About Friends of the Croft

Anyone registered with The Croft Practice who is interested in joining the Group is welcome to do so, and we would appreciate your input and feedback about the services we offer, and possible future plans.

If you would like to know more, or may be interested in joining the committee, please feel free to contact a member of the management team, who will be delighted to give you more information.

Next Meetings

  • Further meeting to be arranged once the New Premises are officially Opened  

Funds raised so far by the Friends of the Croft 

£1690.00

Join Our Patient Group

We are always looking for ways to improve our service to you. To help in this process we would invite you to join our Patient Group.

If you would be interested in participating you can ask at reception.

Confidentiality: the mailing list is maintained by the Practice, and will not be shared with any member of The Croft Patient Group without your expressed consent, in line with GDPR regulations.

SIGN UP TO THE PPG

Friends of The Croft Monthly Meeting

Meeting Date: 10th June 2024

Chair

  • Kevin Allsobrook (KA) – UCP/PPG Lead

Meeting Notetaker

  • DM

Apologies

  • Diane Dalto
  • Lyn Dean
  • Colin Levett-Sealy
  • Adrian Sealy

People Present

  • Marion Hunt 
  • Michael Hunt
  • John Searancke
  • Julie Cruickshank
  • Patrick Dealtry
 

Summary of Discussion

Welcome new attendees

KA starts meeting with item 1 on the agenda – Apologies from LD, DD, CLS and AS. 

No new members present. 

Previous Minutes

It is reported to KA that previous minutes are not on the website, no email was sent with them, no reminders, no information passed to the group. KA supplies a copy of the minutes to view. KA to clarify all IT issues for the future. 

New Premises update

  • New Building being opened by a celebrity is discussed, not the local MP due to history with practice, Who’s better? Prince William!!!
  • Letter to be sent to various people re opening? 
  • Solar panels- KA reiterates this is not happening due to cost, member of the group to do some more digging, SP, SLR pushing it. Was on original planning to be the first Carbon Neutral surgery. TP something that could be funded not by the NHS. Solar panels would save costs- patient’s taxes are paying. Finding possible solar panels over a shade that goes over car park? 
  • Café has been confirmed, veterans team to run the café with no cost to practice, nice for lonely people. KA explains about café and people running it. 
  • 3x tv screens in in waiting room for adverts for patient’s services. Have a roll around screen. Talk of the contract running out for current screen. Why not renew now rather than wait? 
  • Merchandise to be sold? This was not acceptable within the group that was there.
  • Lack of communications and involvement, make the surgery nicer and involves people more. High suspicions of GPs, lack of trust. 
  • KA moves meeting on to item 4 on the agenda, New premises is finished, Keys are handed over in November, and most staff have now visited apart from Kevin!!
  • New road may be completed next week, may take 4/5 days to do.  KA explains everything needs to be taken over, build desk etc, but expecting to be in by Christmas. 
  • Will there be more doctors?  KA explains, practice needs more patients to be able to afford more doctors, KA then explains various appointments to get more money. ?Employing more health care professionals as Dr’s are too expensive. 
  • Why not more communication? People want to know. 
  • People aren’t looking as the information is out there – KA suggests google how is a GP practice funded. 
  • Why use a silly system? Creates a prevention of long time convention, Human contact with a GP. 
  • KA discusses other surgeries having a BP machine, This is something we could have in the future. 
  • Need to communicate this to everyone, How? parish magazine? KA happy to go ahead, email from patient KA to deal with. Happy to interview GP, need to clarify what can be written. 
  • The condition of the premises doesn’t help, the new build provides a lot more opportunity. 
  • Could next meeting be in new build? 
  • Café provider Crimsham Farms, Pagham have offered 4 minibuses with drivers. KA is unsure how this will work at present. 

BMA Contracts

  • KA states he enjoyed reading the information JC provided re BMA contracts, we are waiting on PNC. KA confirms rotas do not have 25 apts, also explaining Dr’s do many other things not just contact with a patient. 
  • Would be good to have a proportion of time i.e 5 mins with patient, 20 mins admin impossible to tell as each patient different.
  • Being seen by a Dr but can only discuss 1 issue. KA explains how he works but cannot speak for other clinicians. 
  • Do we need more Dr’s when KA is half the price? 
  • Are other KA’s available? Are they being trained? 

KA updates group with accounts information

Explains getting the phlebotomy chair. Summer raffle was all paid for, KA explains he has stated a tuck shop raising £75 so far for £40 worth of stock. KA states would like to do a winter raffle, mentions Butlins holiday as a good prize. KA moves onto the lotto raffle idea previously given by AS, explaining £10 a month, half of prize to winner other half to PPG. Needs to be 100 People participating. KA will send link from one in Barnham already running. Have a tie pin etc to show you are a member of it. 

KA has suggested a library in new surgery, 50p a book. Need to start to collect books – donations and swaps. But just an idea to think about. KA asks if anyone else has ideas. None suggested at the time. KA to set up the just giving page HR has put on Facebook. Can it go anywhere else? Website?, KA to send link to PPG as they have no Facebook. 

Raffle

KA shows 16 prizes explaining these are donations only, winners names cannot go on website. 
Raffle is drawn.

A.O.B

KA to send minutes from last meeting to ppg. Also to rely to other emails. KA apologises stating he has been busy. What are the CQC results? KA states where to find the results on the website. 

Staff losses? KA explains PW and KC have left. Why? KA unsure on this but does explain we are recruiting for new nurses.

KA reminded to send emails. 

Confirm date of next meeting

Next meeting: TBC

See our previous meeting minutes

Meeting Date: 2nd February 2024

Chair

  • Kevin Allsobrook (KA) – UCP/PPG Lead

Meeting Notetaker

  • Tammy Strudwick (TS) – Patient Care Coordinator

Apologies

  • Patrick Dealtry
  • Julie Cruickshank
  • Kate Jackson
  • Moira

People Present

  • Lyn Dean
  • John Searancke
  • Adrian Sealy
  • Colin Levett-Sealy
  • Michael Hunt
  • Marion Hunt
  • Diane Dalton
  • Mary Nightingale
 

Summary of Discussion

Welcome new attendees

Welcome to Mary Nightingale.

Previous Minutes

PPG meeting are being minuted again due to this being a requirement for CQC who are coming out next week to inspect the practice on the area we didn’t do so well in last time (well lead).

Opening times have been updated, the website has been updated to reflect this as well as almost anything can now be done or requested electronically.

We are still well ahead of other practices in the area with 3000 more appointments for our patients.

What will happen with Meadowcroft? When we move into new build Meadowcroft may stay open for a while to help with the transition but eventually will close.

Where will those patients go? Avisford? No as far as we are aware Avisford has closed its books to new patients so the existing Yapton patients will come to Eastergate.

Who’s filing all the new rooms? Physio, specialist nurses, more Urgent care practitioners, more GP’s but GP’s will be a gradual thing as they can’t start until the new build is open.

DNA statistics will be placed on the TV screen in reception as part of a rolling adverting board, there will be all sorts of information on there.

Is Meadowcroft still owned by partners? Yes.

Is there a list of volunteers? This is to be discussed but we are hoping to have volunteers for things like flu clinics the way there was volunteers for covid vaccinations.

New Premises update

Roof is now on and lined, scaffolding up, insulation is on, on Monday the cladding will start to go up, this is not predicted to take long therefore possibly mid-February scaffolding will come back down and the  second fix will start. We are still on target for August 2024.

The car park is still in the hands of the contactors. There has been a few accidents in the current car park, no staff except the on the day duty team are allowed to park in there, they are having to park in local residential streets or at the cricket field. Parking on the verges is dangerous as created blind spots. But this won’t be for much longer hopefully.

IT update - Sub group volunteers

Kevin would like to put together some smaller sub groups 2/4 people tops who can focus on social media, the website etc. We have a walk in cervical screening clinic on 24.02.24 that needs to be well advertised. All in agreement this clinic is a great idea and if works others to follow. Kevin has asked for anyone interested to email him. Kevin explains what I want Great Care .org is and how patients can review the clinician a bit like trip adviser.

There have been some messages/links sent out to patients to trial this. The sms service is not working for all patients. Tammy will look into this.

Should minutes be on the website? Discussion around this is held and decided yes they should. It is agreed names will only be at top of minutes in future. 

Sustainability update

Kevin has been doing a lot of research into this, Solar panels, Batteries, Kevin will be applying for as many grants as possible to assist with this aspect of the new build, Kevin asks if anyone has any knowledge or able to help with this. Can definitely help with researching websites.

Why are solar panels being spoken about now? Because the Health authority will want to build for minimal costs, therefore grants will be needed for the extras like solar panels. Would it be an option to have the wiring in place ready for solar panels, batteries etc then attach when all in place? Kevin to look into this.

Fund raising update - sub group volunteers

Kevin starts with the amazing news that Colin and Adrian have generously offered to pay for a Bed/chair and thanks both for their generosity.

Since the last meeting we have also managed to raise £320 towards another. The suggestion of sending an email to all PPG members asking for a small donation? Group unsure if this is suitable. Maybe email a leaflet to all patients? Managing Partner has given the ok for a Just Giving page but we would have to register as a charity first, to do that four trustees from the group would be needed alongside Kevin and Sam Pegg who would both oversee. This is needed to make sure everything is run legally. All trustees would make the final decisions on how any funding would be spent.

Again if anyone is interested to email Kevin.

It is mentioned that Just Giving take a percentage as a cut, Kevin states that this is correct however if registered as a kick fund this would reduce the cut.

Kevin will do a bit more research into this.

Crowdfunding is discussed Kevin is looking at this with the possibility of helping certain patients that may need the help (patient permitting) for example a patient that would benefit from treatment abroad that isn’t available in the UK. This would be good for the patient, the PPG and The Croft. All in agreement with this idea.

Other fundraising ideas mentioned are coffee shop run by volunteers, cake stall, coffee machine.

Kevin mentions researching a new machine that would be placed in reception to take Blood Pressure, Height, Weight Body mass. If the BP is high this will trigger an alert to reception who will book a patient in on the day to be seen. The machine will be linked to the systm one computer system that we currently use. All agree this is a fabulous idea. Will free up more nursing appointments. Kevin states the cost of this is about £9500.00 to buy outright with a 3 year warranty. Alternatively can be rented for 3 years at a cost of £390.00 a month plus VAT but it will pay for itself fairly quickly. All agree an area within reception will need to be segregated off for privacy including a chair.

Kevin has managed to secure a new blood pressure monitor for free.

All agree if the above is purchased and placed in reception will need to be heavily promoted possibly even with an article in the local paper?

What is the life span of the machine? Will have three year warranty but hopefully its life span will be more than this. Kevin states he can possibly get the machine for a free one month trial.

A.O.B

The possibility of a partner GP joining one of the meetings is raised even if just for a 20 minute chat. Kevin states he has asked, will keep asking but will aim to try and have a GP join a meeting briefly in the new build, would be easier there as the meetings will be onsite rather than at the village hall.

Kevin states all upcoming meetings for this year are now on the website as well as today’s agenda.

A review on the website stating a patient did not know who they saw was raised. Kevin states he is in the process of updating the website with clinician’s profiles, maybe not pictures but definitely small bios.

This has been started with the nursing team and Kevin.

Kevin mentions he is also working on building new clinical rotas which will hopefully be implemented when we move over, hopefully this will lessen the wait time as the current routine appointment is not until April.

Will it work? Yes works in other surgeries.

Total reorganisation of clinics and the New BP machine are extremely positive steps.

Confirm date of next meeting

Next meeting 15/03/2024 2pm at The Village Hall. Apologies are made on behalf of 2 members in advance.