PPG Newsletter Winter 2022-2023

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

This is your opportunity to read about some of the ups and downs of the past few months and something of future plans for Swale

John Gallimore (Chair of the Patient Group)
February 202

 

DNA - Do Not Agree?

No, it does not mean that! I am sure when you read this you, too, will not agree when you know and understand what it means in Practice terms.

If a patient makes an appointment and does not turn up - emergency or routine – that space is lost to other patients. If you do not turn up for your appointment, no-one else can have that slot unless you have informed the Practice that you do not need it any longer. We understand things happen, but to make an appointment for 3 hours ahead and not turn up is not being fair to anyone.

There are opportunities to cancel your appointment once it is made, whether it is an emergency same day or routine appointment, by phoning the reception desk, or by responding to the confirmation text which is sent out one week and one day in advance of the appointment.

 

What happens if I don’t turn up for my appointment?

If a patient misses an appointment the first time, they get a letter; if they do not attend for 3 consecutive appointments, they are sent another letter, and after that, it is reviewed with the GP and a decision made as to whether there are other needs preventing attendance. If no other reason can be found, it is discussed with the patient and if they continue not attending, the patient will be removed from the practice list. The trend shows that generally afternoon appointments are being missed by those in the 25 to 35-year-olds’ age group.

One of our members has had cause to use the weekend Enhanced Access service and reported she had a very good experience. She phoned on a Friday afternoon for an appointment and was given one for the coming Sunday, which for her, was excellent news

 

 

What happens to your Blood Sample?

When the phlebotomist takes blood, she may take one or more phials of blood which have different coloured caps.

These are easily understood by the receiving laboratory technicians who recognise what tests need to be done. The blood from Patients in Swale is collected during the morning and taken to Medway where the laboratory processes are. If you live in East Kent the samples are sent to William Harvey Hospital.

When the samples arrive in pathology they are first sorted and sent to the right laboratory: Biochemistry, Haematology or Microbiology. All the labs have strict quality control procedures to prevent mix-up of specimens and ensure the results of test are correct. If you are asked for another sample, there is no need to panic. It may be there was not quite enough blood taken the first time to do the tests required.

 

Sheppey Frailty Unit

This is now open. It is on Minster Ward at Sheppey Community Hospital. This is an extension to the Medway Frailty Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Any patient who is deemed to be frail and being treated at Medway can be transferred to the unit if they live in Sittingbourne or Sheppey, making it much easier for relatives and friends to visit, and follow-up appointments to be made closer to home. Eventually GPs in the 2 areas will be able to refer directly to the unit, but the diagnostic hub at the Sheppey hospital needs to be completed before this can happen. It is hoped to offer opportunities for volunteers to work with the patients, offering support with rehabilitation.

Future developments may see this replicated at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital.

 

My Care Record (MCR)

The Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR) Group have met to progress the My Care Record. Unfortunately, it has been decided to pause and close the project for now. The KMCR is open to all professionals but not all are using it yet. The My Care Record is the access for patients to some of the information held in the KMCR.

 

Virtual Wards

These are being introduced in East Kent but if successful they will be used throughout Kent. If a person can be managed at home, either when suffering from a manageable illness or having been discharged from hospital but still needing monitoring, this can be done from home. It involves both face to face and digital monitoring. Patients will be able to do their own tests at home which can be automatically transferred to the consultant and his team in the hospital, or even the GP surgery.

 

Appointment Booking

The practice has been trialling a new method of appointment booking using a system called “Accurx self –book”. This system allows us to send a booking link via text message to patients inviting them to book an appointment.

Before sending the message the practice will choose the specific type of appointment that will be available for patients to book- we are currently using this system for annual nursing reviews and blood tests but plan to expand to other types of appointments after April. The patient simply clicks on the link to book an appointment without having to call the practice. We hope this will streamline and speed up the process for patients because being able to book as soon as the text is received means they don’t have to remember to call the practice later, or get stuck in a queue. It will also free up telephone lines for patients calling for other appointments or test results, or for those who don’t like using electronic links. We also hope it will mean that more patients attend for their annual review. The appointments we select are not available on the GP App for anyone else to book, which means there is no chance of patients booking inappropriately.

Published: Mar 26, 2023