July 2, 2024

Agenda

Please see minutes of meeting on 2/7/24.

Minutes

1

Personalised Care Team

·         Emma Spencer – PC lead/Social Prescribing Link Worker

·         James Buchanan – Social Prescribing Link Worker

·         Linda Sharp – Social Prescribing Link Worker

·         Emma Hood – Health & Wellbeing Coach (expert in behaviour change and focus on improving health related outcomes by working with people to set personalised goals to change their behaviour.  Working with type 2 diabetics etc and support with weight management etc.

 

o   Over 18

o   Issue impacting on physical and MH

o   Willing to engage with services

o   NOT social care services and NOT crisis service

 

New JOY app for ease of referrals by clinicians and admin staff during care navigation.

·         1-1 personalised support service – What matters to the person

·         Practical, social and emotional needs that affect health and wellbeing

·         Low level MH needs or lonely/isolated with long term conditions or complex social needs.

·         Work collaboratively across health and care system targeting populations with greatest need and risk of health inequalities.

·         Personalised action plans, assessments and planning for the future.

 

We discussed the work of the social prescribers and it was suggested that they were invited back to the meeting towards the end of the year for feedback on the impact of the service.

 

HC to arrange.

 

2

Pharmacy First

·         Most pharmacies taking part

·         Referrals from practice for suitable conditions

·         Free prescriptions when referred via this service for eligible patients

 

Reasons for referral and pathways were discussed.  Receptionists can refer for suitable conditions, if preferred by the patient, especially if no appts are available.

3

Call-Back Telephone System

·         When phone engaged, press eg 1 for call back

·         When line available will call back the patient

·         All screen activated

·         No more lines, but better system to ensure patients do not have to wait on the line

·         Still call queue but better managed

·         Will not call again if patient does not answer on first call

The potential pros and cons of the system were discussed and felt it may prevent some aggressive reactions when waiting in queue.  Training will begin at the end of July and hopefully the system will be installed in August. 

We can discuss this at the next meeting when we have experienced the system and how it works.

 

4

First Contact Mental Health Worker

·         Natalie McArdle

·         Starting back to PCN on 16th July

·         Working Thursdays at the practice

·         Mixture of phone and F2F appts

·         No crisis

·         Assessment of MH needs

·         Can refer into community MH service if necessary

 

5

GP Campaign

Dr Jeffery spoke about the forthcoming campaign regarding the GP Contract.

The practice has recently been affected by the junior doctor strikes which have been happening all around the country.  Conditions, inflation and costs have all affected general practice.  The new GP Contract which for our practice is held by Dr Jeffery, means she is contracted to provide certain services for which she is given core funding into the practice. This currently stands at 30p per registered patient/ day (@5000) and this funding is received whether we see a patient everyday or not at all.  The conditions in the contract are mandatory and there are other options for enhanced service provision which we can choose to undertake which provide further income such as flu vaccinations, shingles etc.

We are also regularly requested to undertake work which is secondary care work, done by the hospitals and this is on top of the primary care work which we already do. But we are not paid any extra for all of this, although it does involve taking our staff away from some of the core tasks which we usually perform in primary care.

The BMA suggest that GPs do not strike but refuse to do some of the work which we are not paid for, mainly the secondary care work which is often laid at our door. We also limit the number of patients seen by each practitioner to maintain safe practice. 

Currently GP surgeries are the only part of the NHS which is solvent, testament to the partners keeping finances in order as they cannot run at a loss, unlike hospitals which are in debt.  Although, as funding into practices has reduced with the expectation of doing tasks for no extra income, over 2000 GP practices have closed, as they are not generating enough funding to keep staff, therefore the business is not viable. Locum work and salaried work is also drying up and everything is being squeezed as we are not allowed to use the small amount of extra government we receive to pay for more doctors or nurses.  

Dr Jeffery's priority is to protect Cheveley Park Medical Centre and maintain a good level of care for our patients.  We have had an influx of registered patients, making it more difficult for them to get an appointment, but we can only provide the services we have the staff and room to accommodate.

A 1.9% uplift has been offered which is well below inflation and BMA say 11% would enable us to get back to 2018/19 levels. 

Therefore, in essence, this is being pursued by BMA and action by GPs will be happening, but our GPs will not be striking, but pushing back at unpaid work instead.

Next meeting Sep/Oct TBA