Patient Participation Group

Latest Meeting Minutes

• Wednesday 8th of July (Face to Face Meeting) 1pm to 2pm

Update on Services

Routine Appointments

It was explained that the surgery is considering how it handles routine appointments for patients. The surgery is working hard to explore options to reduce waiting times and manage contractual pressures. The surgery wants to remain inclusive for all patients.

Red Weather Warning

The recent red heat warning was a new experience for the surgery as the surgery is familiar with cold weather alerts but less so with heat warnings. The practice remained open and did not move to remote working.

Patients were advised they could change face-to-face appointments to phone calls or if they felt it was unsafe to travel. They were also encouraged to wear comfortable clothing.

Text messages were sent out to patients, which was well-received. The surgery has a few air-conditioned rooms. Installing air conditioning throughout the building is difficult due to being in a conservation area and infection prevention regulations regarding airflow in clinical areas and it would be costly. The building's design retains heat effectively, which is beneficial in winter but challenging in summer.

Transport

A question is being raised at the council's Transport and Connectivity meeting regarding the delay in a decision on the car park charges. Objections have been summarised, and the Council may still proceed with charging. It is possible the Westbury-On-Trym Society may challenge any such TRO outcome.

The developers of the Carlton Court application (Churchill Living) declined to conduct an on-street parking survey as requested by the Council’s Transport Management officers. The Westbury-On-Trym Society will conduct its own such survey to assess on-street parking issues.

A bid for Council funding for a zebra crossing on Stoke Lane has passed the first stage of assessment. However, the estimated cost is now around £100,000, significantly more than the £35,000 budget suggested, making its future dependent on finding additional funding. We await the Council’t assessment on whether this might be done.

It was suggested that local MP Darren Jones be contacted regarding the parking issues. Darren did comment previously on the Carlton Court application but to his knowledge has not been contacted recently

Working Groups

Digital Inclusion:

The digital inclusion subgroup, discussed how to encourage hesitant patients to use digital communication. The focus will be on promoting the benefits of using the surgery website and the Accurx form as the best way to contact the surgery.

There is a contradiction on the current form which states "Do not use this form for appointment," which is confusing for patients. This is a known issue that may be resolved by September.

The group plans to separate the promotion of the NHS app from the surgery website, focusing on the website first. Communication strategies will consider using familiar analogies (e.g., comparing online forms to email) to reduce resistance.

It was acknowledged that there will always be a need to cater for patients who cannot or will not use digital services.

The group discussed where to provide digital support sessions, suggesting community hubs like Canford Bowling Hub or Henbury Golf Club, rather than the surgery itself, to attract more people.

The use of electronic check-in screens for booking was discussed but is limited by technology and only captures patients who already have appointments.

Website: The flu and Covid vaccine pages on the website have been updated for the upcoming season. A link will be circulated with the minutes for review.

Review of 25/26 Complaints and Compliments

An analysis of complaints and compliments was presented. Concerns/complaints have trended upwards over the years, partly due to better recording of all feedback, not just formal complaints. Compliments were down in the last year, and a push is needed to log them to maintain staff morale.

The main categories for complaints were appointments/availability and communication. The increase in appointment-related complaints has fed into the decision to change the booking system.

Of the complaints received, a number were not upheld. Many related to issues outside the surgery's direct control, such as the NHS app functionality or hospital waiting times.

Learning outcomes from complaints have been actioned, including: adding early morning blood test availability to the care navigator software, a new process for contacting patients after a failed call attempt and ensuring paper documents for one patient are kept together.

Complaints are reviewed by a non-clinical lead (currently Catherine Farrington), a clinical lead (Dr Kate Jenkins), and the wider team for significant issues. The ICB can be involved as a third party.

BMA ballot for GPs

The BMA is balloting GPs on "Plan B," which could involve introducing private services or means-tested subscriptions, similar to dentistry. This was viewed as a potential bargaining tool to secure better NHS funding, but concerns were raised about it undermining the principles of the NHS and being open to abuse.

Patient Board Newsletter

Content for the next patient board newsletter was discussed. Suggestions included an article on volunteer driving, statistics on the spring Covid vaccine programme, and an overview of additional services available within the practice.

Phone massage/service, AVT

The phone call-back service is working well for both patients and the practice. It was clarified that urgent appointments can be booked from 8:00am, not 8:30am.

AOB

A member raised a concern about the "advice and guidance" model, where GPs are expected to manage complex cases with minimal specialist input, potentially leading to delays and being unsafe for patients. The closure of the Bristol referral service is part of this trend.

The issue of "ghost patients" and list cleansing was discussed. The practice is seeing a massive increase in requests (FP69s) to verify patient addresses, creating a significant administrative burden. The reduction of the confirmation period from 90 to 30 days adds pressure. This process risks incorrectly de-registering vulnerable patients. This issue is not specific to Westbury-On-Trym Primary Care Centre and represents a wider concern within Primary Care. It was also noted that the word ‘cleansing’ is an inappropriate choice from NHSE.

The new pharmacy is reportedly doing well.

It was reported that the Bristol Trust may be planning to reduce A&E services to a single site for the whole of Bristol. This has caused significant concern about capacity, especially given the already high numbers of patients in A&E.

Next Meeting

15th October 2026

Meeting closed.