PPG Minutes - February 2025

Attendees

Practice

• Fay Saunders (FS)
• Dawn Williams-Powell (DW-P)
• Jackie Tumelty(JT)
• Dr Steve Amiel (SA)

Members

• Roderick Allison (RA) (Chair)
• Kathy Elliott (KE)
• Cynthia Jensen (CJ)
• Christine Guedalla (CG)
• Judith Philo (JP)
• Kate Harwood (KH)
• Neil Morgann (NM)
• Simon Pearson (SP)
• Diane Pearson (DP)
• Rachel Miller (RM)
• John Lipetz (JL)
• Una Sapietis (US) (online)

Apologies

•  Mick Farrant

The minutes of the last meeting (16 May 2024) were circulated.

Practice Update – by Faye and Jacqui

We welcomed Dawn (DW-P) who has joined the practice as Deputy Practice Manager.

She told us that since doing her practice manager training in 2018, she had worked with City and Hackney GP Federation and with practices in Hackney. She highlighted her experience working with PPGs in the context of a practice merger. Jackie provided information on the new Long Term Care (LTC) pathway. The aim is to focus on the patient, who may have more than one long term condition, and jointly agree a plan around their concerns.

As part of the social prescribing work, there are wellbeing celebrations (for example on exercise, eating well, and creative activities). Currently there is a craft group on Wednesdays who are making a quilt for babies who are going in and out of hospital; a gardening group which is focussing on herbs; and the surgery has held some information sessions on the menopause and one output of that is we have been given patient places on a new menopause group being set up by Camden Talking Therapies team.

An example of when the practice works with other organisations and community resources new opportunities are emerging. Jackie shared a poster on the River of Hope initiative, which the practice is working on with the Council and community groups. A partnership wellbeing celebration (The Zen Project in collaboration with Mind) was planned for later that week with workshops and activities. Another partnership was responding to patients who have long term housing issues, working with the Council’s housing team. The practice also co-ordinates a network meeting for social prescribers and welcoming visitors from other organisations to find out more about the work.

The practice were pleased to achieve a place on the short list for the Practice of the Year; and one of the GPs won an NCL Award for their contribution to teaching and education.

The group welcomed the update and looked forward to hearing more in the Newsletter. JT to update the Practice website with details of The Practices, Social prescribing activities.

The Campaign to save the Peckwater

RA said North Central London Integrated Care Board (NCL ICB) had held a meeting on the future of the Peckwater Centre on 28 January. They had confirmed that plans to relocate the Dialysis Unit there had definitely been abandoned - so our campaign had succeeded - and that there was no threat to the Listening Space Garden. Our aim now was to see the Peckwater develop as a really first-class community health & social care centre.

As to services at the Peckwater, RA said that according to his notes of what was said, and limited written confirmation, the following existing services would remain:

• Community mental health
• Dementia/memory
• Wheelchair service
• Vaccinations for the housebound
• Musculoskeletal (MSK) physio, & gym used by MSK, stroke & neurology patients (all from the NHS) and from Social Care
• Camden community mental health team
• Camden Care Home Liaison
• Camden Dementia Service.

In addition it was planned to move in the following NHS services:

• Diabetes (proposed timing 26 Sept 2025)
• Heart failure (proposed timing 18 July 2025)
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) (proposed timing ditto)
• Neurodevelopment disorders

There was spare space for these in the Peckwater because the mental health emergencies team had moved to the new mental health facility at Highgate East, and the children's vaccination service was now provided by Vacca.

This looked like a pretty good mix of primary health care and social care services. We had fed into the discussion the need for a strong Steering Group for the Peckwater, representing the range of stakeholders, to ensure that development continued on the right lines. NCL ICB’s write-up of the discussion has now been received and states “It was agreed that organisations which are tenants of the Peckwater Centre and the GP practice should establish an advisory group of patients, service users, clinicians, social care representatives, mental health professionals, and voluntary sector partners. The group could help guide decision-making and ensure that services are shaped by those with lived experience.

KH said she had attended the meeting and had felt that the NCL ICB had showed a genuine willingness to listen.

The importance of services for young as well as old people should not be forgotten.

The group discussed intergenerational services; podiatry services; the importance of patient feedback; making best use of the building and space; MSK and Connect; links to other community facilities, such as the Kentish Town Sports Centre; outreach for groups of patients and health priorities (for example obesity initiatives and work for people with disabilities building on links to Camden Disability Action (CDA). Questions were raised about who makes the next decisions, whether there was a record of what was agreed at the meeting, and if a site had been agreed for the dialysis service.

In discussion the PPG generally welcomed the new approach. SA pointed out however that we must remain super- vigilant to ensure that these good intentions were translated into reality, and that space for clinical health and social care was not quietly appropriated for offices.

The PPG agreed that the Campaign Group should continue to monitor developments as and when further information became available. JT would liaise with RA about how information could be shared through the newsletter and with people who signed the petition.

London General Practice Award to the PPG

Feedback from Rod and Kathy who attended the award ceremony

The PPG was awarded a commendation certificate in recognition for the Campaign to Save the Peckwater by the London wide Local Medical Committees (LMCs). The group was interested in the role of LMCs ( https://www.lmc.org.uk/ ). RA thanked the campaign group for all their support and work, in particular Dianne, Simon and Mick. KE will speak with JT about how we stay in touch with other PPGs who won awards.

The new Practice Website

Including feedback from US on her experience using the website

US had found it difficult to use the website – links didn’t work or went in circles. She worried about how hard it is to get access to public services through websites. She couldn’t find information about services such as social prescribing. FS explained that the previous website had to be shut down with no notice or opportunity to plan in late 2024, as a result of new guidance. She agreed with the feedback. The practice has been learning about the new system, deciding on content, and rebuilding the website.

FS asked members of the PPG to look at it and give feedback, particularly what is not there that we want. She emphasized that the website was only one way that patients can get information and access to services. The practice is continually listening, discussing and aiming to improve. SA highlighted the importance of the service behind the website – is it safe, effective, efficient and kind.

The group welcomed the efforts being made by the practice to ensure that patients can make appointments easily and that they are accessible to people who can’t use or have access to the website. We discussed the interface between the NHS Ap and the website; a new pilot – Digital Champions – that the practice is working on with the Council and Voluntary Action Camden (VAC); the importance of phone access for some patients; the number of phone calls individual staff and the practice is handling; and other community services working on digital inclusion.

Any other business

CG shared information on a course on helping people to fall safely and balance. FS and JT agreed to speak with the practice’s exercise expert who works one day a week in the practice. The group discussed the links to health conditions (for example osteoporosis) and community resources that might be interested in providing this initiative.

FS had looked into a question that was raised about charges for blister packs. There has been a change to how community based pharmacists are reimbursed for using blister packs. They now only receive reimbursement from the NHS where there is a direct patient need. If patients want their medicines in a blister pack they should talk to their community pharmacist who will do an assessment to determine patient need in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Blister packs will be provided free of charge where the assessment shows there is a direct patient need. If the request for a blister pack is just related to patient preference, then community pharmacists may charge for the blister pack.

FS also updated on an issue that had been raised at previous meetings – micro suction (taking wax from inside the ears). The practice is actively looking at providing it through the Primary Care Network (3 practices), including training.

Members shared information about local activities (for example dancing/ walking). They asked whether appointments could be aligned to use of the freedom pass, and what support patients can get when faced with a long waiting time for a hospital appointment. FS and SA shared the work to have enough appointment slots to meet demand; why they can’t advocate for individual patients on waiting lists; and new resources for patients to get information about waiting lists (for example my planned care).

Members also complimented the practice on a recent example of a quick and welcomed referral.

There are plans for a patient survey and continuing with the newsletter.

Priority actions and the date of next meeting

Members were asked to feedback on the new website by emailing the practice.

It was proposed that the next meeting would be in May or June.