MALMESBURY PARTICIPATION GROUP
Minutes of meeting on 5 December 2011
Present: Marion Burfield, Elizabeth Cheshire, Miriam Nicholls, Margaret Perrin, Ces Smith, Di Vincent, Jennifer Walker.
Apologies were received from Georgina Carter, Denise Richards, Grace Walbridge.
Minutes of the last meeting were agreed. There were no matters arising.
Surgery update:
There are now 12 people on the new reference group. The idea is to create a forum (mostly by email, but postal views can be catered for too), and share solutions to suggestions of policy developments and improvements. There is a leaflet available asking for views which can be completed and returned to the surgery.
It is now possible to contact the surgery on line. Patients need to register but this is a simple matter of visiting the surgery with an official Photo ID ( Passport / Driving Licence) to prove their identity and within minutes they will be able to book appointments or requests repeat prescriptions.
65 % of patients with a Chronic disease have received flu jabs, and 75% of the over “65’s”.
PPG webpage now contains minutes of meetings and other relevant information.
The PPG is advertised on the website which also explains what we do.
Return of unwanted medicines:
The Surgery has joined up with the charity InterCare and they can now collect unwanted medicines and send them to sub-Saharan Africa. Patients are asked to return unused medicines with at least 15 months shelf life to the surgery. There is a leaflet explaining which medicines can and cannot be accepted by the Charity. Boots have a agreed to professionally dispose of medications that cannot be used in the project
The Group were reassured that in situations when patients do not collect their medications from a pharmacy they can after a safe period be returned to stock at no cost to the NHS. This is not the same as medications which have left the Pharmacy due to potential poor storage conditions/ potential contamination etc. Whenever possible the GP’s are informed of a ‘no collection’ – particularly if the pharmacist is concerned for a vulnerable patient or if the medication is for a serious condition.
Any other business:
Great Western Hospital is looking into the possibility of the Friends organising a mobile chemotherapy unit and this will be encouraged by the surgery. It would be staffed by Great Western.
Pictures will shortly be put up in the waiting areas.
Ces has received a letter from Wiltshire Council about Health Watch. Margaret will investigate t his.
It was suggested that the new Wiltshire Good Neighbour co-ordinator should be invited to talk to us at a future meeting.
Date of next meeting: This will be on Monday 6 February 2012.