PPG Minutes - October 2023

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New Practice Manager - Sherry Oriola

Sherry has been appointed as the new Practice Manager.

Development of the Allerton Building

Update: Quotes for the development of the practice are still being considered. The development work will include placing a lift at the back of the premises and new consulting rooms on the first floor. The timescale for the work is currently unknown. Sherry said that much of the work will be carried out at weekends when the practice is closed.

Action: We asked for a weighing chair for patients using wheelchairs to be added to the development programme for the practice. Currently the nearest weighing chairs are at the Homerton or St Leonard’s hospitals.

Question for Sherry: Will more GPs be employed in Allerton Road Practice?

Answer: We are in the process of recruiting a GP. We will keep patients updated via PPG meetings

Air Conditioner

The air conditioners have been broken for some time and were not fixed during the pandemic. They have now been examined by NHS Property Company and found to be unfit for use.

Action: They will be replaced but timescale not known.

Neighbourhood Developments

Sherry said that the Neighbourhood are considering the development of local services which could include weekend appointments.

Action: MA to invite PCN Manager, Lucy Stewart-Amin, Wetlands/PCN manager, to next meeting to discuss developments in the Neighbourhood area. Agreed also to advertise Neighbourhood meetings more widely to Allerton patients.

PCN = primary care network – GPs in Allerton, Statham and John Scott

Ear Wax Removal Machine

Allerton has purchased this machine and is currently offering this service to patients 65 and over. We raised concerns about the decision to limit access to the machine to people one specific age group, because when the machine was purchased no specific age group was specified.

This Issue has been raised with Marie Gabriel, Chair of the NELNHS and the response is attached. Issue to be raised with Hurley, the owners of the practice. Sherry advised that the ear wax removal service is available from Specsavers.

Specsavers Earwax Removal Service

Toenail Cutting

This issue has also been raised with the North East London NHS and Marie Gabriel has replied saying that this service is not provided for by the GP contract, but trials have been carried out locally.

At the moment we are not funded across the borough to do this and charge the full cost of £30.00 plus a one-off charge for a reusable foot kit £10.50. If you need more information, please call us on 0207 739 2533.

Action: Malcolm will contact GPs/Primary Care Networks across Hackney asking them to reassess the current position and consider providing this service free at all GP surgeries. A patient’s petition will also be considered.

Choose and Book

This system can be difficult to access without a smart phone. Often the choice is of a single provider. The Allerton admin team will support patients to use the choose and book system if they need assistance.

Action: More information needs to be made available to patients to raise awareness about how to use Choose and Book.

Referrals for Safeguarding

Sherry described problems regarding referrals to the Council for Safeguarding and the lack of feedback from the Council. If there is no resolution the issue could be referred to the Health and Wellbeing Board of Hackney Council. Sherry to provide more information.

Accessing Additional Services

The Allerton website lists practitioners who are supposed to be available to provide services in our neighbourhood/PCN area, in addition to GPs, Nurses and Healthcare Assistants, but patients know very little about their work or how to access them. Practitioners not listed on the website and their working day at Allerton included.

The following practitioners do provide services to Allerton GP practice or in the local Neighbourhood area:

• Care-Coordinator – Issaka - Wednesday
• Clinical Pharmacists - Joseph Larka, Bharat Uppala
• Health and Wellbeing Coach – Shqipe Humolli – Wednesday
• Healthcare Assistant - Tabranie Said
• Paramedic – James Miller – Which Day?
• Phlebotomist - Titilayo Oliyide
• Physiotherapist – Rebecca East - Wednesday
• Practice Nurse - Binu Varghese
• Social Prescriber – Suyur Sehriban - Wednesday
• Wellbeing Practitioner – Amanda – Which Day?

The following practitioners, though listed on the website do not provide services to Allerton: First Contact Practitioner, Medical/GP Assistant, Mental Health Practitioner, Nursing Associate, Pharmacy Technician, Physician Associate,

Action: Produce a newsletter or leaflet for all patients advising them of these roles and how to access these services.

Sunday Appointments

Sunday appointments are not available at Allerton or in the local Neighbourhood.

Patients Know Best (PKB)

This private company is being funded by the NHS North East London at £1m/year to hold our medical data. Consent from patients for this company to hold our data has never been obtained and most patients have never heard of PKB, or how it got the right to hold our encrypted data. There has been no public discourse or patient participation in discussing this issue.

Action: PKB should be advised that patients don’t know who they are and that they need our consent to hold our confidential data. Malcolm has written to PKB to complain about them being given access to our data without out consent. There reply was as follows:

Next Meeting of the PPG – Wednesday, January 17th