on the 17th Apr 2024, among other administrative matters, the following items, which may be of interest to Swan Group patients, were discussed:

    • Health Promotion Events.
      Final arrangements for the then forthcoming health promotion event at Liss Pavilion on 27 Apr. were discussed. The event has subsequentley happened and although not fully attended on the day by those booked in, was very well received by those that did, with lots of young parents in attendance.The PPG also discussed the topic for the next event, provisionally scheduled for mid to late September 2024. It was agreed that it would be useful to have a teach in for those patients wanting to make better use of digital services. More details to be arranged later in the year.
    • Surgery update
      The PPG heard encouraging news about the new phone system with its call back ability. Statistics will be available once it has been up and running for a few months.A medicines management team is being formed to improve medicine workflow. One reason for this is a recent NHS England decision to make primary care fully responsible for patient management which up till now has been shared between primary (GP surgeries) and secondary care (Hospitals). Patients affected will be sent explanatory letters.
      A number of PPG members sought reassurance that GPs would reach back to hospital consultants if needs be. Dr Cunliffe assured the PPG that this would be the case.Further improvements to telephone triage by way of medical support to the telephone team is being introduced.
    • Digitally excluded patients
      An ongoing concern of the PPG is for those patients who do not have access to digital devices and so might miss important messages from the Surgery. The Swan team outlined how patient’s records can now be flagged so that a Doctor, Nurse or other member of staff will be aware that they need to contact the patient by conventional means. The PPG encouraged Swan Medical Group to update as many patient records as needs be in this way.
    • EConsult
      The PPG Chair, who attended the regional PPG forum outlined how there had been quite a lot of criticism of the difficulty of using eConsult from other PPGs. The Hants and IoW care Board staff will follow this up with eConsult as they let the contract which Swan and other surgeries use. Swan staff confirmed that when patients fill in an eConsult feedback form it goes back to the company who make eConsult not to Swan Surgery. Swan staff also pointed out there is a ‘general advice’ option as an alternative to the complex triage menu.

    In our aim to educate patients and develop self-help the PPG arrange health and awareness events once or twice a year, and to date we have covered:

    • Men’s health
    • Women’s health
    • Dementia
    • Carers support
    • Child/baby health
    • Stroke awareness
    • Heart health
    • Diabetes
    • Asthma, Eczema and Hay fever

    Current Swan Medical Group PPG members (2024):

    Peter Agnew (Liphook Village)
    Brian Bartholomew (Swan Petersfield)
    Ruth Bonner (Swan Petersfield)
    Linda Collett (Liphook Village)
    Frances Dowty (Liss Hillbrow Surgery)
    David Ford (Swan Petersfield)
    Jenny Hance (Liss Hillbrow Surgery)
    Ros Humphreys (Riverside Surgery)
    Ella de Jongh (Swan Petersfield)
    Jenny de Jongh (Swan Petersfield)
    Julia Maughan (Liss Hillbrow Surgery)
    Sonia Meredith (Liphook Village)
    Ray Morton (Riverside Surgery)
    Mike Peters (Swan Petersfield)
    David Snelson (Swan Petersfield) Chair
    Ann Tremain (Liphook Village)
    Andrea Venn (Swan Petersfield) Minutes secretary

    Patient Reference Group

    We also have a Patient Reference Group (PRG) who we contact from time to time, usually by email but we can also contact you via post if necessary.

    If you would like to join our PRG please contact the surgery for more information or send us an email to: hiowicb-hsi.swanmedicalgroup@nhs.net

    patient participation group