Patient Participation Group

Attendees:

Dr J Knight, Natalie Whiting, Mike Bernard, Jan Parry, Sally Gardiner, Shelly More, Claire Woodbridge, Jenny Pickering, Jane Coates, Michael Holbrooke, Debbie Lambe (minutes)

Apologies:

Anna Soroko, Maria Sarro, Sue Yetton-Ward, Marlene Robinson, Sue Haynes, Matthew Girt

Practice Report

Staffing updates

Agenda Items

The role of the GP Associate at TRMC

A Physician Associate (PA) is a healthcare professional who works as part of a medical team under the supervision of a licensed physician. The role of a Physician Associate is designed to complement the work of physicians and other healthcare professionals. Here are some key aspects of the role and the qualifications required:

Clinical Duties: Physician Associates conduct patient interviews, perform physical examinations, and take medical histories. They are trained to diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and develop treatment plans.

Collaboration: PAs work closely with physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive patient care. They may collaborate with nurses, pharmacists, and other members of the healthcare team.

Patient Education: PAs play a role in educating patients about their health conditions, treatment plans, and preventive care. They may provide counselling on lifestyle modifications and answer patients' questions.

Record-Keeping: Physician Associates maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records, ensuring that important medical information is documented for continuity of care.

Qualifications for Physician Associates

Education: Typically, a Physician Associate completes a nationally accredited physician associate program, usually at the postgraduate level. These programs are designed to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for clinical practice.

Degree: In many countries, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (such as healthcare or biological sciences) is a prerequisite for entry into a physician associate program. Following the completion of the program, individuals are awarded a Master's degree.

Certification: Graduates of physician associate programs often need to pass a certification examination to become licensed or registered. Certification requirements may vary by country or region.

Supervision: Physician Associates work under the supervision of a licensed physician. The level of supervision can vary depending on local regulations, but it generally involves collaboration and consultation between the PA and the supervising physician.

How They Help Within the Practice

Increased Patient Access: Physician Associates can help improve access to healthcare services by assisting in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, thereby reducing the workload on physicians.

Team-Based Care: PAs contribute to a collaborative healthcare team, working alongside physicians and other professionals to deliver comprehensive and coordinated patient care.

Efficiency: Physician Associates are trained to perform various clinical tasks, allowing physicians to focus on more complex cases and procedures. This can lead to increased efficiency within the practice.

Primary Care Support: PAs often work in primary care settings, addressing the healthcare needs of diverse patient populations. Their role can be particularly crucial in regions facing shortages of primary care physicians.

Demonstration of Accurx the new Triage system

We are pleased to share some feedback following the recent soft launch of Accrx and the significant benefits it has brought to our operations, particularly in terms of call management and time efficiency.

Accrx, our new platform, has been designed with a focus on optimizing the way we handle calls, ultimately streamlining our processes and ensuring the best possible care for our patients. The soft launch allowed us to test the system in a controlled environment and make any necessary adjustments before a full-scale rollout.

Since the introduction of Accrx we have seen a remarkable improvement in the number of calls handled and the overall efficiency of our call-handling system. The positive feedback from our care navigators indicates that they are pleased with how the platform enables them to triage cases more effectively and safely.

Here are some key points highlighting the benefits of Accrx

Time Savings: Accrx has significantly reduced the time spent on call handling, allowing our care navigators to focus on critical tasks and triage cases more efficiently.

Improved Triage Process: The platform has enhanced our ability to prioritize and categorize incoming calls, ensuring that urgent cases receive prompt attention while non-emergencies are appropriately managed.

Positive Feedback from Care Navigators: Our care navigators have expressed satisfaction with the system, noting that it provides them with the tools and resources needed to navigate calls with greater ease and accuracy.

Enhanced Patient Care: The streamlined call-handling process allows for more effective triage, ensuring that patients receive the appropriate level of care in a timely manner.

As we move forward, we plan to gradually increase the use of Accrx, expanding its implementation to further departments and functions. This phased approach ensures a smooth transition and allows us to address any additional feedback from our team.

Demonstration of the New Registration – Healthtech

Healthtech-1 is the latest technology to automate repetitive processes for healthcare organisations. The first automation launched 18 months ago for new patient registrations and is now live on over 100 NHS Primary Care Practices across England saving over 1000 hours of staff time per week

Two Rivers Medical Centre went live on the 11.12.2023, this has led to increased efficiency and a significant reduction in the time required for registrations. The streamlined process has resulted in 91 registrations being processed to date, saving an estimated 20 hours of care navigators' time. This is a remarkable achievement. The link can be found in the normal place on the website and will be pick off from them.

Call queue –explanation why the call queue number was removed days after it was put on and agreed at the last meeting

We did agree to put the queue number back on initially in an attempt to increase transparency and to keep our patients informed. However, as our Practice has been actively focusing on implementing a new triage system, we realized that a more strategic approach was needed to optimize access and manage the demand efficiently. The decision to remove the call queue number was not a reflection of undervaluing your feedback or disregarding your views. Instead, it was a Practice-level decision aimed at refining our processes and ensuring we allocate resources efficiently.

Role of a PPG member

DL to send over in an attachment "Patient Participation Factsheet" – also to get this added to the Website.

Elect a Chair and Secretary

It is very important that the group now elect a new Chair and Secretary. DL has been more than happy to oversee the last few meetings, however, in the interest of fostering a more inclusive and self-driven PPG, DL believes it's time for the roles of Chair and Secretary to be elected from within the group. This will ensure that the PPG operates as in independent entity, with its leadership representing the collective voice and interests of its members. As the Operations Manager of the surgery, DL will remain fully committed to working closely with the PPG and attending meetings to represent the interests of the Practice. The role will transition to a supportive and collaborative one, ensuring a seamless partnership between the PPG and the Surgery. Please can names of any members with an interest please inform DL- looking to have name down to discuss at the next meeting.

Lack of phlebotomy appointments

Discussion around The lack of Phlebotomy appointments– We understand the importance of access to patients to have their blood tests. To streamline the process and ensure our patients receive prompt attention, there are always urgent on the day appointments available at Landseer Road. With the efficient scheduling by our Care Navigators, there should be no reason for patients to experience delays in obtaining the necessary appointments.

AOB

Prescription Line

We have now extended the phone lines for patients to be able to access the Medicine Management team – the new times are now 10am – 1pm and again at 3pm to 4pm – this allows more access to the patients.

Next Meeting - TBC