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Summary PPG Report 2022 /2023

You Said

• The PPG aggreed that the practice should look at ways to be more inclusive of the digitally excluded paitents. 
• The PPG asked the practice of the advantages /disadvantages of not being included digitally
• The PPG helped the practice explore areas that could encourage the digitally excluded patients to engage more with the practice.

What We Did

The practice was able to write a policy for the digitally excluded patients incorporating the following suggestions from the PPG that will be implemented in April 2023

• Put up posters regarding what digitally excluded means and how patients can easily access services. 
• Consider exploring training for patients who have digital access problems. 
• Consider who can be make a cap patient ; i.e: chronic disease register, long term conditions, vulnerable patients , language barrier or mental health conditions etc 
• Consider alternative pathways for the visually impaired 
• Get patient consent for an alternative number for carer, friend or relative so the practice can contact vulnerable patients as well as those with with disabilities. 
• Continue to allow ease of access for patients who have no telephone to come into the practice to book appointments.  
• Obtain consent for family members to speak on the behalf of those who are digitally excluded.  

You Said

The PPG wanted the practice to be more proactive regarding communicating changes and updates in services and to improve communication between managment and the practice.

They suggested the following:

• Training reception staff 
• Increasing appointments for bloods.
• Improving access to services 
• Communciating new services  

What We Did

The PPG were introduced to the new management team at DMC: New Practice Manager (Sheila Dod) and two Assistant Practice Managers (Karen Baneriee and Annetha Neuville)

The Management listed all the concerns raised by the PPG and took the following actions:

• The receptionist team have been receiving training at IMC. The management team have invested time training and monitoring the staff's quality of work as well as dealing with any attitudes that may have resulted from themes of complaints 
• The PM consulted with the nurse and decided for Health Care Assistants to carry out bloods instead of using the phlebotomist. Blood clinics were extended for an hour extra per week. This will be reviewed to see if patients are being seen quicker for routine blood appointments 
• Improving access to services. The PPG were updated regarding new services that patients could access such as the social prescriber, healthy island partnership, in house pharmacists, health coaches and physician associate. 
• Setting up local workshops. The PPG facilitator set up a menopause workshop for women registered at DMC from the ages of 45-65 on HRT medication to attend the menopause workshop at IMC on 9/2/23. It was represntative of the PPG. This was a pilot workshop which was postively received. The practice will run it to a larger population of patients in the coming year. 

You Said

The PPG felt that there was a lack of appointments with doctors at the practice and wanted management to improve this . 

What We Did

• The management team negotiated with the clinical team in order to tweak the appointment system to allow for more appointments . 
• Management trained staff to follow a triage form for same day emergency  appointments which will be implemented in April 2023. 
• Reception staff were trained off site at a local practice who had already implemented this service and got excellent results. 
• Clinical staff will work from the same template to facilitate this change of increased econsults on the day as well as same day emergency slots.