Notes from West Meon Surgery

Patient Participation Group (PPG) meeting held at the surgery

5th October 2011

 

The 1st meeting was opened by Nigel Sharp the Practice Manager, it was attended by doctors Christie and Harris and 2 members of the PPG. 

Nigel gave a brief overview of where the PPG was currently.

 

The PPG has 8 members, which is broken down into the following categories.

 

50% Female

50% male

50% are regular attendees at the surgery

46% Occasionally attend at the surgery

4% rarely attend the surgery

of this group5% are carers

 

The group only had 8 responses to the initial call for patients to join the PPG and due to other commitments only 2 were able to attend the meeting.

 

The meeting was opened by the Practice Manger (Nigel Sharp) who explained that the PPG was being set up to “provide a forum for patients where they will have the opportunity to collaborate with and support the practice and to provide a patient perspective to the practice”. 

 

It would also enable patients, where appropriate, to influence local health care services”.

 

Items raised by the patients

1.         The patients overall feeling of the surgery was that it offered an excellent service as they knew from those outside the community how difficult it was to see a doctor in larger inner city practices.

 

Doctors Christie & Harris were welcomed the comment about the service the patients felt we offered.

 

2.         The PPG raised the concern about test results and not phoning back to let them know. 

 

The Practice Manager informed them that it is a confidentiality matter and we were not allowed to leave messages or talk to patients relatives about an individuals condition without written permission.

 

3.                  Items in the newspapers opened a discussion about patient choice and which hospital should they use. 

The doctors replied that if any patient has a request that they want to go to a specific doctor or hospital then they should discuss it with the doctor. 

 

The next item as about Doctors visits.  The PPG asked if they were being misused by patients. 

 

Doctors Harris & Christie agreed that they felt all home visits were appropriate and if they felt it could have been discussed over the telephone then they would let the patient know.

 

The PPG thought it would be in the interest of the group to gain more people across all age groups to give a good perspective of the patients needs. 

 

It was decided that at the forthcoming flu clinics at East & West Meon village halls the practice manager would encourage more patients to join.

 

The PPG’ final comments were that the surgery was like a private practice as the doctors and nurses knew the patients.  It was good to see the same doctor as this gave continuity in their treatment.

 

Once again both doctors were please by the comments raised by those who attended the 1st PPG meeting.