PPG Meeting minutes January 2025

Patient Participation Group Annual General Meeting

• Date: Wednesday 29th January 2025, 6pm–7.15pm
• Chair: Adrian Pitts
• Minutes by: Sarah Baker

Apologies

• Jane Hetherton
• Lynn Fitzjohn
• Susan Nicholds
• Winsome Mapp
• Peter Williams
• Patricia Williams

Present

• Sarah Baker (SB)
• Julia Wakeham (JW)
• Adrian Pitts (AP)
• Arlene Hansell (AH)
• Robert Cresswell (RC)
• Andrew Stanley (AS)
• Reuben Lewis (RL)
• Laura Phipp (LP)
• Mark Munday (MM)
• Susan Holleran (SH)
• Nick Anderson (NA)

Introductions

The group reintroduced themselves.

Minutes of the Last Meeting

Agreed.

Matters Arising

AH queried the possible capping (Item 8): 25 patients per day or per GP. SB advised per GP.

AH asked where the figure of 7000 extra patients came from (Item 7). SB advised this is the estimated population increase for the next 10–15 years.

AS asked about the Same Day Access Clinic (SDA) (Item 5): Do patients phone Woodlands? JW advised yes. The SDA clinic is across the Tonbridge PCN so patients may be asked to travel to a different surgery. Capacity is hopefully increasing with new clinicians coming on board.

Actions since last meeting – West Kent PPG report – AP

None.

Woodlands Update Including Actions from the Last Meeting

1. Representative from the ICB to attend next meeting:

   The ICB declined my invitation. However, there is some Section 106 money but they couldn’t tell me how much. A meeting is scheduled for April 25 with the partners.

2. Photo board:

   This has been taken down. It was witnessed a patient was taking photos of the board and staff had great concerns about social media.

3. Reminder E-consult text: Completed.
4. Survey Monkey re Digital Front Door:

   Not completed. The ICB has asked PCNs to begin to implement this in order to move to a Modern General Practice Access Model.

   Discussion around moving to a Digital Front Door. Pros and [text appears to be missing] discussed.

   JW advised Tunbridge Wells PCN has now moved to a Total Triage Digital Front Door. All requests for appointments and queries are submitted digitally. For those unable to submit digitally, they can ring the surgery and reception will complete the digital form for them. WHC currently use E-consult but are moving to ANIMA.

   WHC hope to implement this in the summer with a gradual introduction.

   MM suggested a presentation at a 3UA meeting. RL suggested a PPG presence at the Paddock Wood Carnival.

   AP advised the WKPPG has mixed opinions. Agreed some patients will not be happy with the move; however, WHC and all the practices in the PCN are being pushed by the ICB (Integrated Care Board, the commissioners) to implement this way of working.

   NA asked for some information on ANIMA. See link below:

   YouTube video on ANIMA

There is a new KCC Community Warden now based in Paddock Wood. Her name is Sophie Marsh and she will be supporting the community and advising where she can. Community Wardens are funded by KCC and provide a proactive and visible presence in the community. They try to improve residents’ quality of life and help communities thrive. They want residents to feel safe and they support the vulnerable and elderly. Prevention and early intervention is central to their approach. They can help with scamming, rogue traders, low-level crime and antisocial behaviour and work closely with the police and Trading Standards. She can be contacted on 07816 201643 and is based at the Paddock Wood Town Council and the new Community Centre.

Website – RC

RC had identified technical processing errors as well as out-of-date information on the website. SB said keeping the website up to date is a huge undertaking.

A new member of staff has been employed and part of her role is to ensure the website is up to date. SB hopes this will be done by the end of April.

Complaints – RC

RC would like to know how many complaints were received in the last year, how many were upheld, and if any protocols have been changed as a result of the complaints. SB advised this is a standing item for the AGM and she will present the data at the next meeting.

AOB

In order to establish how long the meeting would take, AP asked that all items for the agenda should be submitted to SB prior to the meeting. However, it was agreed that as time permitted, AOB could be discussed in this meeting.

AH asked how she could submit items. SB asked her to write them down and pass to the surgery for SB’s attention.

AH discussed an incident where she was refused by reception to see a GP. Agreed the PPG meeting was not the platform for personal complaints. These should be brought to the attention of SB via the surgery. However, SB will investigate.

Patient Access vs Patient Knows Best vs NHS App
RL was surprised there was no crossover with those platforms. Agreed.

Next meeting is the AGM. Agreed meetings going forward will be alternated on a Monday and Wednesday.

Dates for PPG Meetings 2025–2026

• Monday 28th April, 6pm (AGM)
• Wednesday 30th July, 6pm
• Monday 27th October, 6pm
• Wednesday 28th January 2026, 6pm

Actions

No actions.