PPG: Meeting Minutes 13th February 2024

Date: Tuesday February 13th 2024 2pm

Members/apologies

Attend Y/N/A	Attendee Name
A	David Blount - Chair
Y	Andrew Cadbury - Vice Chair
Y	Christine Walter - Secretary
A	Claire Conway-Wright - Westbank
A	Alex Cook - Westbank
A	Cameron Cater - Westbank
Y	Amanda Kohn - WHLC
Y	Arthur Laxton
N	Faith Wood
A	Shirley Beer
Y	Jan Caig
Y	Valerie Santer
Y	Sadie Clarke
Y	Alex Clark

Guests

Attend Y/N	Attendee Name
Y	Melanie Dyke (Westbank Practice)

Welcome

Andrew had agreed to chair today’s meeting in David’s absence and welcomed those attending. AHC

Apologies

Apologies had been received from David and Shirley and Claire, Alex and Cam from Westbank Practice. CW

Minutes of last meeting

The Minutes of the last meeting held on 12th December 2023 were agreed. AHC

Matters arising from the Minutes

Complementary Therapy Sessions: Christine suggested that this item be dropped as the online training module was aimed at Social Prescribers. Although it may have some interest to members of the PPG, it was not something the PPG could use. It was agreed that item be closed. All

Practice Updates

The Practice was working with WHLC to promote the NHS App through training sessions. Initially training will cover booking appointments, requesting repeat prescriptions and looking at test results. Two volunteers from WHLC have been trained by Cam and the next stage will be for the volunteers to train patients identified/referred by the Practice. Posters were also being displayed in the Practice to promote the app.

The Community Pharmacy Consultation Service launched on 31st January 2024. It enables the receptionists at the Practice to refer patients with common ailments to the Pharmacist. Receptionists have received appropriate training. Alex suggested adding something appropriate to the Practice phone message to signpost callers. Mel would feed back the suggestion. MD

News from Westbank PLC

Amanda reported that a person from Healthwatch (a consumer charity that supports people to have a voice for health and care) was due to come and talk to us today but that the person had left their post. Amanda will try to get someone to visit our next meeting.

A Social Prescribing Information Day/ Community Link Worker Information Day will be taking place on 22nd February 2024 at Cafe on the Corner. AK

Reduction in Palliative Care Funding in Devon

Hospiscare funding in Devon is 18%, National Average is 37%: Arthur want to highlight that the Integrated Health Board (ICB) intended to reduce funding to Exeter Hospiscare to 18%. Amanda said that Exeter costs £10m to run each year and that Exeter has always had the lowest amount of funding from the ICB. The remaining funding is provided by gifts from wills, other donations, fundraising etc. It was felt that the PPG could not directly influence ICB funding decisions. However, a PPG Newsletter could highlight the issue and the wonderful work Hospiscare do for those needing end of life care at home and encourage people to support with donations etc. and/or lobby the ICB directly. Amanda offered to contact the Head of Community Supportive Care Services at the ICB to seek confirmation of the funding situation and for any press release/other material that the PPG could use in a Newsletter.

It was also suggested that someone from Hospiscare could be invited to speak at the AGM. AL

PPG Updates in Village Newsletters

After some discussion it was agreed that Jan would cover three topics: the date of the AGM; disposal of unused medicines and what care professionals at the Practice can do for you. Jan would aim to provide copy for the March issues. Jan would also send copy to Sadie who would then post on Facebook. JC/CC

Discuss Items to be included on the Agenda for the AGM

Publicity/Promotion, Presentations: A list of suggested topics had been circulated by David with the agenda. The following topics were agreed: Key challenges faced by the Practice; WHLC update on activity in relation to patient support; how the Practice accommodates patients who are Neuro-diverse; impact of DNAs on Practice administration

Sadie volunteered to produce a handout (time permitting) explaining what the PPG is/does and how they can engage, for people to takeaway.

The AGM to be promoted using surgery waiting room monitor, Village magazines, posters at bus stops and wherever else possible and on the community online sites eg. Exminsteronline.

It needed to be established if the AGM could be promoted with an SMS broadcast to all patients and via the Westbank Practice website. It was agreed that material (poster?) promoting the event needed to be engaging and have consistent format/branding. Sadie volunteered to design. Jan would use the material for input in to the April newsletters. AHC/All

Update on the Matford development and its assimilation into the Ide Lane Surgery

No new information was available to the meeting. As things stood there was no plan for Westbank Practice to register any patients from the Matford development. All

Discuss ideas for topics that we may wish to feature/include at future meetings – Physician Associates, Healthwatch

Understanding more about Healthwatch could be useful. Amanda would contact them to see if they had any information material they can supply that describes their role. Any subsequent questions we have could be fed back to them for answer.

It was felt the PPG should have an understanding of the Physician Associate role and how it fits in with other healthcare professionals. There were no Physician Associates at Westbank Practice.

Christine suggested that the visibility of the PPG, its purpose within the community and how people can engage with it needed to be addressed. The group could also consider targeting particular groups to identify issues as well as possible solutions. All

Correspondence

None. AC/CW

AOB

Cam to be asked to implement changes as necessary on the Practice website so that the PPG is referred to as the Patient Participation Group rather that the Patient Group.

Sadie reported that working with Cam to provide material for the waiting room monitor display was in hand. All

Next Meeting Date: Tuesday March 12th 2024 2.00pm Westbank HL&LC