Ilkley Moor Medical Practice
Patient Council
Minutes of meeting held on
16 November 2011
Present: Barry Taylor, (Chair), Elaine Whitaker (Secretary), David Adam, Pat Below, Dr Mark French, Jack Hanson (IGS), Geoff Lampert, Caroline Leeming, Anne Le Grove , Sheila Paget, Wendy Ribbands (practice manager), Margaret Robertson, Derek Robertson, Brian Sayer.
Barry Taylor asked for a few minutes silence to remember Gerald Goldsborough, a new member who died recently.
He welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially Patient Council observer Carol Maufe.
1. Apologies for absence: Paula Hunt, Fiona McKinnon-Evans, Melissa Owens, Liz Stanley, Stephen Tendelow, Sandy Thackray; also, Jo Prowse and Carol Bogaardt, potential new members.
2. Minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2011: These were accepted with no amendments.
3. Matters arising: there were no items that were not dealt with elsewhere on the agenda.
4. Practice Website: Caroline Leeming demonstrated the practice website, going though the items on the home page, and highlighting practice services, repeat prescriptions, booking of certain appointments, cancellations of appointments, posting queries, update of contact details, a special site for the Patient Council, plus a number of links to other useful sites. Links to an organ donation site and local hospitals were suggested. Medical records are not available on-line. Barry Taylor proposed a link to a Patient Council e-mail address for enquiries/comments. Members were asked to contact Caroline Leeming about further suggestions for links.
Barry Taylor proposed a virtual patient group to canvass views of a wider cross section of the patient population willing to communicate electronically. This would link in well with the web site. There was some concern that an electronic group would disadvantage older patients with no computer access, but the general feeling was of a need to recruit from the younger and working population, currently under represented in the group. A number of suggestions were made to publicise the virtual group, including the web site, the gazette, the newsletter and publicity in the practice.
There was overwhelming support and admiration for the web site and Caroline Leeming was congratulated on it.
Geoffrey Lampert distributed application forms for those interested in membership of the potential Leeds Foundation Trust, given the services used by IMMP patients. An out-of-area section could be relevant.
5. Membership renewals and nominations for officers: Six members are due for renewal next year (Geoff Lampert, Anne Le Grove, Fiona McKinnon-Evans, Melissa Owens, Sheila Paget, Elaine Whitaker). All have agreed to continue for a further three years.
The January meeting (11 January, at 12.30 pm) will be the AGM where officers will be elected. Members were requested to forward nominations and offers of help to Elaine Whitaker.
6. Group Title: Barry Taylor requested views on the title for the group. This was prompted by inconsistencies in titles used for the group. Two options were considered: Patient Council or Patient Group. Members voted in favour of Ilkley Moor Patient Council. Relevant documents and the web site will be amended accordingly.
The revised Aims and Objectives and Constitution were considered. Geoffrey Lampert suggested that for the Aims and Objectives, point 7, the wording should be amended to read. To encourage and develop links between the practice and Ilkley Grammar School, including by co-opting student representatives to Patient Council membership.
A further suggestion for point 8 was to reverse brackets i.e. ........Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (Wharfedale Hospital)............
7. Practice news update: Wendy Ribbands announced the recent Quality practice Award achieved by the practice which is regarded as first class. Two plaques will be awarded. An article in the Ilkley Gazette will follow. The practice was congratulated on the excellent result and on the hard work done to achieve this, particularly by Caroline Leeming and Dr Mark French.
Wendy Ribbands also reported that recent medical students were very good and the staff found it satisfying to teach them. She also reported that a new PA will be starting work with Drs Hargreaves and Poulier.
Dr French updated the group on improving pharmacy services in the Ilkley area, with some discussion. He also described a possible practice link to a telemedicine project run from Airedale Hospital which includes several individual patients with chronic conditions, as well as possibly several local nursing homes and Abbeyfield. The practice may have to pay for the hub at IMMP.
Dr Graeme Summers was elected to the Clinical Commissioning Group.
8. Business Development Plan: Dr Mark French gave a summary of a talk given to the practice staff recently. It described the financial position of the practice, in terms of how income for running the practice is obtained and is now under threat, and how that income might be protected. The practice income comes from several streams. ~45% comes from the PMS budget which is based on patient numbers, ~12% QOF (Quality Outcome Framework-the criteria for which vary from year to year and get harder to achieve), ~25% enhanced services- reflecting the proactive nature of the practice, private income ~2% (medical examinations and reports etc), drugs reimbursements (but somewhat offset by costs), GP training and medical student teaching.
Threats: Enhanced services include minor surgery, immunisations, extended hours, musculoskeletal service (run in conjunction with other practices), anticoagulant clinic, 24 hr BP, smoking cessation, diabetes clinic (level 2), phlebotomy at home, intermediate beds, IUDs. Overall, budgets have been frozen or reduced and these services are all under threat, e.g. the fee for 24 hr BPs has been cut by 1/3. The anticoagulant clinic may face reduced payments and new drugs may replace Warfarin in the next 5-10 years. Some money has been rebadged-payments for extended hours have been removed and given back for having a Patient Council. Increased expenses occur for staff superannuation, increased running costs of the medical centre, pay increases and insurance against staff illness.
Previous developments: These either improved service and income or improved ways of working to reduce time spent. Telephone consultations now represent 20-30% of all consultations, representing a significant saving of staff time. The anticoagulant clinic, musculo-skeletal clinic and level 2 diabetes clinic all provide a good service to patients and are also good income generators.
Future developments: It is hoped to set up a cardiology service with Dr Helen Baker, currently training as a GP with specialist interest in cardiology, running cardiology clinics in collaboration with a consultant. Some cardiology services are already available in the practice. The hope is that it will be an income generator. Dr Nick Clarke is soon to be accredited to run level 3 minor surgery clinics.
Other areas for consideration are ENT/eyes and private service development-such a travel clinic. There is also a drive to work smarter and generate income to offset losses. The major way of increasing income is via increased patient numbers.
9. Public relations: Brian Sayer reported that a follow up article on the Health Awareness Day was published in the Ilkley Gazette. The newspaper has also agreed to publish a monthly medical column by the practice, subject to approval of some sample articles (350 words max). This would be good publicity for the practice. Caroline Leeming is organising the articles with the GPs.
He also reported that at the Health Awareness Day, a number of organisations offered to give talks to the group or to patients at open meetings at the practice. Paula Hunt and Harry French are working on the newsletter which is almost ready to be published. The newsletter will also be displayed at the library, Clarke Foley centre and Ilkley Grammar School.
10. Sub group report: Brain Sayer distributed a sheet listing all the community organisations and identifying links with individual members of the group. Brian Sayer requested a meeting with Jack Hanson and the head of sixth form at some stage. He also asked that members volunteer to link up with other medical support groups such as diabetes etc. Members are requested to volunteer for the gaps and support groups and return forms to him or Wendy Ribbands.
Wharfedale Hospital Forum: Brian Sayer reported that the group has met again after being in abeyance for some time. A new constitution is being produced and after much discussion is being revised. All the Leeds representatives are new, and only one patient representative (Brian Sayer) is presently on the Forum. Jackie Myers, divisional general manager, gave a 5 year projection plan, available from Brian Sayer.
11. Bradford LINK/AW & C CCG meetings: Barry Taylor reported on a recent meeting organised by LINK for representatives of the patient groups associated with the GP practices forming the local clinical commissioning group. The meeting proposed the setting up of a network of the groups to liaise with the commissioning group, and it also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas between groups. LINK now have HealthWatch pathfinder status. Barry Taylor is a patient group representative on the Bradford Link Advisory Group.
12. Ilkley Grammar School: Jack Hanson reported that the Facebook proposal is being investigated with Caroline Leeming. It will need moderating and managing.
13. Any other business:
Pat Below commented on how many positive views she has heard about the practice.
Dr Mark French asked for views on the flu vaccination programme. Recalls are made at the end of October for those who have not already made appointments. The programme is advertised through large banners in the practice and through repeat prescriptions. Several patients have requested recall as soon as the vaccine is available. This would be very expensive for the practice. Reminders could be published in the Ilkley Gazette next September, as part of Medical Notes.
David Adam was very impressed with the web site and asked how it could be widely advertised. It is given on the repeat prescriptions. It could be another item for the Ilkley Gazette. It was suggested that the front page of the web site could be made into a flyer suggesting patients put it in their Favourites file. Margaret and Derek Robertson (new patients) commented that they had joined the practice on seeing the web site, with GP specialties etc.
14. Date of next meeting: 11 January 2012 at 12.30 pm. This will be the AGM. Elaine Whitaker requested nominations and comments by the end of 2011.
The meeting ended at 8.05 pm.