PPG Minutes

Minutes of The Meeting 14th April 2025 

Present

• Alan Breadmore (Chairman) 
• Mary Wilson
• Geoff Fowler
• Claire Hill 
• Bridget Jones (Lambourn PC)
• Graham Jones (Pharmacy)
• Dr Sarah Stallabrass (Surgery) 
• Sarah Rowell (Surgery)
• Simon Shaw (Healthwatch) 
• Julia Bennet (Racing NARS)
• Charlotte Clarke (Racing Welfare)

1. Apologies

• Peter Cox (Secretary)
• Liz Cox
• Karen Pryer
• Louise Murray-Clarke (Surgery) 

Please remember to let us know if you are unable to attend meetings.

2. Minutes of Meeting of 13th January approved.

a) Graham will finalise list of conditions Pharmacy can deal with and circulate

• Uptake is increasing with patient understanding, now 30-35 consultations per month and growing.
• Generally younger people have adapted to it  more quickly.
• Pharmacies that are supported by PPGs and have good sign posting have shown best uptake.
• Patients can drop in, no appointment necessary 
• Picked up patients from Hungerford
• Rewarding that can get patients treatment started (eg Shingles) before patient able to see a doctor.

4.    Discussion Topics

a). Surgery 

i) Covid Vaccination clinic 5th April

Thank Karen Pryer for organising the rota for the vaccination clinic and the volunteers who helped with parking.

• 360 vaccinations on the day
• Completed housebound visits, 19 out of 47 offered were taken up 
• Spring Booster Completed
• Small amount of vaccine remains (may do a pop-up clinic)
• Pharmacy offering booster until June (booked through National booking service)

ii) Non attendance

• Number of missed appointments published on Facebook, done randomly so patients don’t feel surgery is always on about it. 
• Number of missed appointments is stable
• Software if being developed to give pre-warning for no shows
• Wide range of reasons and there are repeat offenders
• In last 6 months surgery started phoning patients with long appointments (50 mins) to confirm
• Patients can message surgery to explain reason for missing appointment so any black mark can be removed 

b)    Healthwatch 

Simon shared a leaflet about Remap.  They make aids for people who struggle to do everyday things. 

Remap willing to give a local presentation.  

c)    Amenities Fund

Geoff attended a meeting of amenities fund on 11th April:

• Large donation of £972 received in March 2025
• Resuscitation Bag ordered at a cost of £1200 – cheque sent and awaiting confirmation, 6 week lead time for delivery
• Net balance will be £2,805 after cheque has been cashed. 

Resuscitation Bag

Bespoke, everything organised for response to an emergency and includes:-

• 6 labelled bags
• Defibrillator
• Oxygen cylinder  

Enables Doctors to find things quickly and efficiently. 

d)    Patient Panel 

Group of Chairs of PPGs meet regularly, recently met Olivia Bailey (new Labour MP for Reading West and Mid Berks – she went through the Government’s approach  to NHS.
Royal Berks Hospital Programme (delayed at least 10 years and at the bottom of list of those to be considered in 10 years)
Lee Dillon (new Lib Dem MP in West Berks) will come to their next meeting.  

ICB (Integrated Care Board)

New Platform – Your Voice for sharing consultation details between primary and secondary care in BOB (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire).

At the moment it all seems a bit generic - listing services available, signposting and the Change Programme.

Alan has registered the PPG, will send more details as it develops.

e)    Pharmacy First 

Lambourn Pharmacy able to offer all services on Government list including:-

• Blood Pressure (BP) Screening Service (leads to GP referral)
• Contraception (1 patient so far) – covers renewals and all checks including BP
• Emergency Contraception on NHS (available privately for £8 – was £25)
• Pharmacies are closing due to lack of funding, there has only been 16% uplift since 2018.
• Govt Funding has been directed at secondary care rather than Primary and Pharmacy. 
• Drug Shortages in news – generally research and development done in UK and then most of generic manufacturing done overseas.  
• Eg Penicillin is made in China and has a year’s lead time
• Concern with effect of trade tariffs on supply.

f)    Racing Industry

Racing Welfare Charity supports everyone (whatever means) who has ever worked in racing.  However, they signpost Jockeys to IJF which is better funded.   Charlotte is the Welfare Officer, they offer support in all areas including:-

• Financial 
• Mental  Health
• Counselling
• 24-hour helpline with trained counsellors
• Careers
• Take older beneficiaries on holidays
• Organise monthly coffee mornings - Charlotte to provide Surgery (Sarah) with details,  so they can be displayed.
• Funds physio 
• Helps with grants to get people back to work
• Funds 6 Counselling sessions (a further 6 may be funded)
• Signpost for Gambling / Drug and Alcohol addictions
• Help with FIT notes for people to obtain benefits

Charlotte to supply surgery (Sarah) with up-to-date literature.

Charlotte keen for individuals to complete a ‘Form of Authority’ so that she can talk to surgery on people’s behalf. 

Those with addictions are signposted to V-I-A https://www.viaorg.uk/ in Newbury, they are offering an outreach in Lambourn for half a day every couple of weeks. 

5.    AOB 

Sarah to update staff list in Surgery so patients know who’s who and what their roles are.  (eg new pharmacist)

They receive additional funding from Primary Care Network (PCN) for roles in the surgery other than the traditional ones and can use it to expand the workforce.  These staff are shared with Hungerford, Kintbury and Wootton Hill – a small number of patients spread over a large area. 

• Dr Aluko – Musculoskeletal
• Becky Neeves – Social Subscribing
• New appointment in June for MH
• Recruiting Clinical Pharmacist

There is a training process for these staff. 

a)    Friends and Family – Diabetic Eye Screening 6/7 May

All relevant patients will be invited to this and it is important that appointments are booked, this is a new local screening available to patients at the surgery.  Previously patients have had to go to West Berks which is difficult as they aren’t allowed to drive after the screening (so rely on friends or public transport).

b)    Incorrect Diagnosing

• It’s possible to get this removed from patient’s medical records. 

c)    NARS

• Recent Drug and Alcohol Day had poor attendance 
• Julia hoping to develop one point of contact within the lads in each yard to encourage them to attend the above and seek advice on e.g. Contraception, careers, housing, education etc.
• Random drug testing to be introduced – want lads to be able to inform each other
• Racing Digital https://www.racingdigital.co.uk/ – A new platform aims to have all the information in one place. 
• Attended Trustees meeting for RIABS (Racing Injury Accident Benefit Scheme) at Oaksey House. – Rehabs are not covered if patients are found to be under influence of drugs / alcohol. Important this message gets through to lads. 

Surgery tends to see people when they get to crisis point and want to help them seek help before they get to this point.

d) Self-Referral Programmes in BOB 

• Patients can self-refer in the following and it usually takes 2 weeks to get 1st appointment:-
• Talking Therapies
• Time to Talk 
• Stop Smoking
• Muscoskeletal
• Physio – ‘Get You Better’ App allows you to contact a physio directly if you have a West Berks Postcode, those with a Wilts postcode can use the Surgery postcode (RG17 8PS).
• Specsavers – quick and efficient referral for cataracts 
• Hearing

6.    Date of Next Meeting

Monday 14th July at 6.30pm and 13th October proposed. 

Claire Hill (on behalf of Peter Cox – Secretary)