Patient Participation Group

Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) meets to provide a forum for discussion about the practice.

Latest PPG Meeting Minutes

1. Welcome

Elaine welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially new members.

2. Matters arising

NHS App session/Going Digital:

Elaine commented that the theme of this meeting was going to be about Digital issues. The following notes will raise the issues associated with an increasing push by the government for people to use “Digital by Default”. (NHS 10-year plan – briefing note attached with these minutes.)

Elaine referred to the ‘digital grid’ drafted after the previous meeting – and suggested that we still need to try and complete this.

Waiting room posters:

The practice has not yet heard from the CQC about when they may be inspected, although they still anticipate that it will happen in the near future.  We agreed that as and when they have a date we will undertake to display the required notices and posters. 

3. Practice Update:

Covid vaccinations

The two practices at the health centre held a large Covid and Flu vaccine clinic on 4th October 2025.  (Approx. 1,000 patients scheduled.) They will not be holding another clinic like this because the eligibility for Covid is restricted to the over 75s and immunosuppressed this year.  Patients wishing for Covid vaccines will have to go to a pharmacy.  The cost of having a vaccine privately is around £90.  Flu vaccines are readily available from the practice and pharmacies.

Michael thanked the practice for running such an efficient vaccination clinic – it was much appreciated.

Practice Staff

• Dr Alex Bunn is now a salaried GP at the practice (he was a trainee previously).
• Carameh Aarabi has started as a second clinical pharmacist.  
• Ike Oguamanam has recently joined the reception team.

Appointment times

The practice has not yet implemented the change from 10-minute to 15-minute appointments, but still plans to do so in the future.

The waiting times for routine appointments is about 2 to 3 days (they measure the 3rd available appointment).

Changes to online availability

Recent changes to the GP contract now require practices to be available from 8am to 6:30pm.  This includes by telephone, online and digital access.  How this will impact the practice remains to be seen, they have not been deluged yet, but the system has only been in place for 2 weeks.

Note that although reception staff are available from 8am to doors still open at 8:30am.

There was discussion about who the heavy users of the on-line system might be.  It was noted that it is mostly younger people, and now that the colleges were back the practice was expecting an increase in demand.

Dr Salisbury commented that people were not always good at assessing whether problems were urgent or not and so they needed to monitor what came in online on the day it came in.

4. Patient Survey Results

Elaine presented the results of the patient survey.  There was discussion throughout the presentation – key points are captured bellow:

Patient Survey 2025 Summary

Reduced number of responses this year 227 compared to 326 last year because of issues with Microsoft (don’t ask).  53% responses online, others collected from patients in the waiting room.

Urgent/same day appointments

• 88% said getting though by phone was good or excellent.
• 85% said contact with reception was good or excellent
• 92% gave GP response time good or excellent
• 92% gave overall experience good or excellent

Making appointments

• 51% on the phone
• 27% in person
• 22% online

Routine appointments

• Improvement on last year – and less negative comments about long waits, 31% waiting more than 10 days and 41% saying they had to wait longer than they wanted to.
• Better results for other health professional appointments. 
• 59% said they got their appointment when the wanted it.

Listening

• Top marks here – 95% good or very good for everyone, doctors and other health professionals

Shared decision making

• Again, top marks for everyone

Continuity

Mixed results here – patients not always able to see the same person – some comments about part-time working for many of the doctors.  Relatively high number of patients that answered DON’T KNOW – 28% didn’t know if their care was co-ordinated between members of the practice team.

Safety

This question was asked because the CQC want to know – not something we have asked in the past. 94% said yes – no-one said never.

Chaperones

We added this in to supplement the safety question, a few people mentioned that they might if it was for an ‘intimate’ examination.

Reception

Pretty good results – but not excellent – and there are some issues around digital communication – this is an ongoing theme.

Digital Services

The responses to the survey in 2017 showed that only 12% said they used the website regularly and 58% had either never heard of it or heard of it but never used it.

• There is progress – with only 11% of patients saying they don’t used some kind of digital access.
• The message is – if you can get signed up and use it – it works well.  But if you can’t – it’s impossible.

General Comments

• Excellent and professional.
• Some areas for improvement around reception and digital communications

Take-away messages:

Overall excellent but if the move to ‘digital first’ is to be achieved this will need more work – helping people to understand which digital tools to use an how to use them.

Fiona asked how the improvement in appointment waiting times had been achieved – Jon replied that following the survey last year they had increased the number of GP sessions.

The discussion raised the following questions/points:

• The practice area is geographically large (not local) anywhere within the ring road
• There is a relatively smaller older population (lots of students)
• The NHS is asking for Equity of Access – the same offering to patients on all platforms – in person, on the phone and online.
• Using the NHS App for repeat prescriptions works really well
• Advance booking online – appointments are only released about 2 weeks in advance so it is not really possible to book a follow-up appointment, for example for 4 to 6 weeks in the future.

5. Communicating with the practice

The group discussed the 3 case studies. 

Changing a prescription (without ordering one):

The issue raised in this scenario was that the patient wanted to change a prescription item but not order a prescription.  He had thought that this was an administration issue and so used the Admin link on the Accrux page. However, this proved to be the wrong way to do it.

Apparently, the right way to do it was to use the repeat prescription function – and leave a message in the free text box.

Sending results or letters to the practice:

In this scenario the patient was asked to submit a copy of a letter from the hospital, as the practice had not received it. She was also asked to send in some blood pressure readings.

The answer to these problems was:

• Blood pressure or other measurements can be sent via the Accrux clinical function with a note for them to be added to the clinical record.
• Letters and other attachments (not photos) CANNOT be uploaded to Accrux. This is a software design issue. At some point it may be addressed, but at the moment the options are – to ask the reception team for an email address, bring the letter/document into the practice or send it by post!

Booking a regular review appointment in advance

This scenario was about automatic reviews for chronic conditions.  These are now offered in your month of birth.  They cover, asthma, diabetes and COPD.  The patient was planning to be away and tried to book an appointment in advance.

The practice response that this was a training issue, and that the reception team should have been able to accommodate this request.

6. Medicines Waste Campaign

Read the NHS Staywell - Reducing medicines waste article

Elaine introduced this campaign – there are 6 videos to watch – link above.  The key messages are:

1. Don’t tick – don’t tick a repeat medication if you don’t need it
2. Check – check your bag before you leave the pharmacist -you can’t change it later
3. Ask – if you have any questions

There was then a discussion about what can and cannot be recycled. It was reported that the pharmacy in Walton Street was asking that all tablets be removed from blister packs.  Other pharmacies do not require this.

In general:

• Do not put medications down the toilet
• Empty blister packs cannot be recycled at home – but Boots and Superdrug will take them.
• Boxes and patient leaflets can be recycled.
• Controlled drugs must be separated from other medications if being returned to the pharmacy.

7. Any other business

Older People’s Day:

We did not really discuss this item, but Elaine had some of the information leaflets on the 10 year Plan for the NHS that she had produced for the meeting.  Also attached to these notes.

Zebra Crossing Walton Street:

This was something and nothing.  At a recent MyJericho meeting (coffee with the cops) one local resident said that Sainsbury’s had paid the Council money in order to move the zebra crossing in order to make it easier for their delivery lorries (they deliver 4x per day starting at 6am).  

The resident was concerned that this would be dangerous for children cycling to school along Cranham Street.  It is also the nearest crossing to the Health Centre.

Louise Upton (Lord/Lady Mayor and Councillor) was present at the meeting and agreed to look into the issue.  As it turns out this is not happening, and no permission has been applied for.  

Congestion Charge:

There was considerable discussion, and some confusion, about the ‘temporary’ congestion charge.  

• It is starting on 29th October and will be at the 6 sites around the city.
• Oxford residents can apply, online, for 100 permits per year.
• Each permit is for one day – and you can go through the filters multiple times.
• Blue badge holders can apply for exemption.
• All areas of the city are accessible – but via the ring road.
• The Marston Ferry (& Hollow Way) filters are part-time – Monday to Saturday 7am to 9pm and 3pm to 6pm.

See Oxfordshire Temporary Congestion Charge Map

8. Actions

The PPG should consider what they can do to support patients to use the various Digital Platforms, and explain to those who are not able to use them how they can best access all services.

• ALL: Any thoughts/ideas please let Elaine know.

9. Date of Next Meeting

To be arranged.