SILSDEN GROUP PRACTICE PATIENT PARTICIPATION REPORT 2013-2014 Dated 19 th March 2014 Page 1 of 6
Introduction Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) started back in May 2007 and at that time was called a Critical Friends meeting. Since then, the group has moved forward, had members leave and new patients to replace. Today our group has 9 members and comprises of seven females and two male patients. Attending the meetings is also a Partner, and his Assistant. We meet about once a quarter normally on an evening for a couple of hours. Our group, although currently quite informal, is also: very supportive help us understand from a patients point of view let us share ideas or changes that the may wish to implement proactive - During the last year they have conducted a patient engagement exercise call Have Your Say This involved distributing between 750 and 1000 leaflets face to face with residents of both Steeton and Silsden. The aim was to give people the opportunity to talk about their experiences and to give feedback to the practice. They attended coffee mornings and the like as well as talking outside the local shops. Whilst our group is not fully representative of our practice population as we are lacking in the younger age group, we do have a good representation for patients that use both sites, Silsden and Steeton. How we have tried to ensure that the Group represents our registered patients. We have used various methods in the past to recruit members to the group e.g. advertising in our waiting areas and in our Newsletters, but with little uptake. The Group decided that if patients did not feel they wished to join, then they may feel more comfortable in being a virtual group. The virtual group was established from writing to a random selection of 1:100 of all our patients aged over 16 years. From this we established a good core of some 40 patients who were happy to be contacted for their feedback on questionnaires by post rather than attend face to face meetings. As a result of the Have Your Say exercise a further 68 patients have given the PPG their e-mail addresses and are happy to be contacted in this way What were our priority issues for the? The PPG has worked with us over several years now and we have shared concerns and our survey results with them regularly. This year we were keen to understand the impact that promoting different ways in which patients can use the practice had had, and to check the level of understanding about the availability of same day appointments. The group designed a questionnaire to address these specific areas. The Group also felt that the National Survey Page 2 of 6
was still an invaluable source of information and that this should also be repeated again, but with any additional survey to understand the impact of the changes made last year. An update on the actions taken from last year s survey is appended. How we surveyed our patient population During the months of January and February 2014 we targeted all patients who came to see a doctor. For each clinician we sought to ensure that 50 of their consecutive patients attending surgery were given both questionnaires. Patients were able to anonymously deposit their responses at the surgery or were given the option to complete their questionnaire at home. The general survey was also used as a useful mechanism for giving individual clinicians feedback and this will also help them with their continuing personal development. Outcome of our survey In total 489 questionnaires were completed a 70 % increase on last year The practice processed the data and used the services of an externally accredited provider to compile reports of summarizing the results. See result of National GPAQ survey - appended See result of supplementary survey - appended Patients completing the National Survey were also able to provide comments 129 patients took the opportunity to do so, these were all shared with the PPG. Action Plan The action plan was developed entirely with the involvement of the PPG and subsequently endorsed by the Partners. The supplementary questionnaire gave the practice a good insight in to the effectiveness of communication and patients understanding of the services available. It is apparent that work needs to be done to ensure that more patients understand the range of ways in which they can access services. E.g. telephone appointments and on-line services. The introduction of the GP triage system means that patients are guaranteed a same day appointment if this is considered appropriate. It is pleasing to see that just over half the patients surveyed know that they no longer have to ring at 8am to be certain of being seen. 84% of patients found it easy or fairly easy to get through to the practice by telephone this is a good result and above the national benchmark. The results are broadly in line with the national benchmarks for practices that have used this questionnaire. This is the first time we have used the GPAQ-R format so we are not able to directly compare to our results from last year all results are within 5 points of the benchmarks. Page 3 of 6
The Group are pleased to see that the participated in a pilot scheme for Saturday opening and that this will again be considered for Easter opening and beyond. See Action Plan - appended A copy of this report will also be shared with NHS England. Opening Hours The practice premises are open 8.00 am 6.30 pm Monday to Friday, except on the second Thursday of each month when the premises close at 1pm, and bank holidays. Services can be accessed by attending in person during opening hours or by telephoning the surgery on 01535 652447. On the second Thursday of each month, after 1pm, the surgery phone number can still be used calls are automatically directed to an authorized provider Local Care Direct. This is also the case on bank holidays. Extended Hours Access The practice participates in a scheme to provide patients with appointments outside the core hours of 8 am 6.30 pm. Appointments are available at Silsden Health Centre to patients from 6.30 7.30 each Monday and Wednesday evening, apart from on bank holidays. Clinicians are available as follows:- Mondays - Drs Smith, Milbourn, Walker, Jhaj, Home, Cuthbert and Nurse practitioner Mike Syrat Wednesdays - As above with the exception on Dr Cuthbert, also Drs Donlevy, Barron and Fildes Silsden Group Patient Survey 2014 - Action Plan No Identified Concern Actions Lead Progress 1 Helpfulness of reception staff Training - The will identify a suitable training course for staff to attend to increase their confidence and ability to handle difficult situations Collaborating with local practices to hold joint training events 2 Lack of knowledge concerning availability of telephone appointments Raise awareness through in promotion and proactively contacting patients e.g. newsletter and text alerts. PPG agreed to help promotion and develop communication strategy and materials Page 4 of 6
3 Lack of awareness that patients are able to book appointments up to 1 month in advance Raise awareness through in promotion and proactively contacting patients e.g. newsletter and text alerts. PPG agreed to help promotion and develop communication strategy and materials 4 On line appointment booking 28% of patients said they d prefer to use this service only 7.4% signed up to use it 5 Waiting time from arrival to, being seen by the GP 6 Convenience of opening times Raise awareness through in promotion and proactively contacting patients e.g. newsletter and text alerts. Reception to explain on arrival if GP running late. Drs to be provided with their individual waiting time data from the practice s IT system Commuter clinics already in place but need to raise awareness. PPG agreed to help promotion and develop communication strategy and materials Waiting time reports circulated to GPs. Trends to be monitored. Partners meeting April 2014 Saturday opening scheme piloted will be evaluated and practice to consider approaching CCG for further funding 7 Continuity of care to participate in national scheme - named GP system to be introduced for over 75s, those most at risk of hospital admission and those on palliative care register. Team / buddy system also to be considered to help patients registered with part time GPs GP Partners GP Partners Planning from April 2014 Silsden Group Patient Survey 2013 - Action Plan No Identified Concern Actions Lead Progress 1 Reduced satisfaction with availability of doctors GP recruitment. The Partners have agreed to appoint additional GPs to provide an overall increase in the number of sessions available at the surgeries Partners New Drs appointed Jenny Fildes June 2013 Matt Home August 2014 Regular locum sessions agreed, for April August pending start of salaried GPs Page 5 of 6 Locum started April2013 2 Increased requests for Increase appointment capacity by GP rotas revised to provide
evening appointments providing additional evening sessions., Office Supervisor GPs additional evening surgeries 3 Lack of awareness that patients do not need to ring at 8 am to get an urgent same day appointment 4 Increased demand for appointments at Steeton Surgery 5 Concern re potential for patients in waiting room to overhear staff speaking to other patients Promote appointment access arrangements. Notice board displays at both surgeries Flyer to be distributed with repeat prescription requests Additional surgeries will be routinely scheduled at the Steeton surgery following the appointment of new GPs action 1 Demand and equitable split of GP resource between surgeries to be assessed Privacy screen to be fitted to reception desk at Silsden Surgery. (Following move to temporary accommodation 1 February the Silsden site does not have a screen, Office Supervisor GPs manager Flyers distributed, displays organised Steeton routinely resourced with GP s covering absences rather than moving sessions to Silsden. Screen fitted 6 Reduced satisfaction with continuity of care Staff update on Information Governance GP recruitment see action 1 Staff to accommodate requests for preferred GP whenever possible GPs to book own follow-up appointments as necessary manager, Office Supervisor GPs Training delivered to staff and Drs 14 February 2013 Actions 1-3 completed. Allocation of named GPs waiting for national scheme to ensure compliance Partners to consider proposals / options for revised system of patient allocation to named GPs Page 6 of 6