Attendees

David Owen-Smith (DO-S), Dr Rob Russ (RR), David Burn (DB), Marcus Lapthorn (ML), Richard May (RM), Emily Norton (EN), Graham Hall (GH, Chair), Marian Hall (MH, Minutes)

Apologies

Dr Kerrin Masterman, ,Angela Sammut, Ann Sadler, Sarah Oliver, Douglas Dalrymple, Kimberly Morgan

1.1 The meeting began at 6:30 pm and RR joined a few minutes later. GH welcomed all, especially Malcolm Higgins, who was attending as an observer and prospective member.

1.2 Apologies were received and noted, as above.

2.1 Minutes of the Meeting of 03/12/2019. Two amendments were made: 1) to item 3.2 VoWH Health and Wellbeing, where £106 million was corrected to read £6 million and 2) to item 5.5 Proposed Faringdon Health Festival, where the final sentence of the first paragraph was amended to read: ‘Sadly, this event was not well attended as it took place away from the town centre ‘, i.e. Witney. The Minutes of the meeting were then accepted and signed off by the Chair. There were no matters arising.

3.1 Practice related: Patient Care. Primary Care Network update. ML reported on the email he had received from Dr Masterman, following the concerns which many Oxfordshire doctors had raised with NHSE about funding for the new PCNs (Primary Care Networks). The concern was that their GP practices would each have a shortfall of c.£100,000 p.a. ML undertook to forward the email he had received from Kerrin Masterman as the Clinical Director of the WHMP/Botley PCN, for inclusion in these Minutes. This email is reproduced below.

Quote: ‘I’m pleased to report that NHSE appear to have genuinely listened to the negative feedback to the draft contract and they have made considerable changes. In short, the targets have been either watered down or pushed back a year and the funding has increased such that the new roles are now 100% funded (save for management/ training/ supervision costs). I went to the national PCN conference last weekend and the mood was much more optimistic (though it should be noted the LMC* in Oxfordshire remains more cautious). Our main current issue as a PCN, is where to house any additional staff! We do have some options/strategies with regard to this, though all are likely to take a bit of time’. End of quote.

• LMC = Local Medical Council

At this point, Rob Russ joined the meeting and gave further information, as follows:

• Kerrin Masterman is now co-chair of the Oxfordshire Clinical Directors Committee (which is a committee of all the Clinical Directors in Oxfordshire). This obviously involves much additional work for him, as well as that for his own patients, the WHMP/Botley PCN, and his partnership responsibilities within WHMP.
• David Owen-Smith is now a WHMP/Botley PCN board member.
• In the current financial year, some of the OCCG money for the WHMP/Botley PCN, has not been spent, so will be held in reserve or until spent.

3.2 and 3.3 (taken together) COVID-19/Coronavirus, with reference to Government policy and WHMP preparations.

• Operational continuity plans have been made, in readiness for use. These are being reexamined, whenever the need arises.
• As yet, there have been relatively few instructions from the Government. New laws will need to be passed to enable some of these instructions to be implemented.
• The main advice for those with flu-like symptoms is to call 111 and not to go to their Medical Centre or to A&E. Advice from 111 is constantly updated, which can result in differing advice being given, even at different times, on the same day.
• In any event, we would continue to follow Government advice.
• WHMP had seven patients who were self-isolating, as of Friday, 28/2.
• In the event of widespread shop closures, the Government would have to organise home food deliveries.
• Coronavirus is droplet borne rather than airborne. Hence the advice to wash hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds, preferably using soap and water.
• In the event that the Practice needed a COVID-19 lead, this would probably be Becky Eyre, one of our most experienced nurses.
• Some suggestions were made as to how WHMP (not the PPG) might circulate patient updating information.

4.1 Practice Related: Operational

• As a ‘leapling’ Gavin Bartholomew is set for retirement on March 31st. How should the PPG mark this? This would be decided in the context of other events around his retirement.
• Ann Sadler leaves us at the end of March. She is currently working part-time, as Finance Manager. DO-S spoke appreciatively of her experience and helpfulness.
• Ann’s replacement in this role will be Martha Shalom-Aviela. She is due to start next Monday, 08 March. She is currently studying for an MSc in accountancy and will initially work with Ann Sadler.
• Our new Practice Manager is Angela Sammut. She had worked in the RAF for 22 years and her husband is serving in the RAF, currently in the USA.
• Business planning: The aim is to ‘put our house in order’ organisationally, by the end of June. Then, proceed with a programme of development, from a sound starting point.
• DO-S is in the process of retrieval of the use of the lower floor of the building, currently sublet to Oxford Health. We need to have this space back. DO-S has submitted an ‘Expression of Interest’ to OCCG for refurbishment and redesign of this space.
• We are five years away from the end of the main lease of the building from PHI Properties, a part of Nexus, which has itself been recently taken over. There is not expected to be any difficulty about the renewal because of the large cost of converting the building to any other use by the Landlord. Indeed, this should give us some bargaining power.
• When the time comes, there might well be scope for some input from the PPG with regard to business planning.

5. PPG Team Updates

5.1 Spring issue of Healthy Times

• Will be ready for distribution by 03 April.
• There will also be an electronic version.
• The five main articles will be as follows:
  1. Partners’ article covering Dr Bartholomew’s retirement, the new Partner Dr Law, and the Team Leaders structure.
  2. New specialist PCN staff for Social Prescribing and Diagnostic physio, plus Clinical Pharmacist and Physician Associates.
  3. Health Festival.
  4. Survey results and how to comment on WHMP’s performance.
  5. Competition to design new WHMP branding and logo.
  6. Plus, a STOP PRESS on coronavirus/Covid-19.

5.2 Car Parking

• GH described a recent incident which alerted him to the need for some ‘parent and child’ parking spaces.
• The need for these has already been recognised and will be provided the next time when the repainting of parking spaces is needed.
• We have 64 parking spaces, of which five are for disabled use and 10 contractually reserved for Oxford Health use.
• When/if WHMP regains use of the downstairs floor, these 10 spaces would be retrieved, because the replacement staff would be under WHMP supervision.

5.3 Faringdon Health Fest, Saturday 13 June

• This is a PPG initiative, which has been enthusiastically adopted by the Faringdon Town Council and Sally Thurston, the Town Clerk.
• The Town Council has agreed to cover the cost of Public Liability insurance and the necessary Risk Assessment, etc.
• Some roads will be closed for the duration, i.e. 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• EN has assembled a team, including several PPG members, who have each agreed to handle various aspects of preparations for the event.
• This group meets every two weeks.
• Schools, OAPs, and the Emergency Services will be involved.
• A Travel Clinic might be set up in the old Town Hall, on the WHMP stand, at which screening and MMR vaccinations, might also be provided.
• Richard May is handling arrangements for the Market Square.
• Sarah Oliver (Social Prescriber) has been very helpful.
• DB suggested pamphlets, etc, to publicise the event.
• GH agreed to inform Botley PPG of the event and invite their members to come.
• GH also agreed to manage the WHMP stand - with help from others.
• If WiFi were set up, would there be an issue regarding security?
• James Famakin of the Faringdon Pharmacy is to be asked how he wishes to participate. Actioned by ML. as of 13/03.

5.4 and 5.5

• DO-S said the PPG was an invaluable part of the future of the Practice. The PPG should feel free to invite outside speakers on specific topics to its meetings.
• Prospective PPG members may be invited to our meeting, provided they are recommended by an existing member, without special ‘vetting’.
• It was agreed that we should invite Sarah Oliver to our meetings.

5.6 Invitation from Botley PPG to attend their meeting on Tuesday, 12 May

• The meeting will be at the Botley medical Centre, staring at 6 pm.
• GH will attend - ML and MH would like to attend.
• This led RR to comment that, in due course, there might be a combined PCN PPG, although this would not necessarily replace the separate meetings of the two PPGs, as now.
• DO-S referred to the penultimate meeting of SWOL and the (apparent) ending of SWOLF.
• He said he had heard a comment that the PPGs of some Practices had taken a more proactive approach to their roles within the new PCNs than others; we are one of those.

5.7 Monthly Health Walks

• These take place on the first Tuesday of each month, starting from the Faringdon Medical Centre at 10:00 am, and finishing there at about 10:30, with a cup of tea. Sarah Oliver is usually there, to assist as needed.
• The walks which take place every Wednesday, at 10:30 am, from the town square, were also mentioned. These are for varying distances, allowing for some to walk faster than others. These are now less formal than was originally the case.

5.8 NAPP Bulletins and 2020 Conference

• DO-S said that the lack of these in recent months has apparently been due to the sad demise of the lady who used to compile and circulate them.
• DB undertook to circulate to PPG members the NAPP link, where all past issues of the Bulletin and the proceedings of past NAPP conferences, may be viewed. Already actioned
• The 2020 Conference will take place on 06 June, at the Queens Hotel, Leeds. We need to ascertain who will attend for WHMP. It was suggested that DD should be asked if he wished to go. Action: EN

6. AOB

6.1 GH circulated a print of the PPG Core Members List and asked those present to mark any changes which were needed. The list would be circulated for those who were not present, so they may have an opportunity to make amendments.

6.2 DB mentioned the Healthwatch bulletins and said he would circulate the link so that those who were interested could sign up to receive them. Already actioned RR said that Healthwatch was now more independent than it once was, having been founded (or re-founded) in 2011 as a Government funded charity.

7. Meeting dates for the rest of 2020 are: at 6:30 pm. Tuesdays, 02 June, 01 September, and 01 December.

8. The meeting closed at 08:30 pm.

Circulation: all WHMP PPG members and Sylvia Buckingham of the Botley PPG. (N.B. Sylvia Buckingham’s emails have been hacked and she is having to change her email address. This may delay both her copy of these Minutes and GH’s invitation to the Botley PPG to the Faringdon Health Fest.)

WHMP PPG Who Does What

• David Burn - Honorary Newsletter Editor, Publicity, Electronic notice board.
• Douglas Dalrymple NAPP co-ordinator with EN, with reference to Bulletins and Conferences.
• Graham Hall Leg ulcer treatments, Cognitive impairment in Ageing (FMRIB study). ‘Garfield’ research on Apixaban use. For 5 years past, has acted as a ‘patient’ for examination by student doctors of the University of Oxford Medical School at their Second MB Final Exams.
• Marcus Lapthorn Maternity, County Medical re, Ophthalmology and MSK.
• Richard May Reports on area housing planning applications and developments. Kimberley Morgan Working alongside EN on her projects.
• Emily Norton Dementia coordinator, NAPP Conferences, PPG website emails point of contact and Youth rep.
• Gene Webb PPG website, Communication via faringdon.org, I Live in Faringdon, Next door Faringdon; other village Facebook pages.