| Meeting | PPG Meeting |
| Date and Time | 15th September 21 12-1pm |
| Location | Teams |
Members Present
| Name | Site/Organisation |
| Dr Ujjal Sarkar (US) | PCN Clinical Director & MHP Lincoln Road Medical Practice Partner |
| Dr Alex Jayaratnam (AJ) | IT Lead & MHP Lincoln Road Medical Practice Partner |
| Sarah-Jane Hope (SJH) | Enfield Unity PCN Operations Support Officer |
| Sally Fensom (SF) | Green Cedars Practice Manager |
| Janice Downing (JD) | Forest Road Group Practice Chair |
| Colleen Sterling (CS) | Nightingale House Surgery Chair |
| Susie Shaw (SS) | Cockfoster Medical Centre Chair |
| Stephanie Jacobs (SJ) | Oakwood Medical Centre Chair |
| Frances Halliday (FH) | Oakwood Medical Centre Chair |
| Maria Mitchell (MM) | Oakwood Medical Centre Chair |
| Suzanne Truttero (ST) | Alma Road Medical Centre Chair |
| Martyn Axon (MA) | Alma Road Medical Centre Chair |
| Christine Williams (CW) | Connaught Surgery Chair |
Apologies
| Name | Site/Organisation |
| Maria Christoforou | Lincoln Road Medical Practice Chair |
| Thomas Devine | Oakwood Medical Centre Chair |
| Peter Gibbs | Cockfoster Medical Centre Chair |
| Item | |
| 1. Welcome | US chaired the meeting. He welcomed everyone and there was a round of introductions. US: General Practices are being portrayed in the media negatively recently. GP Practices are doing 1 million more appts than pre pandemic nationally. Having a mix model of face to face and remote allows us to have many more consultations. It is not true that practices are closed or not doing face to face consultation. You do need to a telephone appointment before the face-to-face consultation. This way face to face appointments isn’t wasted for reasons like repeat prescription. Please share with others that practices are open. |
| 2. Covid Vaccine Update 3. Covid Boosters & Flu Plan | US: Covid vaccination program still going strong. Carlton, Evergreen and Winchmore Hill are still running, we now also have Woodberry. You can go to any of these sites for the vaccine and boosters. Please share that, practices are sending out texts with invitations for the vaccine, it is not a fraudulent text. We are waiting on a national level for confirmation that the boosters will go live Monday. Boosters are 6 months after the second jab so please don’t be worried if you don’t receive a text. We will also be doing flu shots which you can refuse but it is to take pressure of GP practices. For Carlton House it is Medicus perspective, if you want a booster or flu you can walk in to get it. Currently it is for patients under 65, as there is a delay in deliveries for the over 65 flu vaccines, expected next week. Carlton House is open 9am – 6pm 7 days a week. MM: Since there is a delay in the over 65 flu vaccines, are the local pharmacy only offering the under 65 vaccines? US: I can’t comment if the delays have effected the pharmacies but the over 65 vaccine has been delayed to GP practices. We will be offering over 65 flu jabs with boosters when they come in next week. MM: Oakwood as a flu clinic on Saturday so you shouldn’t go if you are over 65 as they won’t have a vaccine for you? US: If they have invited you then they may not of had a delay in delivery. You can check with them. |
| 4. Data Opt Out | AJ: Data Opt Out came from General Practice Data Extract for Planning and Research. It was of the back of the pandemic to extrapolate data to plan for the future. It is currently being put on hold to give patients more time to be informed and to ensure NHS Digital is holding the data correctly and reaching the requirements nationally for GPDR. It means patient data can be extracted to monitor long term safety and effective of care on a national or local scale. It can help stop spread of infections or help research for new treatment or medicine. There are 2 types of opt out: General Practice Opt Out – Patients can download the form from NHS Digital or the practice website to then fill in and give to practice. The practice codes records so it won’t be extracted. The patients record can still be shared for care but NHS Digital can’t extract any identifiable data or anything regarding your health. National Opt Out – Have to submit form through NHS Digital website to stop data from secondary care being shared. CS: If they have paused the extract does that mean if patients have already opted out do they need to opt out again? AJ: If it has already submitted to opt out then it still stands. If you decide you want to opt in you can let your practice know but it can take some time to process the paper work. For National Opt Out, contact NHS Digital to opt back in but there is a 21 day delay, but it has not been confirmed if you can opt out and opt back in again for the National Opt Out. |
| 5. PCN Progress | UJ: Nothing that stands out that needs to be discussed. |
| 6. PPG Questions | MA: I am concerned with the system of communication between the patient and practice. When someone is sick it is important they receive help and reassurance as quickly and efficiently as possible. I and others have found the introduction of Patchs has done little to move us forward. It seems to be more practice friendly than patient friendly. It has complicated questions and is unemphatic. Probably those most prone to sickness aren’t IT savvy, such as those that are alone or elderly. There have also been many people misdiagnosed due to the phone or video appointments. Second question, are the member of the National Health Team that service our community health dictating to our doctors when and how they work. Do doctors in the surgeries have the autonomy they need? US: We don’t have that much autonomy as we use to. All patient data is extracted on a daily bases by the Dept of Health or NHS England to see what it happening and they direct practices from that. GP’s and Clinicians are available and the way we work is much more intense than it used to be. To help with workload the Dept of Health has created primary care networks and supported practices to recruit clinical pharmacists, physician associates and others. However these staff do need clinical supervision which is additional work. For online consultations it is a national contractional obligation started by Matt Hancock. It is in our GP contract that we must provide a certain amount of online consulting. There is a variety, there was eConsult which we found unsafe and pushed back to North Central London CCG to prove it is unsafe. Patchs is 4 questions which makes it easier for patients. Other ways to make appointments like over the phone or at the practice. Appointments can be booked up to a month in advance or there is on the day appointment. We are training staff to help reduce the call times. AJ: The national push was to do everything remotely but as US said it wasn’t safe. Patchs is a form of communication with the GP’s to be used to book an appointment for over the telephone or face to face. This is to help reduce patients waiting on the phone and for patients that are tech savvy. It is something we are working on improving over time. MA: Both of you have reservations on how this is going, do you get support from a professional association such as BMA? US: A lots of it go unheard and we have to work with what we are given. They know GP surgeries are very dynamic and will put in the extra hours to do the work. CW: At Connaught Surgery they reiterate frequently at meetings that they are open. You can call and come in. We are grateful, what’s being said is unjust. SS: It is the perception of being open. They are open for business but you can’t go in. Cockfosters you can go in but invite only, the front door is locked. SJ: At Oakwood we have a bell or buzzer system, the receptionist comes to the door. US: I just spoke to Dr Anita Shah and Cockfosters also has a buzzer system because of infection control by controlling the flow of patients. I will also speak to Oakwood, to help improve this. |
| 7. AOB | CW: On the prescriptions it mentions the new Medicus Alma Road Medical Centre. Is it the new head office for Medicus. US: It is not the head office, it is just to make patients aware there is a new site, as all Medicus patients can use any Medicus site. Green Street, Dean House and Curzon Avenue were all in not fit for purpose buildings so have been relocated to Alma Road. SS: I am aware there is an issue in getting blood tubes, what is the cause of it as it is holding up blood test. US: There is a national manufacturing issues and an embargo on non-urgent blood tests until update sometime in September. CS: Is there data in Enfield of adverse affect after taking the vaccine including deaths after months 1,2 and 3? US: SJH can give you the contact details for Public Health who can give you that data. |