Wharfside Patients Forum
Notes of meeting held on 15 October 2003
Present: Dr George Scullard, Consultant
Catriona Bellingham, Clinicial Nurse Specialist Team Leader
Ricky Gellissen, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Craig Adams
Bernard Forbes
Alex T
The Newham Framework Agreement was discussed in detail and a number of amendments made. In particular, the confidentiality clause was moved nearer the start of the document as it was considered much more important. All references to Health Improvement Plan were deleted Agreed the name of the group would be the Wharfside Patient Forum. Revised version to be prepared by Bernard for Catriona to circulate.
Discussion on serious issues that might exclude patient forum representatives from meeting with management. Agreed we were on a learning curve and would have to see how things work in practice. The event referred to was hopefully not a regular occurrence and if it happened when the Patient Forum was fully operational, it was likely that patient representatives might be involved in supporting patients involved so exclusion might be difficult. It was agreed that there was nothing stopping a management pre-meeting to agree with an approach to contentious matters.
The open meetings had been booked for Tuesday 11 November (6-8), Friday 12 December (12-2 with crèche if needed), and Wednesday 14 January (6-8), all in the Boardroom of St. Mary’s.
There would be an introduction to the Patients Forum and some educational input. It was agreed to try to solicit feedback by having posters on a range of issues and asking people to post their views using post it notes. Suggested subjects were:-
Reception Area Day Ward Clinic Opening Hours
Reception Staff Clinic Rooms Pharmacy
Discussed the importance of the fliers for the open meetings actually being given to patients by clinic doctors. Fliers to be placed in patient notes when these are prepared for clinic visits during October, November and December. Posters will also be prepared.
Quality of service issues
These should be more readily available in the clinic – patients should not have to ask about them as this was considered embarrassing. If necessary a case had to be made to the PCT to increase funding for condom supplies. Agreed the clinic should trial making condoms overtly available for one month. Catriona would report back on existing funding for condoms.
Catriona was thanked for replacing the low chair in front of the reception desk.
Feedback on the reception area was that it was “stunning”.
Lack of access to drinking water was raised as the water cooler had been removed in case of cryptosporidium. Use of a proper water filter was proposed as patient felt that access to water was important.
Catriona reported that this was still on order and would not be put up until the next Forum meeting.
The location of the Hepatitis C clinic on the 10 th floor of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Wing was considered highly inconvenient. Apparently it was only there due to historic reasons, with all liver patients being seen there by Dr Janice Main. Dr George Scullard was trying to get a Hepatitis C nurse based on Wharfside. In the longer term the Hepatitis C clinic will be based within the clinic.
The Forum were informed that two new consultants had been appointed – one for GUM and one for HIV.
Asked how the triage system was working, Catriona admitted that it was failing due to lack of nursing staff. Agency nurses were filling gaps and staff were relying on noticing seriously ill patients sitting in reception in order to accelerate their treatment, or at least transfer them straight to the Day Ward.
This prompted a discussion on patients using their GPs and how difficult that is for patients in reality, particularly if the patient hasn’t got a GP, or hasn’t disclosed their status to the GP, can’t get an appointment with the GP or, when they do, they get bounced back to the clinic because the GP hasn’t the knowledge to deal with whatever they are presenting with. The pressure to make patients with HIV use GPs more was seen as causing more problems for most people than having access to the Walk in Clinic.
7 Appointment Cards
Catriona reported that proper appointment cards are being introduced to replace the paper photocopies.
Leaflet about Wharfside Patients Forum
To be considered.
The Forum were asked to look at feedback from the patient survey 2004.
Ricky raised the difficulty and expense of having drug information leaflets translated into foreign languages (specifically Arabic). After discussion it was thought that the drug companies may have access to foreign language versions but these had to be checked in case the prescribing information was different.
The Forum were invited to send a representative to the management meeting on February 9 th 2004 . Agreed that Bernard would attend.
Agreed that this should be held in the first week of February 2004.