PPG Minutes

Minutes of The Meeting 13th January 2025 

Present

• Alan Breadmore (Chairman) Peter Cox (Secretary)
• Liz Cox Mary Wilson
• Karen Pryer Claire Hill
• Lucy Hall Bridget Jones
• Dr Zoe Wanless (Surgery)
• Louise Murray-Clarke (Surgery)
• Simon Shaw (Healthwatch)
• Julia Bennett (Racing) 

1. Apologies

Ian Wootton, Geoff Fowler and Graham Jones

2. Chairman’s Report for AGM

Alan presented his annual report highlighting the work of the PPG and its interaction with other. He thanked the members of the PG for their support and the partners for their trust in the PPG. He believes the PPG has a good working relationship with the surgery which, through his participation in the Berkshire West Patient Panel was not always observed by other PPGs.

Membership

The PPG The PPG currently has 12 active members, the same as last year. We have the potential to add to that with hopefully Julia joining us and there has been an expression of interest from a Great Shefford Patient. Particular thanks were made to the ex officio members who provide a conduit into key parts of our community and to Liz and Geoff, who provide a patient perspective to the Amenities Fund. Similarly, again to Liz who is taking over the reins at the Volunteer Driver Group. He also thanked Peter for his work as Secretary. The Virtual Patient Group has a static 13 members whilst the volunteer bank has 19 members, down a little, although there is a hard core of about 6 to 7 who are most active.

Activity

Our traditional quarterly meetings, to discuss the matters of the day, have continued to be face to face. The PPG have supported two series of Vaccination Clinics in the Spring and Autumn along with members of our volunteer group. We provided support to the surgery through a lightly attended workshop on the use of the NHS app but continue to offer support to those that need help with some of the techie aspects of being a patient. We have published four newsletters this year, written by the Chairman, which are now published on a need’s basis. Please say when you feel that there is something that may need including. The Partners provide us with an excellent insight into the challenges they face in the changing clinical and political world of providing primary care and their attitude to the Collective Action promoted by the BMA.

The Chairman has generally liaised with the surgery and managed the provisions of volunteers for the Vaccination Clinics together with Karen, who has now taken over this role. The Chairman has attended 8 Patient Panel (PP) and other Berkshire West meetings. There was a major review of the PP after the retirement of Adrian Barker as chair and at the AGM it was decided the PP should regroup and review its purpose, how to fulfil that purpose and how to make it happen. The new Chair is Mike Howie from Burdwood PPG. It is recognised that there were only 9 of the 42 surgeries in Berkshire West at the PP AGM and that there is a similar group called Patient Voice in Reading, although the PP has no relationship with it. The Chairman has sought to gain some engagement with representatives of the Racing Community and he is delighted that Julia has joined us for this meeting. She is on the executive committee of the National Association of Racing Staff and has played an active role in providing welfare support to racing employees in the Lambourn Valley. The Chairman thanked Julie Minternfor her support in engaging with Julia Bennett. More to follow on this. The Chairman has also been in contact with the Regional Welfare manager of Racing Welfare and hope to meet shortly. Unfortunately, she is based in Newmarket and it has been more difficult to engage with her.

NHS

The NHS continues to face enormous challenges but the Chairman sees the PPG as an opportunity to help at a local level where we are fortunate in not experiencing the very worst of the crisis. He encouraged the members of the PPG to support the surgery in every way possible and similarly urged the surgery to ask for more so that we can broaden our activities to support both the surgery and our community, especially in the environment of the BMA Collective Action, which looks like it may step up a gear at a conference in March. The Chairman considers that generally patients are happy with the hybrid approach our practice has taken to triage and appointments access. Telephone access seems much improved.

We received the report regarding patient access from Healthwatch following the focus groups held in October 2023 which was copied to all members of the PPG. The report contained little or no detailed value to individual practices and as such was disappointing. Finally, he stressed that all the work cannot be done by one person so please continue to share the load and consider taking a specific role within the PPG either as an officer or with a particular task.

3. Officers

1. The vacancy for the post of Vice Chairman was still vacant and Alan asked if there were any offers. There were none and the vacancy remains.
2. The representatives of the various groups were confirmed as: Bridget (Lambourn Parish Council), Julie Mintern(Lambourn benefice) and Graham (Lambourn Pharmacy). The new representative for the Racing Industry, Julia Bennett, will be introduced later.

4. Minutes of the Meeting 14th october 2024

The minutes were approved. 

5. Matters Arising

There were none that were not covered by the rest of the Agenda.

6. Discussion Topics

a) Surgery

(i) Progress on Autumn vaccinations.

• The number for Covid vaccinations was 978 and for Flu 1,400 of which 1,000 were for the over 65 group. The coverage for those under 65 was disappointing with only around 40% taking up the offer. The Surgery had a remaining stock of 215 flu vaccines which they would like to use up if possible. The vaccine has contents which can help with avoiding the current flu type in the UK. Zoe was not aware of any problems with the vaccine whilst Facebook contributions were suggesting it was not so good. The exact type of flu is being is being studied by Public Health and will be reported later on in the year.
• The BMA prescribed action was not having any major effect on patients. They could not measure any effect of reducing the number of F2F patient meeting to 25 per day and there was no data available as to whether the start of the Pharmacy First consultations by the Lambourn Pharmacy were helping.
• There was likely to be a Covid vaccination programme for the over 75 patients in the Spring. The current GP Training Registrar was leaving in February. They are 2nd year students at the GWH and the Surgery will continue to work with the GWH to provide this training.

b) Lambourn Surgery Amenities Fund (LSAF)

Liz reported that donations had been received from the Theo Harris Trust and Sara Bartlett. The latter was the profit from selling the Lambourn Calendar which all agreed was a well presented and pleasant publication. The Surgery have already repainted some of the Surgery doors in different colours to assist dementia patients and were now looking at improving signage for the this group of patients.

c) Patient Panel (PP)

Alan reported that there were still 8 meetings per year although a review was in progress to determine the structure and content of them. The aim was to encourage more representation from the 42 surgeries in Berkshire West. It was acknowledged that the was an alternative group, Patient Voice, based in the Reading area which Simon suggested operated in a different way. In the coming weeks the lead IT person and the local MP were due to take part in the PP meetings.

d) Pharmacy

Graham had submitted a written report, dated 12th January, as follows:

• Pharmacy First

Use of this service has increased significantly in December (circa. 30 consultations). This is taking some of the strain off GP services and allows patients to be seen quickly. Vaccinations During the Autumn and Winter campaign we have delivered 428 flu and 515 Covid vaccinations to date.

• Financial Pressure

Significant financial pressures exist across primary care. As previously reported Lloyd’s Pharmacy has disappeared. We are now under more Dispensing pressure as we are now drawing in patients from both Hungerford and Wantage. Pharmacy remuneration is at a tariff fixed in 2018 with no inflation uplift so in real terms is 30% less.

• Blood Pressure Monitoring

We will be offering this service shortly and have recently invested in an ambulatory BP monitor. Need a discussion with practice about how to target the service most effectively. The pharmacy service is primarily to identify undiagnosed hypertension.” The meeting thanked Graham for his report. Louise suggested that the Surgery had not observed a reduction in patients. There was some confusion amongst members of the PPG as to what ailments were covered by the Pharmacy First arrangements i.e. those where the Pharmacy can issue an NHS prescription.

Louise said that were in fact 2 lists with only those covered by the Pharmacy First allowed prescriptions to be issued. She will pass these on for circulation.

Action: Louise to circulate the full list on conditions which can be delt with by Pharmacy First and other services.

Louise was asked to explain how the ambulatory BP monitor worked. It is a unit which is attached to the patient’s arm over a period of time and which from time to time inflates and records the BP values. The record can then be reviewed at a later date.

e) Meeting the needs of Patients in the Racing Industry

Julia Bennett was introduced as the new person who had agreed to be part of the PPG. She is currently the local representative of the National Association of Racing Staff. She has worked with horses for over 30 years and is now a Vice President of the racing staff trade union and sits on the executive committee. She has also sat on employment tribunals. She set up a support group in Lambourn after the tragic number of suicides which currently meets at the vicarage. (She would like the opportunity to have a more nonaligned meeting space but is finding it difficult).

Alan is meeting with Racing Welfare in February to pursue their involvement also. There are many changes coming along for the industry including random drug and alcohol testing which will eventually be incorporated in the employment contract. She fosters the younger racing staff and well knows the trials and tribulations of the local youngsters. She was welcomed to the group and we look forward to her input.

7. AOB

There was none.

Next Meeting

It was proposed that the next meetings in 2025 will be F2F on Mondays, 14th April, 14th July and 13th October. Louise noted that she was not available on the 14th April but the period was around Easter and there may not be other dates available. Members were asked to report to the Secretary if they were not available.

The meeting closed at 7:55pm.

Peter Cox
Secretary Lambourn PPG
10th February 2025