Who are we?     What do we do?     How can I influence change in Penkridge and communicate my views?     Summary of our work in the last year

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What is Patient Link and Who are they?

Patient Link is an independent Patient Participation Group linked to the practice, whose purpose is to help improve communications between patients, their carers and the doctors and staff of the practice.

We are a group of local residents (current members listed below) with an interest in the quality and range of services offered at the practice, and keen to support the doctors and staff in making improvements in response to local needs.

The Group's officers for 2008 are:   Chair:  Amanda Parkyn Tel: 714520    Secretary:  Ruth Goodison Tel: 713246

What does Patient Link do?

We meet regularly both as an independent group and in discussion with doctors and the practice manager.  During our first year we were involved in giving practical support following the practice's move to new premises in Pinfold Lane.  We also helped to develop a patient information leaflet which will be issued to all new patients.  In the coming year, we plan to focus on gaining the views of a wider range of patients as to whether the practice meets and whether there are changes that could make an improvement.

How you can influence change in Penkridge

If you have a suggestion or concern about practice services, the group is keen to hear from you.  Just contact one of our officers, or any of our members.  A list of current members of the group, with their phone numbers, is given below.  OR, if you are ONLINE, click on "Have Your Say" below.

Patient Link also wants to broaden its representation.  In particular, we are seeking additional members from the following groups:
   People in their teens and twenties
   parents with young children
   carers of those with special needs
so that their perspectives can be reflected in our work.  To find out more, contact our Chair or Secretary.

Current Members of Patient Link in Penkridge for the year 2008/2009 are:

Barbara Boote            01785 780118
Roger Carder                       712193
Kate Cartmel                       712690
Monica Collier                      712227
Sandra Crowther
Gordon Files                        712665
Sheila Finn                          716018
Ruth Goodison (Secretary)     713246
Peter Jones                         713227
Amanda Parkyn (Chair)          714520
Howard Stemp                     713961
Caroline Whalley                   710879

CHAIR’S REPORT ON THE GROUP’S FIRST YEAR, 2007 – 8

It gives me great pleasure to report on the first year of the group since it became independent, at the request of the doctors of Penkridge Medical Practice, in January 2007. At our first, exploratory meeting, which was attended by 8 of the 9 members who made up the patient participation group, as it was then known, we agreed that we should proceed as an independent group for at least one year, and see if we served a useful purpose. I agreed to chair the group for this period, and Ruth Goodison volunteered to act as secretary. At our request, the Practice agreed to provide us with a small budget of £100 p.a. to cover fees for meeting rooms away from the practice, and other incidental expenses. We recognised that membership of the group was not representative of the community we serve, and that we should actively seek more men and younger members to join us, as well as those with direct experience of disabilities and/or as carers. We identified, as modest aims for 2007, to concentrate our efforts on:

• Improving the information available to patients on the practice

• Starting to become an effective mouthpiece for the community, in our work with the practice

Since then, we have held a further three meetings at Haling Dene, to plan and progress action, and three meetings with the doctors and practice manager at the Medical practice for consultation, discussion and agreeing actions.

During the year we have welcomed new members Caroline Whalley, Gordon Files and Sandra Crowther.

The year has been an important one for the practice and the community, with the opening in May of the new premises in Pinfold Lane, providing us with opportunities for work in our new role. Our first efforts were in supporting the Practice in the open evenings held: we ensured the distribution of publicity around Penkridge and surrounding villages and in the press; we created a new leaflet, Information for patients about the new surgery (including on the temporary road closures, so unfortunately timed!); and we took the opportunity to create one on our group, in order to raise our profile. We distributed these two leaflets to visitors as part of their welcome to the open evenings at the practice, which were very well attended.

Issues that we have followed up with the practice following the opening have been:

• Exploring, with the Parish council, the feasibility of creating pedestrian access through the burial ground directly to the practice; this however has not proved possible so far, though County Highways (responsible for footpaths) are now being asked if they can help

• Assisting patients in learning how to operate the new appointment check-in system; this was seen as helpful however further work needs to be done in order to ‘spread the word’ more widely

We then turned our efforts to patient information. First we reviewed the existing 5 patient information leaflets, and with the agreement of the practice, drafted one, more comprehensive booklet, based on a national model. This runs to 8 A4 pages and covers all aspects of the running of the practice. With minor amendments, it has been adopted by the practice and is now going forward for printing, hopefully in A5 booklet format. It will be made available to all new patients, as well as on request at reception and on the practice’s website. This latter we have also reviewed; it appears to be working well and we have made a few suggestions. We are also planning to create our own web page, based within the Penkridge.org site, with links to the practice site. As websites can easily go out of date and become less useful, it will be important for us to monitor these on a continuing basis.

In conclusion, we have sought to establish ourselves as independent from but working constructively with the Medical practice, and I believe we have shown that we serve a useful purpose and have made a start upon which we can build. It was pleasing at our most recent meeting with the doctors to hear their appreciation for our work over our first year. It only remains for me to say that I have enjoyed working with all members of the group over the year, and have appreciated everyone’s support, in particular that of our hon. Secretary Ruth Goodison, who has worked hard to keep us on track with agendas and minutes and the important task of communication between us.

Chair - Amanda Parkyn