Patient Participation Group. Louth:  

Your opinion counts:

Patients Comments

"Me and my friend have both used the clinic and everyone is lovely and very welcoming. Now my friend has joined Newmarket Surgery too. Thank you."  - Mrs. J & Miss C

"Loved the Christmas tree in the waiting room. It was lovely and smelt good too. Thank you for your efforts to cheer us all up." - An INR Patient

Your Suggestions         

We have Suggestion Boxes in both waiting rooms and listen to our patient's comments. These are discussed and actioned at our Patient Participation Group meetings. Below are your suggestions that we have received and implemented. 

You said

"White lines in car park need repainting please"

We have had the lines repainted in the car park

"A water drink machine in the waiting room"

We have had a water machine drink machine installed in the waiting room for patients

"More seating, fewer leaflets"

We have tidied the waiting room, reducing the number of leaflets & organised the chairs. Someone is now in charge of keeping in oversight of this. Each month we promote a medical topic with the relevant leaflets for support. Have a look next time you are in our waiting room what the topic is. If any patients require leaflets that are not found in the waiting room, please ask at reception.

" Higher chairs for hip suffers wanted to be of some help!"

We have put chairs with arms in the waiting room these would be better suited for patients with such problems.

" Please, can someone check the spelling on the overhead screen? eg. Calendar, not Calender!"

 We have amended and updated this.

"Please allow much more time for displaying patient appointments on the board in the waiting room, so that patients can read and remember the room numbers they have to go to.  Some patients are slow at getting up off the chairs and those accompanying them do not have time to read the board because they are assisting them up."

We unable to lengthen the time period of a name being displayed on the screen so the clinicians will call the patient twice.

"You need an air freshener in the waiting room."

We have had the carpet cleaned and an air freshener is placed in the waiting room now.

"Recorded message when you phone the surgery takes too long and makes one feel the line is engaged. Don't most people know that should dial 999 in a real emergency! Is this message really necessary?"

We are legally required to provide this message to our patients when they call the Surgery. We have reviewed the message and only vital information remains on the message.

"A queueing system for the 8 am appointments would be a great help, instead of endless redialing."

"Ringing the surgery in the morning is frustrating for the elderly, who do not have a redial button and annoying for young, who traveling to work and are trying to book an appointment. Is it not possible to arrange for a couple of extra telephone lines and part-time telephonist between 8-9am? It would make a tremendous difference to your patients in being able to talk to a human being rather than an automation."

We realise that the busiest time on the telephone is in the mornings and we regularly review the appointment system to provide the best for our patients. We have several incoming lines that are manned. It is important that once you hear the recorded message that you stay on the line as you are in a queue and you will shortly speak to one of our receptionist. Many do not realise that if you put the phone down and redial you are placing yourself further back in the queue. Unfortunately, BT cannot indicate your number in the queue.

" We were all wondering who was next in the queue to have our blood taken. We had to ask each other what numbers were on our cards. Thought it would be a better idea to have holes in the cards so that you could hook the number on the wall when your number was called. Then everyone can then see who is next."

Thanks for that suggestion. We have now put up a plastic holder on the wall for patients to place their numbered card as they are called by the phlebotomist.

Have a card printed with all your various telephone numbers on, about the size of a business card so that we have all the relevant numbers in one place."

We have had this done. If you would like one they are available at the reception desk, help yourself.

"Please clarify your appointment system"

Clarification is in our latest newsletter

 " Doctors should come and fetch patients from the waiting room."

Unfortunately, time doesn't  allow this luxury, however, we have asked them to meet you at their door

" Would pre-booked appointments be an idea instead of a sit & wait blood clinic?"

We already provide pre-booked appointments running alongside the "Sit & Wait"

" Air conditioning in the waiting room please"

 We have had this, just ask at reception

"Please provide water cups in the waiting room that stand up"

The cone cups have chosen in the interests of keeping the waiting room tidy 

 Have YOU got a comment or suggestion? Fill in a slip and drop your view(s) in our suggestion box located in our waiting roo

Patient Participation Group. Tetford:  

The group was set up in November 2013 and we have 10 members:

Sue Walker – Chair

George Marshall – Deputy Chair

Peter Foster – Member

Janet Harwood – Member

June Mac Innes – Member

Marie Newmarch – Member

Sue Oliver – Member

Margaret Shubert – Member

John Taylor – Member

Jane Williams – Member

Diane Fathers – Member

The Group meets every quarter at the Practice, and discusses a range of topics including Surgery business, topical health issues and local news. Please see a list of our meeting minutes below:

Meeting of 8.11.18.docx

Meeting of 4.4.18 (Patient Survey results reviewed and action plan agreed)

Meeting of 6.12.17

Meeting of 9.8.17

Meeting of 17.5.17

Meeting of 8.2.17 (Patient Survey results reviewed and action plan agreed)

Meeting of 2.11.16

Meeting of 3.8.16

Meeting of 4.5.16

Meeting of 24.2.16

Meeting of 7.10.15

Meeting of 15.4.15

Meeting of 7.1.15

Meeting of 15.10.14

Meeting of 9.7.14

Meeting of 26.3.14

Meeting of 27.11.13

Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday 4th July 2018 at 2.30pm. If you would like your patient representatives to share something on your behalf; please leave it in an envelope addressed to the PPG at Reception.