Minutes of meeting of patient participation group held on 11. 11. 2014

Dr A Farrell (GP)

Dr Shazia Khan (GP)

Janine Town (Practice Manager)

Susan Savage (Assistant Practice Manager)

Jacquie Crowder (Practice Nurse)

Lorraine Windsor (Health Care Assistant)
Malcolm Stokes

Mary Blayney

Jean Tate

Margaret Pollard

Margaret Tayler

Julia Palacios

Donald Hallatt

Dr Khan welcomed everyone and did the introductions.

Everyone was reminded of the ground rules.

Dr Liu announced the merger between Abbey Medical Centre and Moor Grange Surgery in April 2015.

He said there were a lot of changes in the NHS leading to increased demand and workloads.

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  The merger would allow us to cope better with the increased work load
  
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  Doctors were spending more time doing non-clinical work reducing the number of appointments available
  
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  It was increasingly difficult for small practices to offer a good service
  

Dr Liu also announced Holt Park Health Centre would be closed from April 2015 (the Health Centre would remain open for all other services but would no longer be the branch surgery for us). Dr Liu said he hoped that most of the Holt Park patients would want to stay with us.

There are approximately 2,500 patients registered at Holt Park and they would have the opportunity to register at Abbey Medical Centre and Moor Grange Surgery. Dr Liu said they realised that this would not be convenient for every patient and he said they were able to register with another surgery closer to them if this would be more convenient (other surgery lists in the area were open to new patients).

The group asked various questions;

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  The Practice would have approximately 9,000 patients
  
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  Patients would be able to use either surgery as they would be registered with the Practice and not an individual surgery
  
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  Patients would be able to see any doctor
  
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  The surgery would be open from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday (as it is now).
  
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  The Practice area and boundary would not be changing
  

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  Parking at Moor Grange was on the street with plenty of parking and no restrictions.
  
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  There were several bus routes from Holt Park to Moor Grange.
  
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  All clinical staff would work from both sites
  
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  More appointment would be available when the merger happens.
  
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  We will be looking in to a new telephone system for all patients to access over both sites.
  
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  Letters would be sent to all the Holt Park patients and other local surgeries, pharmacies, etc.
  

The Group asked if it was due to financial reasons that Holt Park would be closed.

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  Dr Liu said it was due to having to staff all 3 sites which would not be practical.
  
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  Dr Farrell said they had considered all possibilities.
  

The Group asked why Moor Grange could not be moved to Holt Park Health Centre.

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  Dr Liu explained Holt Park was Abbey Medical Centre’s branch surgery and therefore Moor Grange would remain in their own premises.
  

The Group had no further questions.

The Group were asked to complete a survey regarding the proposed changes.