Patient Participation Group

We would like to know how we can improve our service to you and how you perceive our surgery and staff. 

To help us with this, we are setting up a virtual patient representation group so that you can have your say. We will ask the members of this representative group some questions from time to time, such as what you think about our opening times or the quality of the care or service you received. We will contact you via email and keep our surveys succinct so it shouldn’t take too much of your time.

We aim to gather around a hundred patients from as broad a spectrum as possible to get a truly representative sample. We need young people, workers, retirees, people with long term conditions and people from non-British ethnic groups.

Become a patient group member

Latest Meeting Notes

12th February 2025

• Present: Brenda O’Dowd (Chair), Simon Brock (Secretary), Jane Keidan, Alice Verlander, Gerry Palmer, Jenny Cunningham, Nancy Briggs
• From the Practice: Carol Dunne-Bathurst (Practice Manger), Mandy Grievesan (Dispensary Lead), Dr Simon Caroll
• Apologies for absence: Alison Walker-Fraser (V. Chair), Ruth Hannent, Angela Shannon, Diane Crossgower-Peebles, Robert Richmond, Joyce Middleditch

Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received as above.

It was noted that the Wi-Fi at the surgery is still not always available and is unreliable which is proving a frustration for patients and the surgery.

Minutes of the Last Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true record.

Matters Arising

Fund raising

The group discussed fund raising possibilities for the surgery.
Friends of Elmham Surgery is a Charitable Trust that receives donations and legacies with the proceeds available for maintenance and provision of medical equipment and other equipment for the benefit of the surgery’s patients.

Suggestions included group gardening as a therapy. Maybe fencing around the pond to make it safer.

Dispensary boxes that are accessible 24 hours for self-collection. Perhaps use a Dereham Park Run team to also raise funds.

Practice Items

Dispensary update

The dispensary renovations are on hold at the moment, as the main focus is the closure of Toftwood Surgery which will go ahead on 31st March. Lighting and the ceiling improvements at Elmham have been completed.

The Toftwood closure has created some problems. Some staff have understandably already let and so some from Swanton Morley are needed to cover. This is only Mandy has created excellent teamwork in the department and the dispensary is working very efficiently.

The ICB is managing the closure of Toftwood. Vulnerable patients are being highlighted to ensure they receive correct care. Approximately half of Toftwood’s patients will go to Orchard Surgery and the other half to the Theatre Royal.

North Elmham & Swanton Morley Surgery Patients Participation Group temporary, and things should return to normal by the end of March.

Dispensary closure and training

The dispensary closes for two hours every day to allow for staff lunch breaks and a catch-up of dispensary preparation.

In addition, the surgery closes for half a day every quarter for staff training.

The Covid vaccination campaign will start in April. (The patient sign in board is not working correctly at Swanton Morley – this will be looked into.)

The surgery is planning to abandon the half day closure and instead focus on a day per month during the two hour lunch break to catch up on mandatory training and meetings.

The dispensary lunchtime closures have not caused any patient concerns.

This year it will only be available for the surgery’s patients.

Chair’s Items

36 New Houses are planned for Woodgate Park. Has this been considered by the surgery?

Yes, the surgery has the capacity of staff and the dispensary. The patients will register with the surgery and which feeds into the surgery’s ‘Capitation Report’.

Every quarter the report dictates the funding available to the surgery.

Member’s Items

Please can there be more regular updates appearing the magazines – particularly reminders of opening times?

There is a lot of time pressure presently, but yes, the surgery will try and produce regular updates.

The regular Facebook articles could be copied across to the village magazines.

Any Other Business

Update terms of reference The secretary will send out the Terms of Reference and ask members to respond if there are any updates they would like to see.

Dates of Next Meetings

• 14th May, 2025
• 13th August, 2025
• 12th November, 2025
• 11th February, 2026