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BUNGAY MEDICAL PRACTICE PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP
REPORT of the PRG Committee Meeting held on Monday 28 January 2013 at
4.30 pm in the Conference Room, Bungay Medical Practice.
Present: Betty Barnes, Lawrie Cannard, Pauline Crosby, Brenda Flaxman, Jenny
Hyams, John McVicar, Dave O’Neill, Jim Smyth, Heather Stockton, Christina
Welham
In attendance: Sarah Harris (Practice Manager)
1. Welcome
JH welcomed Pauline Crosby to the Committee.
2. Apologies for absence
There were no apologies for absence. The resignations of Alan Rudd and Sophie
Adams were noted.
3. Minutes of the last meetings (26 November 2012)
Confirmed as a correct record.
4. Matters arising
(i) News from your local NHS: JH reported the response from HealthEast
explaining why it is not possible to have a wider distribution of the broadsheet. The
Committee agreed that it should be suggested to HealthEast that this could be
achieved by putting copies in outlets such as local supermarkets and POs, and by
giving practices a larger number of copies.
(ii) Repeat prescription requests: SH explained the new policy for ordering
repeat prescriptions, whereby patients now have to either use the repeat request slip at
the bottom of their prescriptions, or order repeats on line. SH said that she has taken
this up with Dispensary, to try to establish an ‘appeals procedure’ for those rural
patients who could be exempted from the new policy.
5. Patient Survey 2012
JH explained the requirements on PPGs and practices for the annual patient survey, as
laid down in the current Patient DES (Directed Enhanced Service), and the procedure
for the next stages of the patient survey. She directed the Committee to the PRG link
on the practice website for the full report on the 2011 patient survey, as a reference
point, and reminded members that they had already received her initial summary of
the analysis of the 2012 patient survey from cfep UK Surveys. Some draft
recommendations on the main areas of concern were distributed, for consideration. It
was agreed that as the patient survey is one of the key areas for patient groups’ input,
a meeting should be held, on Wednesday 6 February at 2.00 pm in the practice,

specifically to address the outcomes of the 2012 patient survey and to formulate
recommendations to the practice.
6. PRG recruitment
JH reported that there are currently two vacancies on the Committee. JS and JMcV
have indicated that they would be willing to draft a recruitment package. This needs
to be done in the near future, to satisfy the requirement of the Patient DES.
7. Practice Report (SH)
(i) Staffing
Dr Pippa Harold will be joining the practice at the end of February, working
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
Samantha Downing will be joining the practice in February, replacing Senior
Practice Nurse Sue Barker, but not as Lead Diabetic Nurse
the practice is advertising for 10 hrs p/w maternity cover for one of the
Receptionists
(ii) GP recruitment
This is an ongoing rural East Anglian problem, and the practice will still be one GP
down when Dr Harold joins at the end of February. HealthEast is looking at ways in
which the GP training posts could be made more attractive to potential candidates, eg
a joint training post with the JPUH.
(iii) Winter pressure money
HealthEast has made ‘Winter Pressure Money’ available till the end of March, so that
practices can employ a locum in the mornings, thereby enabling the GPs to carry out
their visits.
(iii) Practice list size
The practice has had a larger than usual influx of new patients because a neighbouring
practice has reduced its practice area, and this will increase workload for the practice.
(iv) Home Visits
Patients’ disinclination to consider coming to the practice for an acute problem when
possible, and LTC patients’ disinclination to consider coming to the practice via free
community transport for their LTC checks, continue to cause a considerable problem
for the practice, not least in the knock-on effect this has on the appointments system,
ie three surgery consultations, with all the necessary equipment to hand, can be
offered in the time it takes a doctor to do one home visit. LTC patients have been
assessed for their ability to come to the practice, and letters re both acute visits and
LTC visits have been sent out to all patients, to little effect.

8. HealthEast Patient Participation Group Forum
JH and JMcV reported on the inaugural meeting held on 3 December (the Minutes are
available if anyone would like to see them). The next meeting is on Monday 11
February, 2.00 – 4.00 pm, at HealthEast’s HQ.
9. Health presentations
The presentation by our Health Trainers on Thursday 17 January had to be cancelled
because of the weather. It will now take place on Thursday 21 March. A possible
programme of future health presentations will be considered at the PRG meeting on
18 March.
10. Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Service Strategy Consultation
on mental health services
The Committee formally ratified the comments sent to the NSFT to meet the due date
for comment of 21 January. JH reported that she had subsequently been made aware
that this consultation document was an internal staff consultation; this was not
apparent on the document. However, the NSFT CEO has taken the PRG’s comments
on board and has offered to come and address our concerns. It was unanimously
agreed to invite a representative from the NSFT to speak at the PRG AGM/Open
Evening on 18 April, together with the practice’s lead GP for mental health and the
practice’s Link worker.
11. Palliative Care Initiative
JH reported that HealthEast is launching a campaign in March to raise public
awareness re end of life issues, to be called ‘The Difficult Conversation Day’.
HealthEast is keen to involve patients, carers and the general public and invited them
to express an interest, which JH has done on behalf of the PRG.
12. Local Health News – for information
(i) Birthing service: a new service to help women deliver breech babies
naturally at the JPUH is in line for a national award
(ii) HealthEast: has been given the formal go-ahead by the NHS Commissioning
Board to take over clinical commissioning services in Waveney from April this year
(iii) Dementia care training: more than 150 community nurses and healthcare
assistants from East Coast Community Healthcare have signed up for special training
to improve the care offered to patients with dementia.
(iv) Louise Hamilton Centre: the £1.5m centre is now ready to open, providing
support for those on the east coast affected by terminal illness (more information
available at www.palliative-care-east.org.uk)

13. Dates of next meetings
Committee Meeting
Monday 18 March 2013 at 4.30 pm
AGM
Thursday 18 April 2013 at 6.30 pm.
14. AOB
(i) Healthwatch: JH reported that she has been elected on to the Healthwatch
Implementation Executive, the body which is overseeing the transition from Suffolk
LINks to Healthwatch Suffolk. This appointment is as an individual and not as a PRG
representative, but Healthwatch will be an effective organisation for patient groups to
relate to and to receive information from, will provide the public with a single point of
contact from which to raise concerns and complaints about services and will also give
local communities a greater say in how health and social care services are planned,
commissioned, delivered and monitored. Local Healthwatch organisations will feed
into Healthwatch England, which will be a statutory part of the CQC (Care Quality
Commission).
(ii) Halesworth Health: JH and JMcV reported on the exhibition which showed
the proposals and plans for the new nursing home and drop-in Information & Support
Centre.
(iii) Patient transport: JH reported that – as reported in the Beccles & Bungay
Journal on 18 January - there is apparently a crisis caused by the 2011 eligibility
criteria, which is putting community transport schemes under enormous pressure, and
also means that some older patients who cannot afford community transport are
allegedly not attending OP appointments. It was agreed to talk to HealthEast about
this, and to run the current criteria and any further information in the March
Newsletter.