PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP – ACTION PLAN (financial year 2017/18)

The practice and the patient reference group have discussed feedback from patients (NHS Choices responses; Friends and Family comments), and agreed the following priorities.

We will feedback to patients via our website, our newsletter and on a display in the waiting room.

PRIORITY 1 – communication 	
Issue	Action to be taken	How we will assess outcome  	
Change of practice website, not sure all patients are aware. We welcome feedback on content.

	•	Publicise website address in the practice 
•	Promote the website for finding information about the practice
	•	Less general queries to the practice
•	Patient feedback

PRIORITY 2 – communication	
Issue	Action to be taken	How we will assess outcome  	
Sharing of the newsletter is limited to patients who come in to the practice and take a copy.	•	Increase distribution by email 
•	Publicise that newsletter is also published on website 	•	Patient feedback

PRIORITY 3 – reducing inappropriate use of A&E / increasing awareness of how to access medical help out of GP opening hours	
Issue	Action to be taken	How we will assess outcome  	
Awareness that A&E services are used inappropriately, and acknowledgement that it can be difficult for patients to work out how to access services when the practice is closed	•	Dedicated “What to do when the practice is closed” noticeboard
•	Ensure information on the website is clear for patients
•	Continue to promote NHS 111 and Springbourne weekend service on out-of-hours telephone answering service.	•	Patient feedback
•	Reduced inappropriate A&E attendances