Patient Participation Group Minutes

Our latest PPG meeting minutes.

Meeting Date

Monday 30th March 2026

Present

• Pete Life (PL)
• Jill White (JW) (Chair)
• John Plumb (JP)
• Penny Doboson (PD) (Minutes)
• DR Mark Rush (GP) (MR)
• Kathy Turner (KT) (Practice Manager

Apologies

• Ian Goodenough
• Ann Nichols

Minutes of last Meeting (1/12/2025)

These were approved.

Feedback on new system: Improving Access to Appointments (KT and MR)

MR reported that the new system was progressing quite well. The GP triage team is getting about the same number of requests per dday (about 150, more on a Monday and Tuesday). As outlined in previous meetings, this new system, affecting routine (non-urgent) appointments, is designed to enable patients to more easily submit requests online and receive a reply within 1 working day. It started on October 1st 2025 and has been closely monitored to see how effective it is -and to highlight and address any issues that arise.

PPG members continue to report that is working well - and is an improvement to the previous system.

PL raised a concern about the degree of feedback required by patients; it seems that every action generates a feedback request, which can be irritating and may become counter-productive. KT said that feedback requests are initiiated by the NHS nationally, rather than the Family Practice (TFP), but she will have to look to see if they can be rationalised. KT also said that patient feedback is valued by TFP and is used by the teamto make adjustments as necessary. JW said that she will be happy to write to NHS management if helpful. ACTION KT to investigate the patient feedback system.

There was also a discussion about the message on the telephone answering system, particulary relating to the new appointments system, which could be updated. ACTION KT will investigate.

Staffing and DNAs

KT reported that DR Blazewicz has gone on maternity leave and has been replaced by BR Barnaby Smith. In the Treatment Room, Emma Southcombe has stepped up as lead nurse. TFP has recruited Tara Gardiner as another Treatment Room nurse: Tara specialises in diabetes. There has been a temporary recruitment of another Health Care Assistant in the Treatment Room to cover the maternity leave of Abbie Davies. There is one vacancy in the Reception Team; the Reception Team have initiated a "theme of the month" to increase awareness on a range of topics; this month it is to raise awareness of brain tumour research, via a "wear a hat" day!

Report Name: DNAs (Nurse) - Flu excluded Dec 2025  - Feb 2026

Patient Population: All Appointments

 Patient Age

0-17                  14

18-39                93

40-64                 56

65 and older     51

214

Report Name:  DNAs ( GP) – Flu excluded Dec 2025 -  Feb 2025      

Patient Age

0-17                     12

18-39                   44

40-64                   24

65 and over       17

 97

There has  been a slight increase in Nurse DNAs and a decrease in GP DNAs compared to the previous 3 month period. The 18-39 group continue to be the worst offenders. KT reiterated that everyone gets a text reminder and serial offenders get a letter.

Report from Bristol PPG Forum (this is comboned Forum for all Bristol PPGs: our representative is JP). Below are the notes from the last Forum meeting, held on 21/01/2026:-

 PPGs and the Patient Voice

• The Integrated Care Board ( ICB)  is on a “change journey” to becoming  a Strategic Commissioner
• It is important to hear the patient voice in designing health services
• Wants stronger links to  PPGs and therefore will explore ways to hear the patient voice
• Indicated that no document has been received concerning the removal of Healthwatch

  How is the ICB managing to generate 50% savings

• £2.2 billion has been allocated to the BNSSG  to provide services
• The ICB is to save 50% (£34 million reduced to £17 million) from the cost of running the organisation with redesign of  its structure
• Redundancies to be about 175(max 300)
• His Majesty’s Government to cover redundancy payments

 Neighbourhood Health  Centres

• The announcement of two “pioneer schemes”; in North Somerset:  they are assessing the services that are needed, including developing new ways of working; 
•  in South Bristol bringing the services together within the locality
• There is no intention to house any services in new buildings as such
• Instead existing centres, for example (Woodspring) will   focus on frailty among elderly patients to keep them out of hospitals
• Additional  unspecified funding will help with staffing from university graduates

The Federated Data Platform and Palantir.

• Contract independent of ICB but safeguards have been put in place, including  provisions to ensure contract security over ownership  and use
• Accordingly  patient  data  is only available to NHS staff; this will be anonymised, and Palantir will not have the right to sell Patient data 
• No GP information on patients is available to Palantir
• Mike Campbell  asked: if there is anything in the public domain we can see about the contract with Palantir
• Shane Devlin: to share the Data Security Agreement
• A shared data environment is being set up to include Bristol and Bath Universities  in which academics pay to access specific data  to carry out research

Inpatients  Medically  Fit For  Discharge

• Working with  Local Authority, Sirona North Bristol Trust (Southmead Hospital)
•  £70 million has been  allocated to move people out of hospital with a target of having  only 15% remaining in hospital 
• There has seen some success but “we have not cracked it yet”
• Assistive technology can play a role
• 140 virtual beds at present  .

  Difficulty in Accessing .NHS Audiology Services

• . Lack of consistency of provision and increasing use of private provision.
• Shane suggested follow up on this with ICB staff.

JW  thanked JP for representing TFP at the PPG Forum.

1. Website report ( PD) 

PD had nothing to report. The redesigned website seemed easy to navigate, with clear information on the recent meningitis outbreak at the beginning.

2. AOB

JW asked whether the Junior Doctor’s strike will affect the Practice. MR said that it is not likely to, as before. TFP has a GP trainee with the Practice, but he is super-numerary.

JW asked whether TFP has been affected by the meningitis outbreak. Fortunately not so far. There may be some risk once students ( in the Kent area) return home from Easter.

3. Next meetings

Monday June 8^th     Monday Sept 7^th    Monday Dec 7^th

PD 3/4/2026

Present

• Pete Life ( PL)     
• Jill White ( JW) (Chair)    
• Ann Nicholls ( AN)     
• Nick Benson ( NB)    
• Penny Dobson ( PD) ( Minutes)    
• Ian Goodenough ( IG)    
• Dr Darren Smyk (DS) (GP)    
• Kathy Turner ( KT)  ( Practice Manager)    

Apologies

• John Plumb

Welcome to new member 

Pete Life  (PL ) was welcomed to the PPG as a new member.  PL could only attend part of the meeting this time, so we introduced ourselves before PL had to leave. PL explained that he has been a patient at TFP since 1992, when it took over patients from the Whiteladies Practice.

PL brings over 30 years of IT programme management and consulting skills. He will be a valuable resource for us. 

Minutes of last Meeting ( 9/09/2025) 

These were approved.

Feedback on new system: Improving Access to Appointments ( KT and DS)

As outlined in our last meeting, this new system, affecting routine (non-urgent) appointments, is designed to enable patients to more easily submit requests online and receive a reply within 1 working day. It started on October 1st 2025 and has been closely monitored to see how effective it is – and to highlight and address any issues that arise.

The feedback from PPG members was that it is working well – and is an improvement to the previous system. However KT said that it has resulted in considerably more pressure for GPs in the Practice, as they are getting at least 150 e-consult enquiries a day to decide how to triage most effectively. The e-consult seems be falling into 3 categories:-

A)    Patients who need a face – to - face appointment or a phone call
B)    Patients who have been filtered out by the reception team ( including urgent ones)
C)    Patients where the problem seems unclear. These may be returned to the reception team with some conditions.

TFP aims to offer an appointment within 2 weeks or general advice. Other Practices have set up a waiting list, but TFP doesn’t wish to do this.

 The new system is being reviewed weekly by the GP lead team, in order to make adjustments and to train up the navigation ( reception)  team to assist with triage, as appropriate. DS said that it is early days – and he thinks that it will “bed down”, both from patients understanding about its best use – and the TFP responding in the most effective way eg supporting patients who don’t need a GP appointment. It will be difficult to predict the level of demand over the Christmas period. 

Time will also allow TFP to understand the pattern of demand – and to be able to accrue some statistics to support this process. 

There was a discussion about the recent advice from TFP for patients to apply for their prescriptions early due to the Christmas period. JW said that she did this, but she was told by the Prescription Hub that she couldn’t have her full prescription as not all of it was due. ACTION DS will ensure that this is taken up with the Hub, as it runs counter to TFP guidance.

IG asked whether there was any national guidance to support GP Practices to roll out the new system. DS said that every Practice has a different demographic, so it will be difficult to generalise the advice. All Practices had very little time to prepare, so it has been a challenge. There aren’t any AI tools mutually agreed yet. 

JW asked about the level of support needed for patients who are not IT literate and who therefore need the reception team to help use the new system? This service has not been needed very much as yet. There have been very few complaints about the system – and staff have noted that the level of frustration/rudeness to staff has reduced. JW said that she was proud of the way that TFP staff team were operating – a view endorsed by other PPG members. 

Staffing and DNAs

KT reported that Dr Blazewicz is going on Maternity leave mid Jan 2026.  She will be replaced by Dr Barnaby Smith. She was also happy to report that a new phlebotomist has been recruited to TFP.

A lead nurse vacancy in the treatment room is currently being advertised and another health care assistant has resigned, due to wishing to work closer to home. Another health care assistant has been recruited. 

There is a lot of staff sickness at the moment. KT reinforced the need for protection via immunisation. 

Report Name: DNAs (Nurse) - Flu excluded Sept 2025 - Nov 2025

0-17	18
18-39	73
40-64	51
65 and older	54
	198

Report Name: DNAs (GP) - Flu excluded Sept 2025 - Nov 2025

0-17	9
18-39	43
40-64	24
65 and older	28
	104

There has been a decrease in both Nurse DNAs and in GP DNAs compared to the previous 3 month period.

Matters Arising from Minutes 9/9/2025

There were none.

Proposed date of next meetings

9/03/2026 : 9/6/2026 : 7/9/2026 : 8/12/2026