Station Road Surgery

The surgery is open from 8.30 in the morning until 6.00 at night Monday to Friday and the telephone lines remain open during these times. Additional consultations 7.00 to 8.00am on Monday, Thursday and Friday and 8.00 to 11.15am on Saturday. These appointments must be pre-booked.

Welcome to Station Road Surgery. There has been a doctors' surgery on this site in Station Road for over fifty years.

Over the years we have grown to become a seven partner practice with a full team of practice nurses, reception and clerical staff. We hope that you will find our practice website interesting and useful and that it will help you make the best use of our services.

We hold a General Medical Services (GMS) Contract with Bromley PCT, Bassetts House, Broadwater Gardens, Farnborough, Kent, BR6 7UA. Details of this contract are available from the Practice Manager.

This website has been designed to tell you about the practice and the services that we offer. Please read it carefully. We trust that you will find it helpful and informative.

QUEEN'S JUB ILEE PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The Surgery will be closed on Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th of June 2012 for the Queen's Jubilee. Please allow extra time for your prescriptions to be checked, processed and signed during the days before and after this closure. Thank you.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION REPORT

MARCH 2012

In September 2011 we decided to set up a virtual (via email) Patient Participation Group (PPG). The purpose of establishing a PPG was to ensure that patients are involved in decisions about the quality of the services we provide. The person running the Group on behalf of the practice is the Practice Manager, Pauline O’Dwyer. A separate email account was set up to facilitate communication between the Practice Manager and the PPG members.

We invited all registered patients to apply to join this new PPG by placing posters around the surgery and handing out invitation leaflets at the reception desk. The response to this approach was not as good as we had hoped, so we decided to review a list of all the patients for whom we had an email address. We selected patients from this list to try to get a representative group and sent them invitations to join the PPG. All applicants were asked to complete a standard form which asked for their sex, age and ethnicity, to assist in selecting a representative membership of the Group.

The population profile data we have to work from is that of the 9815 patients over the age of 17 we have ethnicity recorded for 6428 patients. 85% of patients for whom we have ethnicity recorded are British/Irish/British Indian; 3.2% are Other White; 1.2% are Asian; 1.1% are Caribbean, 0.9% are Chinese and 4.6% come from other smaller ethnic groups. We have the employment status recorded for 1204 patients aged over 17. We do not record retired, housewife, student or unemployed, and we only gather information about occupation from our new patient registration documents and when patients attend for health checks.

In October we reviewed the applications (18 in total) and selected a group of 13 patients. The final choice of Group members was based on trying to get a group of mixed ages, sexes and ethnicity. We also chose patients based on their social situation, i.e. working mothers, retired men and women, men and women in employment.

The profile of the Group is:

Females 9 Males: 4

25-45 2 46-55 4

56-70 3 over-71 3

British 12 Caribbean 1

Employed 6 Retired/not working 5

The PPG members were asked to sign an Agreement and were advised that they could revoke their membership at any time by notifying the Practice Manager, and that the membership of the Group would be reviewed annually to ensure a fair representation of registered patients.

The first task assigned to the Group was to consider the design and content of a patient survey. The Group were asked for their comments on which areas should be covered in the survey, based on areas highlighted in previous surveys and/or complaints and comments received by the practice. The Practice Manager was able to identify the specific areas to go into the survey and design the format taking into account the responses from the Group. One Group member had particular expertise with survey design and was of considerable help in the final design. The final format was re-sent to the Group for their final consideration, and was approved for distribution.

The survey was handed out to all patients attending the surgery at the beginning of March. After two weeks the survey was closed due to the good response and in order to complete the analysis and report by the end of the financial year (31.3.2012).

The Practice Manager analysed the results of the survey and circulated the full results to the Group members for their consideration and comment. The Group was asked to agree an action plan setting out the priorities and proposals identified as a result of the survey.

The final action plan, and the results of the survey, is available to view on the surgery’s two websites, www.wwdoc.co.uk and www.nhs.uk. Notices have been displayed in the surgery advising patients that copies of the results and plan are available to take away, or can be viewed on the websites.

If any other patients feel they would like to join our PPG to add a different perspective to the Group please send your details to Pauline O’Dwyer.

March 2012

PATIENT PARTICIPATION REPORT

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP SURVEY – March

Our newly formed Patient Participation Group helped put together a new patient survey with the intention of assessing whether there are any areas of our service that could be improved or changed.

The results of the survey are shown below, together with an action plan based on these results. The results are also available on the following websites www.wwdoc.co.uk and www.nhs.uk.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete a survey, and special thanks to the Patient Participation Group members for their time and assistance in our first project.

Q1 How do you usually book your appointments to see a doctor?

By telephone

83%

In person

12%

By internet

Q2 How easy do you find this chosen method of making an appointment?

By telephone	Easy	30%	Fairly easy	43%	Not very easy	22%	Difficult	5%
In person	Easy	33%	Fairly easy	46%	Not very easy	21%	Difficult	-
By internet	Easy	70%	Fairly easy	20%	Not very easy	-	Difficult	10%

Q3 How easy do you find booking an emergency appointment? (1 no answer)

Easy

22.5%

Fairly easy

42.5%

Difficult

11%

Not aware/never booked

23.5%

Q4 Do you prefer to see the same doctor for routine appointments?

Yes

77.5%

22.5%

Q5 How easy do you find making an appointment with your preferred doctor? (11 no answer)

Easy

Fairly easy

47%

Not very easy

28.5%

Difficult

12%

Q6 How long do you normally have to wait in the surgery for your routine doctor’s appointment?

Up to 10mins

22%

10 to 20 mins

54%

20-40 mins

22%

More than 40 mins

Q6a Do you find this waiting time acceptable? (1 no answer)

Yes

80.5%

19%

Q7 How easy do you find access to the building?

Easy

86.5%

Fairly easy

12.5%

Not very easy

Difficult

Q8 How comfortable do you find the patient areas and doctor’s rooms?

Very comfortable

15%

Comfortable

75%

Not very comfortable

8.5%

Uncomfortable

1.5%

Q9 How helpful do you find the reception/administration staff?

Very helpful

46.5%

Helpful

49%

Not very helpful

3.5%

Unhelpful

Q10 How satisfactory do you find the repeat prescription service at the surgery?

Very satisfactory

27.5%

Satisfactory

45.5%

Unsatisfactory

4.5%

Do not use

22.5%

Patients who completed our survey were invited to give additional comments, which expressed general satisfaction with the surgery and the services provided. From the results of the survey and the comments received we have agreed the following Action Plan, and hope you will support our ideas.

ACTION PLAN

Booking Appointments (Questions 1 to 5) – The majority of patients (83% of the surveyed population) book their routine appointments by telephone. This obviously causes pressure on the phone system and the receptionists answering the phones. It also causes frustration for patients trying to get through. We will carry out an audit of the number of calls received at peak times to determine whether there are sufficient staff answering calls. We also hope that by providing information about the internet booking system more patients will use this to book routine appointments, thus reducing the demand on the phone system.

Waiting time in the surgery (Questions 6 & 6a) – Although patients seem generally happy with the waiting time in the surgery to see the doctor, our new automated arrivals screen will provide information on the current waiting time when patients check in for their appointment. This obviously won’t improve the waiting time, but it will inform patients how long they might be in the surgery in case they need to advise a relative or put more money on their car park ticket!

Our automated arrivals screen has now been replaced. We apologise for the inconvenience caused while it has not been working, and thank you for your patience while waiting to book in at the reception desk.

Comfort (Questions 7 & 8) – We have plans to re-decorate the waiting room and corridors, and to replace the carpets.

Information (Questions 9 & 10) - Clearer information will be made available to patients. We plan to re-organise the notice boards in the waiting room to display the following information, which will also appear on our websites:

1) how to register for internet booking of routine appointments with any doctor, which could reduce the pressure of phone calls and make it easier for patients to get through to the surgery

2) explanation of how the appointment system works, i.e. patients can book up to 4 weeks in advance but some appointments are held back to be released with 48 hours’ notice, and emergency appointments are available each day (we hope patients will use these emergency appointments appropriately, and not just for convenience), extended hours, and when appointments are available to book by telephone/in person/on the internet

3) a list of when each doctor works, i.e. their surgery times, to help patients decide which doctor they can make an appointment with on a given day, and this may help patients know when to contact the surgery to make that appointment

4) explanation of the repeat prescription service - the need for 48 hours to process routine prescription requests (we have over 4000 patients on repeat medication) and why prescriptions may take longer than 48 hours if the doctor needs to review and re-authorise the medication

5) promotion of our websites (www.wwdoc.co.uk and www.nhs.uk) which contain information about the practice, including a “news” section which the surgery updates regularly

The usual opening hours of the surgery (doors open and telephones on) are:

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6.00pm

In addition the surgery provides pre-booked routine appointments(there is no emergency doctor available at these times) as follows:

Monday, Thursday and Friday 7.00am to 8.00am Saturday 8.00am to 11.15am

Blood tests – One of the topics from the comments in our survey was about patients being able to have blood tests done at the surgery. We have previously looked in great depth at the possibility of providing this service, but due to a lack of room at our surgery we cannot do so. However, we have commissioned a blood taking service for our patients through Bromley Healthcare, which is located in the building at Addington Road Surgery, although it is not part of the GP surgery. Our blood test forms give details of how to book an appointment there and what times the service is available. We have been advised that additional appointments will be created for our patients if the numbers wishing to attend increases. The phone number to book a blood test at Addington Road is on the bottom of the blood test forms, displayed in the waiting room and on our website. Children can only be seen in certain places to have their blood taken and again information about these sites is shown at the bottom of a designated paediatric blood test form, which the doctors will print out when appropriate.

We continue to encourage patients to give us written feedback, whether good or bad, and suggestions for improving the service we provide to our patients. Please send your thoughts to Pauline O’Dwyer, Practice Manager.

Thank you.

BLOOD TESTS AT ADDINGTON ROAD HEALTH CENTRE FOR PATIENTS FROM STATION ROAD SURGERY

We have been unable to free up space in our building in the mornings for us to be able to take blood for our patients. We have therefore commissioned a blood taking service (phlebotomy) through Bromley Healthcare, to be provided for our patients in the Addington Road Surgery building. This is separate to the GP services for patients at Addington Road.

Currently the phlebotomy clinic time for our patients is a Wednesday morning between 9.30 and 10.30am. It is by appointment only, so patients must phone first to make their appointment - it is not a "walk in" service.

Details of the phone number can be found on the bottom of the blood test form given to our patients, but if you want to make a note of it, it is 020 8857 6028.

Results will still take between 5 to 7 days, and patients should still contact this surgery for their results.

RESULTS

Please try to help us manage the volume of calls received at peak times by calling for results between 11am and 4pm. Thank you.

ACADEMIC HALF DAYS AND OTHER CLOSURES

All the doctors are required to attend educational events (Academic Half Days) as part of their continuing learning development. These events are always held in the afternoons, but the days of the week are varied. During these events there are no doctors available on the premises and all emergencies are advised to contact Emdoc on 020 8676 3263. Please note that prescriptions that would normally be ready after 4pm on these days may not be ready until the following morning as the doctors are not in surgery to sign them. The Academic Half Days for 2012 are:

24th May 17th July 25th September, 22nd November

We also have some training days for the whole practice when we need to close the surgery during the afternoon. The next surgery closure for this reason will be in June and the date will be notified here in due course. THE SURGERY WILL BE CLOSED FOR TRAINING FROM 12.30PM ON WEDNESDAY THE 20TH OF JUNE 2012.

APPOINTMENTS ON THE DAY

Urgent appointments are available on the same day for any patient who feels their medical condition requires urgent attention. To request an emergency appointment please telephone the surgery as soon as possible. The telephone lines are open between 8.30 and 9.30am specifically for requests to be seen that morning. For a same day evening emergency appointment the best time to call is between 2.30 and 3.00pm. Please bear in mind that the evening surgery is a "sit and wait" surgery and there may be a very long wait to be seen if there are a lot of patients. Appointment times can be given for the morning emergency surgery.

Please use this service appropriately and not just for convenience. For example, repeat prescription requests, completing medical forms (such as medical certificates) are not considered appropriate for an emergency appointment.

EXTENDED HOURS

We appreciate that some of our patients are unable to attend the surgery during normal working hours. We have therefore added appointments between 7.00 and 8.00am on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 8.00 to 11.15am on Saturdays, which can be booked up to four weeks ahead. These appointments must be pre-booked as there is no provision for walk-in emergencies.

BOOKING APPOINTMENTS ON-LINE

As the telephone lines get very busy, particularly first thing in the morning, we have introduced the option for patients to book appointments with all our doctors through the internet. Please ask at Reception for a registration form, which will give you a unique access code for your own personal use. Parents can register for this service to be able to book appointments for any child under the age of 16. Once a child reaches 16 this facility will be removed and the 16 year old will need to come to the Surgery to register to use the service themselves. Further information is available in the Surgery. Please use the following link to go to the Emis Access website www.emisaccess.co.uk/default.aspx. You will need to register as a new user to be able to create your own password before being able to book appointments. This facility can also be used to cancel appointments.

CHOICE OF HOSPITAL

Every patient has the right to choose which hospital they would like to go to in the event that they require a referral for a specialist opinion. The doctor will discuss the choice of hospitals available and make the appropriate referral.

NHS HEALTH CHECKS

We are now offering an NHS Health Check for patients in the age group 40-74 years, who have no history of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease and are not taking any heart medication. We will be sending out invitations to eligible patients, but if you fall into this criteria and wish to have a Health Check, please contact the surgery and request an appointment for an NHS Health Check with our Health Care Assistant, Vivienne Green.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

The Practice has an Equal Opportunities/Anti-discrimination Policy, which states that the Practice:

· will ensure that all staff, patients and visitors are treated with dignity and respect

· will promote equality of opportunity between men and women

· will not tolerate any discrimination against, or harassment of, any member of staff, patient or visitor for reason of age, gender, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition, social class, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or appearance, religion or belief

· will provide the same treatment and services to any patient irrespective of age, gender, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition,

social class, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or appearance, religion or belief

MARCH 2012

The profile of the Group is:

Females 9 Males: 4

25-45 2 46-55 4

56-70 3 over-71 3

British 12 Caribbean 1

Employed 6 Retired/not working 5

If any other patients feel they would like to join our PPG to add a different perspective to the Group please send your details to Pauline O’Dwyer.

March 2012

The practice would like to thank the various advertisers who have helped to produce this Website. However, it must be pointed out that the accuracy of any statements cannot be warranted, nor any products or services advertised, be guaranteed or endorsed.