Meeting: Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 03/07/2006 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A8 Issues from Patient and Public Involvement Forums (a) North East Ambulance Service(b) Sedgefield PCT
3 July 2006
Patient Forums - North East Ambulance Service
Report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny
Purpose of Report
1. To explain the annual report of the North East Ambulance Service Patient and Public Involvement Forum for 2005/6.
Background
2. The North East Ambulance Service Patient Forum has produced an annual report for 2005/6. This Forum is currently supported by the North of Tyne Patients’ Voice.
3. The Forum has looked at the following issues this year:-
Ambulance Station inspections. The impact of Choose and Book. Maternity services review. Rural ambulance services. The effect of GP out of hours services on emergency services.
4. The future work programme includes:-
Cleanliness and ambulances. Implication and impact of service changes. Community health promotion. Training. Rural transport issues.
Recommendation
5. You are asked to note this information.
Contact: Ian Mackenzie
3rd July 2006
Sedgefield Patient and Public Involvement Forum
Report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny
Purpose of Report
1. To explain the Annual Report and future Work Plan for the Sedgefield Patient Forum provided by the Forum Co-ordinator, Jane King.
Background
2. At a public meeting on the 30th May, the PPI Forum signed off its annual report and work plan for the year to come.
3. The annual report details the Forum’s achievements and activities during the last year. The main points are as follows :-
The Forum held 5 public meetings during the year with speakers giving presentations of interest to the public. A meeting in Chilton about plans to develop a new health centre for the village, held in September 2005, was particularly well attended with 22 local people present.
The Forum have been involved with Halgarth Surgery in Shildon as it has been taken over by a private company called Intrahealth. The Forum held a public meeting in Shildon where 8 members of the public and Forum members raised concerns about difficulties caused by a new phone system and getting appointments. 2 Forum members have also participated in the patient group at the surgery and were pleased to see concerns being addressed and a plan of action put in place.
The Forum has looked at the new Integrated Team based in Trimdon, which provides a service for adults who need assistance as a result of illness or disability. The team is staffed by representatives of social services, the PCT and housing and provides service users with a single contact point and assessment to provide all services required. As well as obtaining information about the service, members have made 2 visits to the Team and received a presentation from the Service User and Carers Forum detailing feedback from service users. The Forum is pleased to report that the Team is providing an excellent and swift service.
A major piece of work has been visits to the Urgent Care Centre at Bishop Auckland Hospital to complete a patient survey with people waiting to see a doctor via the Out of Hours service. From talking to 48 patients, it would appear that people are generally happy with the clinical service they receive but the survey raised a number of issues about waiting times, the environment in the Urgent Care Centre and the provision of information and signs. Since the Annual Report was produced, Forum members have met with representatives from the PCT to discuss the findings and recommendations made by the PPI Forum as a result.
The Forum has assisted several GP surgeries in Sedgefield Borough to set up patient groups.
Forum members have attended meetings of the Community Safety Substance Misuse Task Group to try and improve facilities for the disposal of needles used by injecting drug users. Forum members also developed a questionnaire on the issue for injecting drug users to express their views and have asked agencies working with such people to distribute it. However, there has been limited success in getting these questionnaires returned.
Forum members have participated in a variety of PCT steering groups and committees, representing the views of patients and the public. These have included the Public Involvement Steering Group, the Professional Executive Committee, Board Meetings, Healthcare Governance Committee & The Primary Care Commissioning Group.
The Forum has undertaken an important role in monitoring what changes the PCT have implemented as a result of Listening Events they have organised during the past 18 months.
Forum members have been involved in a wide range of NHS consultations on issues such as the PCT reconfiguration, the Tees Review, changes to Urology services in County Durham, the Haematology review, Your Health, Your Care, Your Say, mobile podiatry service and others.
The Forum have organised and facilitated 3 very successful health events with pupils in schools. These events were an opportunity to provide information on healthy lifestyles, find out what young people feel are important issues for their health and to try healthy snacks and fruit smoothies.
4. The Work Plan for the year to come features the following topics :-
Development of new health centres across Sedgefield Borough
Talking and listening to Asian people and travellers living in Sedgefield Borough to find out how they experience PCT services
Looking at the services provided by the 4 other Integrated Teams recently set up across the Borough and what is available to carers of people using this service
Encouraging more GP surgeries to set up Patient Groups
Looking at the issue of GP appointments and the Out of Hours service by participating in a countywide group of PPI Forum members.
Looking at certain services for older people such as continuing care provided in residential nursing settings, the continence service, palliative/end of life care and medicine management.
5. Finally, the report also details work that has taken place to prepare for the PCT reconfiguration in October 2006. As legislation determining the work of PPI Forums states that each NHS Trust has one Forum, when the 5 existing PCTs in County Durham become one, the same process applies to the 5 connected Forums. PPI Sedgefield Forum members have participated in 2 events to prepare for this and early indications suggest that Forum members across County Durham would like to continue working in locality groups along existing boundaries as well as operating as one Forum for the whole of County Durham. 2 working groups consisting of representatives of the 5 Forums have also been set up to look at Out of Hours services across the county and the situation regarding getting a GP appointment.
6. A full copy of the report is available if members of the Sub-Committee would like one.
Recommendation
7. You are asked to note this information.
Contact: Ian Mackenzie
Attachments
Sedgefield PPI - 3 July.pdf;
Patient Forums - NE Ambulance Service.pdf