KINGSFOLD MEDICAL CENTRE
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
ANNUAL REPORT 2011/12

Background
Early in 2011 the Department of Health introduced a new Direct Enhanced Service for General Practice in relation to Patient Participation. This is a two year DES which is effective from 1st April 2011 to 31st March 20.13. As indicators relating to Access within Primary Care have been removed from the Quality and Outcomes Framework it is still expected that practices will provide the same quality of access as they do currently.

Purpose
To ensure that patients are involved in decisions about the range and quality of access to services provided.

Aim
To encourage practices to work more closely with patients and enter in to discussions to improve the services currently provided, the surgery environment and any other practice specific issues.

Key Steps Required

1.	Develop a Patient Group to gain views of the patients
2.	Agree areas of priority
3.	Collate patient views through the use of a survey
4.	Provide the group the opportunity to discuss survey findings and agree any recommendations
5.	Agree action plan with the group
6.	Publicise survey results and report.

Practice Opening Hours

	Open	Close								
Monday	8.00am	6.00pm								
Tuesday	8.00am	6.00pm								
Wednesday	8.00am	6.00pm								
Thursday	8.00am	1.00pm								
Friday	8.00am	6.00pm								
Saturday	CLOSED									
Sunday	CLOSED									
Reception Staff are available to deal with queries by telephone or face to face during normal open hours.  Telephones are manned until 6.30pm (1.00pm Thursdays). Outside of these times Chorley Medics Ltd., provide out of hours cover on 01257 418010	

1.	Establishing a Patient Participation Group
Develop a Structure that gains the views of patients and enables the Practice to obtain feedback from the Practice population e.g a Patient Reference Group (PRG)

In November 2011 Kingsfold Medical Centre began the process of setting up a patient participation group. The following methods were used to advertise the group and recruit members:

Leaflets and Poster displayed in waiting room
Details displayed on the JAYEX electronic information board in the waiting room
Leaflets on view in reception
Leaflets distributed by GP’s and Practice Nurse to specific target groups
Details displayed on the Practice website www.kingsfold medicalcentre.co.uk

To date the patient group has 9 patient members, which compare to the practice profile as follows:

Practice Population	3990		Patient	Group	9		
								
Sex	Male	2011	50.4%			6	66.7%	
	Female	1979	49.6%			3	33.3%	
								
Age	Under 17	792	19.8%			0	0.0%	
	17-24	396	9.9%			0	0.0%	
	25-34	539	13.5%			1	11.1%	
	35-44	576	14.4%			0	0.0%	
	45-54	504	12.6%			0	0.0%	
	55-64	538	13.5%			3	33.3%	
	65-74	344	8.6%			4	44.4%	
	75+	301	7.5%			1	11.1%	
								
Ethnicity:								
British/Mixed British	3807	95.4%			8	88.8%	
Asian/Asian British	84	2.1%			1	11.1%	
Black/Black British	36	0.9%			0	0.0%	
Other ethnic groups	63	1.6%			0	0.0%	

The group is not an accurate representation of our practice demographic. Despite extensive promotion using all formats listed previously the group is lacking representation in various ethnic groups and also the under 25 and 35-54 age groups.
We plan to address this by promoting the details of all current members and encouraging all patients to utilize them as their representative. It is hoped that in the coming year members of the PRG will make contact with other local community groups to promote their role within the practice, and encourage feedback from a wider group of patients, including those with a disability or special needs.

Step 2. Method and Process for Agreeing Priorities for the Local Practice Survey 
Agree areas of priority with the Patient Reference Group (PRG)

The PRG met for the first time on 13th December 2011 to discuss and agree the content of the Practice Survey. A copy of the GPAQ format was used as the basis for the survey. Following discussion the following priority areas were agreed and the survey edited accordingly. 

1.	Telephone access to the surgery for appointments
2.	Telephone access to a GP for consultation or advice
3.	Waiting time for consultation to begin
4.	Quality of consultation

It was agreed that it was important that the survey was not too long as this discouraged patients from completing it. The final edited survey was approved by the PRG members, Clinical Lead GP and Practice Manager

Step 3. Details and Results of the Local Practice Survey
Collate patient views through the use of a survey

The practice survey was distributed to patients attending for consultation with a GP or Practice Nurse. The first survey was given out on  4th January 2012 and a total of 200 survey forms were issued. The results were collated on to an excel spreadsheet, then formulated in to easy to read graphs.

Step 4. Discussing Survey Results with the Patient Reference Group (PRG)
Provide the Patient Reference Group (PRG) with the opportunity to discuss survey findings and reach agreement with the PRG of changes to services

The PRG met on 31st January 2012 to discuss the survey results. All members were provided with an easy to read question by question summary. The overall result was exceedingly positive. Highlighted issues from patients comments seemed to indicate a lack of knowledge on the availability of prebooked appointments, and the misunderstanding of information given to them by receptionists.

Step 5. Agreeing an Action Plan with the Patient Reference Group (PRG)
Agree an Action Plan with the Patient Reference Group (PRG) and seek PRG/PCT agreement to implementing changes.

As part of the meeting on 31st January 2012, after having discussed the survey results, an action plan was formulated and agreed (see attached).

Step 6. Publishing the Local Patient Participation Report 
Publicise actions taken and subsequent achievement 

A copy of this report, the survey results and the action plan are available on our practice website  www.kingsfoldmedicalcentre.co.uk
A copy has been displayed in the waiting room
A notice has been put in reception advising patients of the existence of the report and where they can view it, and how they can request a copy.