APPENDIX 1
Swindon Eye Health Patient Reference Group
Date:
Time:
Location:
15 February 2017
2 pm to 3.30 pm
Seminar Room 1, The Academy, Great Western Hospital
Attendees:
Present:
Name
Leanne Hubbard
(Chair)
Sally Smith
Initial
LHu
Job Title
Chief Executive, Wiltshire Sight
SS
Communications and Engagement Manager,
SCCG
Planned Care Manager, SCCG
Campaigner for RNIB SW and representing
Let’s Hear Swindon, Governor at GWH
ECLO, GWH
Patient Representative
Patient Representative
Patient Representative
Patient Representative
Patient Representative and Health Watch
Volunteer
Healthwatch Swindon
Macular Society Patient Representative
Liz Hews
Rosemarie Phillips
LHe
RP
Chris Gough
Tony Kendall
Mike Bowen
Simon Bowen
John Phillips
Joe Backshell
CG
TK
MB
SB
JP
JB
Jo Osorio
Maureen Bailey
JO
MB
Apologies:
Frances Dawson
Russell Riggs
Brenda Young
Brenda Young
Sarah Harvey
Ann Ball
FD
RR
MB
BY
SH
AB
Swindon Blind Association
Macular Society
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 1 of 7
APPENDIX 1
Item
No
Agenda Item
Actions
1
Chairs welcome and Apologies for absence
2
Reviewing minutes from 4 May 2016
The minutes were agreed as a true representation.
Matters arising
One action was to seek more patient representatives
and it was noted that numbers were increased.
Discussed where we could hold meetings. SS
explained that there was no budget with the CCG to
pay for meeting rooms. CG stated that there is a
meeting room available at the Brunel Centre and that
they are opening a community suite in March.
Morrisons in the Town Centre also have a Community
Room. JB asked whether these rooms have hearing
systems and access to parking.
Action - CG to check.
CG
LHu did contact the Talking Newspaper and has
agreed that we will publicise anything the group are
doing.
JO referred to page 1, with reference to the diabetic
retinopathy contract and confirmed that EMISS should
be taking over from Virgin in March and not January as
originally expected.
3
Patient Concerns
RP stated that she has many concerns about the
numbers of patients on the hold file at GWH. LHe took
information to the January 2017 PPI Forum and the
minutes from that meeting are attached for reference.
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 2 of 7
APPENDIX 1
Minutes - 26
January 2017 (ID 657967).docx
GWH are looking at ways to resolve the situation. A
new operations manager is starting in March who will
be taking this work forward.
MB stated that he felts patients should get an
appointment on the day once they are leaving the
clinic. CG reiterated that there is not enough capacity
to do this and that consultants do not always have their
clinic times on the system to be able to book that far in
advance.
RP raised two questions from a patient who could not
attend the meeting:
1. When new appointment suggested for 3 months
– new appointment comes through quickly,
however this is almost always cancelled and
twice recently I have had to make contact after
the 3-month period has expired as no
rescheduled appointment has been sent.
2. Inaccuracy in letter to GP – letter stated early
non-significant cataracts both eyes. I had a
cataract operation on the right eye 10 years
previously. At my next appointment the
ophthalmic specialist questioned me on this.
CG responded with information that the RNIB will be
working with the GWH Eye Clinic to trial a scheme
called “Ask and Tell”. They will talk with patients about
what to expect and what is expected of them. One of
those expectations is around patients chasing
appointments. This is due to start in April 2017.
Further details of this scheme are available on the
RNIB website http://www.rnib.org.uk/askandtell
LHu asked the group how matters were progressing
with the Accessible Information Standard. Letters are
now going out in preferred languages, but there is still
an issue with letters being sent in a larger print or
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 3 of 7
APPENDIX 1
braille. SB is now receiving his appointments via email
although this has taken some time to get sorted. RP
has raised this issue via the GWH Board and it is being
considered by the Equality Team at GWH. LHe
confirmed that the standard is now within all CCG
contracts with the providers and the onus is on
provider to ensure correspondence is sent in the
format requested by the patient. The CCG does not
monitor whether this is being carried out, however if
there are issues, these can be picked up through
contract meetings with providers.
JB stated that this issue keeps arising at equality
standards meetings and asked why it isn’t happening.
LHu stated that if it was one specific issue, it could be
resolved, however there are a number of issues which
are preventing it from happening.
LHe confirmed that according to the Terms of
Reference, this group is an advisory committee for the
CCGs Commissioning for Quality Group and we will
ensure regular reporting takes place.
Action – SS to investigate the procedures for this group
to report to the Commissioning for Quality Group.
SS
This matter is now being monitored through the CCG
via the Governing Body, PPI, contract and quality
meetings, however, it is for the Trust to pick up this
issue.
Action – Ophthalmology Operational Manager to be
made aware of the group’s concerns around the
Accessible Information Standard.
LHe
Action – keep the Accessible Information Standard on
the agenda to monitor.
SS
RP raised a concern around patients who are
discharged from clinic but are not being made aware of
what symptoms to look for and how to get a referral
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 4 of 7
APPENDIX 1
back into system if there are any problems. It was
confirmed that part of the RNIB project Ask and Tell
was to keep patients informed before they leave clinic.
Nationally, this issue has been picked up by NHSE
through the Local Eye Health Network, however we do
not have one in this region. MB also expressed
concern and it was confirmed that the route back for a
referral was via the GP or Optician. LHe confirmed
that optometrists already play a role in referral
refinement and monitoring of some conditions and
could potentially provide further services in the future.
MB raised a concern following a recent visit to a
consultant and felt she was not given all the facts that
she needed within that appointment which left her
feeling worried and upset. CG reminded patient
representatives that if they have a concern or are
unsure of something, they must ask someone whilst
they are still in the clinic. LHu confirmed that there was
some guidance in the England Vision Strategy for
doctors in eye clinics around how they are talking to
patients.
TK stated that every time he has seen a consultant, he
is told exactly what is going on. He had a recent issue
with patient transport which resulted in him missing his
appointment, however the department got him an
appointment the following week.
Healthwatch Swindon recently carried out an enter and
view visit at Eldene Health Centre where Virgin have a
Diabetic Screening room. At Eldene Surgery, GWH
hold an outpatient clinic. There is a lot of confusion
with patients as to which Eldene practice they should
be at and JO felt there was a requirement for better
communication.
4
Reviewing the Terms of Reference and the Future
of the Group
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 5 of 7
APPENDIX 1
The group reviewed the Terms of Reference and noted
the following:
 A Deputy Chair needs to be appointment and this
will be included on the agenda for the next
meeting.
 There is a need for a process for the group to
feed in to the CCG Commissioning for Quality
Group.
 The reference to actions and key themes from
the Eye Health Service workshop under section
three to be removed.
 The reference to the GWH Eye Health Service
newsletter to be removed and replaced with a
new paragraph stating ways of communicating
the work of the group, via the PPI newsletter,
Talking Newspaper and other relevant
publications.
 Insert a bullet point that this group feeds in to the
Area Professional Network.
 JO felt that Wiltshire patients should be included
and if this is the case, Wiltshire CCG will need to
be invited to the meetings.
 Next review date February 2018.
Action – contact Wiltshire CCG
5
SS
Engagement Opportunities
SS shared with the group a leaflet that had been
prepared to promote the group and who best to
engage with. A number of suggestions were put
forward including:






Swindon Blind groups
Swindon BATS – Sue Mead.
Swindon Blind website
GP practices
Social Services
Eye Clinic
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 6 of 7
APPENDIX 1
Any comments or suggestions to be fed back to SS by
the 22 February 2017.
Action – make contact with various groups and share
leaflets.
6
SS
Any other business
LHu notified group of the Wiltshire and Swindon Vison
Partnership, which is a partnership between the
voluntary sector to ensure that blind and partially
sighted people get the best possible service from the
voluntary sector as possible with the limited resources
that are available. The partners are:
 RNIB
 GUIDE Dogs
 Blind Veterans
 Macular Society
 Wiltshire Sight
 England Vision Strategy – Thomas Pocklington
Trust
7
Close
Date of next meeting – 16 May 2017 , 12 noon to 1.30
pm, The Academy, Great Western Hospital
Our Mission: To Optimise the Health of the People of Swindon and Shrivenham
Page 7 of 7