Patient Participation Group

Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) meets to provide a forum for discussion about the practice.

Latest PPG Meeting Minutes

1. Welcome

Elaine welcomed everyone to the meeting especially new members. It was agreed to change the order of the agenda so that the topics that involved the practice would be taken first.

2. Matters arising

Neighbourhood health update – this item was moved to the end of the meeting.

3. Practice Update:

• Spring Covid vaccinations: These are due to be given in April 2026, but as in the previous round the only eligible patients will be those over 75 or with immunosuppression. The practice estimates that about 900 patients qualify but that only 450 are likely to attending. They will be holding an appointment only clinic on 25th April (Saturday). This will be for Observatory patients only. If necessary, the practice nurses will run a few weekday afternoon clinics after this date.
• Meningitis B: This has not affected the Oxford area. The practice did receive calls, mostly from anxious parents, but has it has not been necessary to give vaccinations. There are no cases in Oxford.
• New GP Contract – 90% of clinically urgent cases to be seen on same day: This year’s GP contract has a new requirement that 90% of patients deemed clinically urgent by the practice, should be dealt with on the same day. This is going to be measured from the data recorded on their computer systems.
  • Dr Salisbury felt that this would not require the practice to change the way in which they worked – but Jon suggested that the way the data was counted would not be helpful. For example, if the practice thought that a patient with an urgent problem should see their own GP the following day this would miss the target. The system is not able to deal with the nuances of what is best patient care and just counts numbers dealt with on the day.
  • We all agreed that the current system that the practice operates works well and that we have trust in the practice. David asked what happens if the practice does not meet the target. Dr Salisbury said that it was likely that funds would not be paid if targets were not met. One comment was that this is about the Government (Minister) needing to say that things are getting better.
• 15 Minute Appointments: The practice has recently moved from 10 minute appointments to 15 minute appointments. The feedback was very positive. Fiona commented that this was very helpful if you had a number of issues you wanted to discuss at an appointment. Dr Salisbury noted that the doctors feel less stressed. Jon fed back that although this system means that there are fewer appointment available overall it does not seem to have affected the waiting times for appointments.
• Practice staff update: There was not much to report – the practice noted that things are stable at the moment.
  • Dr Walker, who has been working one day per week will be retiring at the end of May. Patients may bring a card/small gift if they wish.
  • Dr Baban, will be returning from maternity leave in June. She will be working 6 sessions a week as before.

4. Patient Issues

• Travel vaccinations: Kit raised this issue as last year he ended up travelling to the far east without being vaccinated. It was due to a combination of lack of time, and lack of digital and mobile phone access.
  • Travel vaccines are quite complex – some are available on the NHS, and some have to be paid for. The system is that patients complete and on-line form about 6-8 weeks ahead of time with the vaccines being given by the practice nurses about 2-3 weeks before travelling.
  • The discussion raised the following points:
    • If you can keep a paper copy of what vaccines you have had, and when you had them (some of them expire after a few years)
    • You can complete a paper copy rather than the on-line form if you prefer.
    • You do need to plan in advance. This is because vaccines take some time to be effective, and some require more than one dose.
    • The PPG will look at what information is available on the website and liaise with Antonia (who is in charge of this service).

Action: Elaine to follow up with Antonia

• Stoma products prescribing:Elaine raised this issue of behalf of her husband. Until recently the practice has been responsible for the prescribing of stoma and related products. The prescriptions are sent (electronically) to the supplier, and they are delivered to the patient’s home a few days later.
  • In January he was sent an email by a private company (Bullen Healthcare) giving him 3 days’ notice of a change in prescribing arrangements. They would be taking over this role from the GPs and would either deliver his products directly or send the prescriptions to his usual supplier. However, this service would not be available via the NHSApp. He found this quite frustrating as, for him, the current service works well and he has a record of orders via the NHSApp. The email did not inform him that he could opt out of this service and continue to ask the GP to prescribe the items.
  • Discussion: Dr Salisbury commented that the practice thinks this new system will offer patients a better service. There are thousands of different products that are available and the GPs do not know which would be best for the patient.

5. Neighbourhood Health Update

Elaine presented a few slides. They are attached at the end of these notes. NHS England is progressing with the idea that healthcare will be delivered ‘around the patient’ and based in neighbourhoods. Whilst they have issued some guidance (pages and pages) some key plans and the contracting arrangements are still to be produced. In the meantime, the Integrated Health Board (which now covers the Thames Valley) is proceeding with dividing up areas to create these neighbourhoods. Each neighbourhood will have a population of 30-50,000.

In Oxfordshire the plans are for 15 Neighbourhoods across the county:

• Oxford City to have 4 neighbourhoods, based on Primary Care Networks (PCN)
  • West/North Oxford 96,000 population (2 PCNs combined)
  • North east 52,600 population
  • South east 57,500 population
  • South 34,200 population

The area that covers the Observatory practice is the west and north neighbourhood. When asked why the population is so large the ICB suggested it was something about having a large student population. The practices involved in the area that will cover our neighbourhood are:

• Northgate health centre practices
• Observatory practice
• Dr Leaver and partners
• Banbury Road
• Beaumont Elms
• Summertown
• Luther Street (homeless service)

The practice expressed concerns that working across 2 PCNs, without any additional management resources could be problematic.

There was also uncertainty about how the changes to the local government boundaries will affect the proposals for integrated working across health and social care.

The discussion raised the following issues:

• Without additional resources to support the management and/or double running it is very difficult to change systems.
• The ‘left shift’ (moving to prevention, including reducing hospital admissions) will not be achieved with more resource in the community.
• The ICB is having to make 50% job cuts.
• Local Authorities are uncertain of their future
• The health services need to be able to explain their vision for how services will be provided around the patient – so far, they have not articulated what this will look like.
• Services need to be in the community – what patients see as their community – and not outside – Murray House was given as an example of moving services to the wrong place.
• We also had a discussion about tax – and agreed that if we did not pay taxes the country would not be able to afford more services.

Elaine agreed to keep the group updated with these initiatives.

6. Any other business

Following on from the discussion about non-NHS organisations providing health services Michael asked if we could put together a list of which organisations are providing which services. He, and others in the group, had issues in accessing Musculo-skeletal services (MSK) provided by Cora Health (formerly known as Connect Health).

Action: Elaine

7. Date of Next Meeting

To be arranged.