PPG June Update 2021

 

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Patient Participation Group Summer Newsletter

Contents

  • COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
  • GP Data Plans
  • Community Services Strategy
  • Living Well with Long Term Health Conditions
 

COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics

Many PPG members, and patients of the other practices in central Oxford continued to volunteer at the vaccination clinics at the Jericho Health Centre.

As a reminder the Jericho Health Centre is the vaccination hub for the 5 practices in the Central Oxford Primary Care Network. The practices are:

  • Observatory Medical Practice
  • Dr Leaver and partners
  • King Edward Street
  • 27 Beaumont Street
  • 28 Beaumont Street

Over the past 6 months we covered more than 25 clinics, in all kinds of weather, and have supported the practice in giving vaccines to everyone over 50, the clinically vulnerable and health and care staff. We have been outside in every kind of weather but have really enjoyed doing something useful and talking to real people.

The clinics have stopped for the summer, younger people will have to go to other vaccination centres, such as the one at the Kassam stadium or the East Oxford Health Centre, for their vaccinations. Once we know what the plans for flu vaccines and potential booster vaccines are we will be there again in the autumn.

 

GP Data Plans

General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR)

You may have seen various reports in the media about the moves to extract GP data for planning and research.

NHS Digital announced in May 2021 that this new service would come into effect on 1 July 2021, with patients given until 23 June to choose to opt out. The idea behind it is that planners and researchers will have faster access to pseudonymised patient information from GPs. However, many doctors and patients rights’ advocates launched a legal campaign to pause these plans as they felt that people should be given more of an explanation about what this means, and more time to consider whether or not they wish to opt out.

This scheme has now been delayed until 1st September 2021 (so only by 2 months) and patients have until the 23rd August to opt out.

HOW TO OPT-OUT

The decision to opt-out (the default position is opt-in) is entirely up to each individual patient.

However, please DO NOT contact the practice to discuss it – they would be overwhelmed if everyone called them!

 

Community Services Strategy

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides a wide range of health services, including district nurses, health visitors and community hospitals. They are currently working on a Community Services Strategy and want to hear from people about their experiences with community services, and their views on how they might be improved.

Community Services Strategy Informtion (Some of it is quite long, and not particularly reader-friendly - some of it is written in NHS management speak).

They are planning to run some workshops, via zoom, during July. The dates they currently have planned are:

  • 19th July 10-12
  • 20th July 3-5
  • 22nd July 5-7

However, depending on how many people express an interest in being involved they are happy to run more sessions if needed.

If you would like to be included please send them an email and they will provide further information about the sessions.

 

Living Well with Long Term Health Conditions

On 26th May we had a zoom PPG meeting with Dr Caroline Potter to discuss her research project on Living Well with Long Term Health Conditions. Dr Potter gave a presentation about her new research project and asked some our views. She posed the following questions:

  1. What kinds of support do people need to live well with multiple long-term health conditions?

(Where are the right research sites?)

  1. How do we know ‘what works’ to support people living well?

(What do good outcomes of integrated care services look like?)

  1. What is the best way to identify potential research participants and ask them to take part in research?

  1. Would you be willing to take part in these types of research methods? Why or why not?

  • Complete a survey online
  • Complete a survey in paper form
  • Do an interview in-person
  • Do an interview by phone or video call
  • Take part in a group discussion
  • Be observed during a support activity

If you would be interested in contributing to this research you can either let Elaine Cohen know or contact Dr Potter by email

 

Next meeting

There is currently no date for the next meeting – but if you have topics you would like to discuss email them to Elaine

We can arrange something in September.

Elaine Cohen

PPG Chair

Published: Jun 28, 2021