The Edenbridge Patient Participation Group has continued to work on behalf of patients giving the practice valuable insight and reaction.
We have 8 regular members being 3 male and 5 female patient members.  Mr Stuart Young: Chairman
Mr Peter Brooks: Secretary
We now have an email address and any questions or comments can be made directly to the Edenbridge PPG at ppg.edenbridge@nhs.net

The Group represents wide ranging skills and expertise from community organisations, town council and general patient list.  The age range is between 54 and 75.

The Edenbridge PPG Forum [virtual] has 35 members ranging in age from 30 to 90.  [60% male and 40% female]. We would like to encourage our patients to join the Forum to enable us to email our quarterly newsletters and to take part in any forum queries that may be produced by the PPG.

The survey has been made available at Reception and to members of the PPG Forum online.

 

RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE & PRACTICE RESPONSE FOR 2013-2014

 

Question Aware Unaware

55% aware: Book a GP  appointment online
63% aware: Order a repeat prescription online
75% aware: The surgery has a dispensary
72% aware: GP practice website
81% aware: GP practice opening hours
54% aware: GP out of hours arrangements
61% aware: NHS111
47% aware: Patient Participatoin Group

We would like to encourage patients to use our online services especially for ordering repeat prescriptions and the availability of online appointments.

Out of Hours services:

NHS111 is available from 6:30pm to 8am and during weekends and bank holidays. NHS111 enables patients to be directed to the correct service needed for their requirements which may include the services of IC24

Patient Participation Group:

Whilst the PPG Forum is growing we would like to encourage patients to take part. Please contact ppg.edenbridge@nhs.net for further details.

Patient Participation Group:

Whilst the PPG Forum is growing we would like to encourage patients to take part. Please contact ppg.edenbridge@nhs.net for further details.

 

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THE PRACTICE?

 

You highlighted the following;
Helpful staff
Considerate and professional Drs

Dr happy to talk on phone
Ease of appointments
Location
Fast reaction time
Dispensary on site
Electronic logging of patient arrival
WHAT COULD THE PRACTICE DO BETTER?
Surgery hours to suit workers:

The practice does conduct Extended Hours appointments. These are Monday Tuesday and Thursday evenings between 6:30pm and 8pm.

Pharmacy opening hours extended:

The dispensary is open from 8:30am to 1pm and 2pm to 6:30pm. 8am-8:30am and 1pm-2pm paper prescriptions can be collected from the Reception.

Improve parking:

Regrettably we are unable to provide more car parking on the premises. Suggestions in the past have included the front of the building but this would breach Fire Regulations

Shorten waiting time for nurse appointments:

Additional sessions have been instituted to help relieve the pressure on appointments especially for blood tests. We are conscious that owing to nursing staff shortages we have experienced some difficulties in securing additional assistance. We are confident that this will improve.
With regard to blood tests the practice is restricted by both space and the need for blood tests to only be carried out during the mornings due to the restrictions of the courier collections from the Acute hospital service.

Improve out of hours service:

NHS111 and IC24 services are under constant review by the West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group.

Access – length of time for a pre-booked appointment:

The practice offers pre-bookable, on-the-day appointments and also the opportunity, if there is urgent medical need for a telephone call from a GP on the day. We are currently reviewing availability although additional GP sessions have been added over the past year.

Telephones:

We are delighted to say that new software has allowed patients to know where they are in the queue. Additional telephone lines were added at the time of the new telephone system installation.

Lack of continuity of Doctors:

Over the last year we have had the services of locum doctors during maternity leave and unexpected changes due to illness etc. We hope that we are now entering a time of continued assistance from our salaried/sessional doctors.
WHAT OTHER SERVICES SHOULD THE PRACTICE OFFER?

 

Patients offered various topics for the practice and those most popular were:

Offer regular health checks:

Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, who has not already been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and certain types of dementia will be invited (once every five years) to have a check to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and will be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.

More Nurses:

We appreciate that there has been particular pressure on our nurses recently partly due to long term illness within the team and the difficulties of engaging locum assistance. Our nurses have also been under additional pressure due to the closure of the local family planning service.

Better premises:

The practice does not have plans or the financial support to build new premises. However, we do have a programme of refurbishment having undertaken redecoration of the communal patient areas; refurbishment of the staircase for patient and staff safety; complete refurbishment of the disabled toilet and plans for changes to the Gentlemen and Ladies’ toilets

Water dispenser in waiting room:

The practice is considering this but there are Health and Safety issues which would need to be addressed.

Information on screen when Dr calls patient:

Whilst we do not currently have the technology for a visual call system we are hoping to install a television screen for general information purposes only.

Use of email:

We feel there are significant issues with regard to Data Protection in safeguarding patient confidentiality when email addresses are outside of the nhs.net. We appreciate that this may be helpful to some patients but face-to-face or telephone consultation would be our continued course of action at this time.

More extensive use of social media eg Facebook, Twitter:

92% of patients who answered the question were not interested in social media.