Patients Forum at the Whaddon House Surgery
Richard Winter, member of Patients Forum at the Whaddon House Surgery in Bletchley, talks about being part of one of the first practices in Milton Keynes to set up a PPG
Getting started
The Patients Forum was established in January 2007, after a notice was put up in the surgery waiting room calling for volunteers.
Richard says: ‘At the initial meeting the Practice Manager explained that the partners of the surgery wanted a patient forum to help improve the delivery of health care. We spent the rest of the meeting identifying some areas for improvement. The first priorities were establishing a newsletter and setting up a new website.’
Making positive changes
The Patients Forum has helped introduce a number of positive changes, including an easy to operate self check-in system and a new appointments system that has led to fewer cancellations. The practice was one of the first to offer extended opening hours and ‘early bird’ appointment slots. In addition, they have introduced a more sympathetic message that greets people phoning the surgery, and have arranged for more people to be available to answer the phones during peak times.
Engaging the patient population
To engage the patient population the group helped set up a quarterly newsletter, featuring profiles of GPs and staff and seasonal suggestions on how to keep healthy, as well as a highly successful website. The website provides information about the practice, including the services available and the work of the PPG, updates on national issues such as swine flu and advice and guidance on a range of health issues. It also includes a facility to allow patients to request repeat prescriptions online, cancel appointments and update the practice on changes to their personal details.
Working with the local PCT
A foundering member of the group is the deputy chair of LINk:MK (Local Involvement Network, Milton Keynes), and a member of the steering group for health:mk (the Cooperative of the Doctors' Practices within Milton Keynes). The member has represented Whaddon House at meetings attended other PPGs aimed at sharing best practice.
Both LINk:MK and health:mk actively support the formation and development of PPGs across Milton Keynes and to date 22 of the city’s 26 practices have formed PPGs. To maintain the momentum, both groups will be holding a network meeting of all city’s PPGs early in early 2010, in order to enable the exchange of ideas and experiences.
The way forward
The group has a number of improvements in the pipeline that are all designed to make contacting or visiting the surgery a better experience. Ideas include an online appointment booking system, for example.