Patient Participation Group

 

We are a newly formed Patient Participation Group serving the three surgeries of Lakeside St Neots - Cedar House, Eaton Socon and Dumbelton.

We meet regularly with Lakeside staff and provide feedback to the practice with the aim of improving the patient experience.

We  encourage patients from all ages and background to join us so that our diverse population is fully represented. 

To join our PPG please complete our online form or pick up a paper application from the surgery

Virtual Patient Participation Group

We now have a Patient Facebook Group for those who would like to be involved without the need to attend meetings. This group is open to any Lakeside St Neots patient. We have already completed a patient survey and the results were taken to our November meetings with Lakeside staff. 

Please join our Lakeside St Neots Facebook Patient Group

Latest Minutes

Monday 28th July 2025

Attendees:

  • Jonathan Banting – Chair
  • Dr Thaven Chetty
  • Sarah Parren – Hub Manager
  • Jeanette Teague - Secretary
  • Helen Banting - Treasurer
  • Colin Eckloff
  • Joy Round
  • Sylvia Rhodes

Apologies:

  • Dave Young
  • David Denton
  • Peter Lane
 

New PPG Members

  • Sylvia and Joy introduced themselves
 

Updates from previous meetings

  • Play equipment for waiting rooms – Dr Chetty has identified a wall mounted game at approximately £200 each and will email a link to PPG
  • TV screens for waiting rooms – These will be installed in all 3 surgeries this week.  They will show information for patients and will include services at the practice and staff photos as well as some adverts.  Sarah will check what information is included re PPG.
  • Wifi issues at surgeries – Wifi is provided by the ICB and has always been a problem, particularly at Eaton Socon.  It may be an issue for help sessions re Anima although the ICB may provide tablets with wifi dongles.  Sarah will check the signal at Dumbleton surgery and she will also let the PPG know how many patients are currently registered to use Anima.  PPG Help sessions may need to be held remotely (eg Citizens Hub or Tesco community room).  Sylvie mentioned Cambridge Digital Inclusion.
  • Total Triage – Sarah, Helen and other staff are going to Lakeside Stamford this week to see how the system is working there.  The plan is to manage 200 triage calls per day by 2 staff members (GP/paramedic). From October 1st Anima will be available all day.  Patients who don’t use Anima and who phone for an appointment will have their case input on Anima by Reception.  Patients who come to Reception will be asked to complete a paper form and Reception will then input the case on Anima.  Phone queues may increase but the new system should alleviate the 8 am rush.  Extra patient check-in machines will be installed which can also run Anima.
  • Text messages causing confusion regarding appointments. It’s not always clear if the appointment is face to face or phone.  The messages will change with Total Triage as a practitioner will be reviewing each case and it’s possible that patients will be sent a link to book their own appointment.
  • New staff.  A new GP will start next week and there is a new Receptionist.  There are 2 HCA vacancies.  Sarah will check the website and ensure that all GP’s are included (eg Dr Yasmin).  Sylvie asked why there are 3 sites and Sarah explained that this is historic and surgeries cannot be closed without formal consultation.
  • NIHR research projects – Dr Chetty explained that staff do not have time for these currently.
 

Patient Surveys 2025

Sarah brought print outs of the results of the Lakeside staff survey which had 900 responses and she will email these to the PPG together with the latest Balanced Scorecard data. It was acknowledged that there are improvements from last year but some results are disappointing still.  

Sarah explained that they are fully staffed now with practitioners and reception staff but the previous use of locums during and after covid was not ideal for continuity of care.  Gt Staughton surgery always has good patient reviews but they only have 4 GP’s so it is more likely that patients will be able to see the same GP.

The phone call back service still operates depending on numbers in the phone queue, and ends around 4pm.

 

Neighbourhood Health Service/Wintringham

Dr Chetty explained that it would probably be at least 2 years before any new sites under the NHS Plan would be finalised. It would be up to the ICB to decide on locations (and there is a  proposed merger between Cambs/Beds and Herts ICBs being discussed in response to a request to cut costs by 30%)

Wintringham park has announced (see more here)   a “...new health centre..” However past experience has shown a wide range of possible outcomes (and the faq does state ”aspiration”.  Sarah will discuss with Dr Murphy to see if there is any news in the PCN. In order to take on another site they would need an extra 3 Receptionists, 2 GP’s and 2 nurses.  There would be set up as well as ongoing costs and if insufficient patients registered then the funding would not cover the costs.

 

Patient comments & complaints

Sarah did not think that it would be possible to provide the PPG with anonymised  details of complaints as patients could possibly still be identified.  Some complaints still relate to lack of access to appointments.

 

Update re referrals to Hinchingbrooke

PPG is still waiting for written answers from NW Anglia Foundation Trust following Healthwatch meeting on 1 July.

 

Health checks 

Some patients forget that they have had one in the last 5 years and others are not eligible if they have an underlying health condition which requires regular reviews.  Some health checks are being carried out on Saturdays at Cedar House through the “Healthy You” programme.  

 

Blood tests

There is a backlog due to staff shortage of HCA’s and blood tests currently are booking 4 weeks ahead.  Urgent tests can be done at Newmarket Rd, Cambridge (but you will need a blood test form) .  One patient was sent to Hinchingbrooke but they don’t carry out blood tests for Lakeside.

 

Prescription request issues

Some patients have had problems when adding a special request to the regular online ordering system.  Sarah thinks this could be due to staff error.  Generally the service provided by prescription clerks is very good.

 

Carers Project

Lakeside is in the process of identifying family carers across the PCN and a carers event is planned for 12 November.  Helen will let us know if she requires financial assistance for the event from the PPG.

 

Dermatology

Patients are referred to a separate dermatology service which is currently held at Lt Paxton surgery where they have the specialist equipment and trained practitioners.  

It is hoped that when all appointments are being triaged (October onwards) then it should be easier to take account of a patients wish to see a particular member of staff (e.g. as part of an ongoing issue or due to their specialism)

 

Health & Wellbeing Team

Sarah confirmed that the Health & Wellbeing coach is leaving and will not be replaced.  This was a PCN decision as funds are limited and only guaranteed for 12 months.  Dr Chetty will discuss with Dr Murphy about the value of this post to patients as signposting to other services is not a suitable alternative.

 

Covid and Flu vaccinations

To be held on 4 & 11 October.  Sarah requested assistance from PPG in the car park.  This year general covid eligibility will be for over 75’s but flu remains for over 65’s. (plus patients invited due to specific health conditions)

 

Latest statistics

Jonathan gave latest information from NHS stats, including DNA’s.

 

Next Meeting

29 September at 6pm.  PPG requested a meeting date for November – Dr Chetty to sort possible dates. 

Latest Minutes

Meeting Wednesday 21 May 2025, 6.00 pm

Attendees and Apologies

Attendees:
  • Jonathan Banting – Chair
  • Dr Thaven Chetty
  • Sarah Parren – Hub Manager
  • Helen Lattaway – Digital & Transformation Manager (Item 1)
  • Jeanette Teague - Secretary
  • Peter Lane
  • Helen Banting - Treasurer
  • David Denton
  • Colin Eckloff
  • Dave Young
Apologies: None

Matters arising from last meeting

Play equipment for waiting rooms

Dr Murphy has identified a wall mounted sand game which is easy to clean. Two or three quotes are needed. PPG purchases are vat exempt.

Sarah to check if she has a cheque book for PPG funds. If not, Helen to contact Barclays. (Post meeting note – Sarah has a cheque book)

Bookcases

Small trolleys have been purchased for Eaton Socon and Cedar House waiting rooms. Patients are to donate books to be sold at 30p – funds to PPG.

GP contract update

The new contract requires patients to be able to book appointments online by October. Helen Lattaway is leading the project. It is likely that all Anima requests will be triaged by a clinician and Anima will be available all day by October.

For patients who don’t use online systems and who contact the surgery by phone or in person, Reception staff will input the case on Anima. This triage system will take more clinician time than the current system therefore it may reduce the number of face to face clinical appointments each day as well as increase phone waiting times.

Currently around half of all patients are registered to use Anima. It is planned to hold digital training sessions for patients (in September?) - members of the PPG will assist. There will be an SMS campaign before October to encourage more patients to use Anima.

The Lakeside website has now been amended so that the Anima button appears at the top. In future it will be possible to submit a request on Anima without registering for an account, but having an account will save patient time in future.

There will also be a new custom Anima template which will reduce the number of questions to be completed by patients. Once a case is triaged, if a non urgent appointment is needed then the patient will be sent a text link to book a time & date online with the appropriate clinician. Patients who do not want to receive texts will be phoned.

Adults who have capacity can nominate a proxy to use Anima on their behalf (including care home patients). Where there is a Power of Attorney in place, the attorney can use Anima as can parents for their children.

Vaccination Clinics

The PPG has received some negative feedback about the last clinic regarding traffic disruption around the Eaton Socon surgery, queues and support for elderly attendees.

Sarah confirmed that as it was only covid vaccination this time, staff had anticipated that it would be quicker than when flu was also given, however this wasn’t the case hence queues formed in the morning which eased as the day went on. 1256 vaccinations were carried out. Regarding individual complaints about lack of support/assistance for elderly or disabled patients on the day, if details are sent to Sarah she will investigate.

The PPG asked if in future Dumbelton could be used instead of Eaton Socon, but Sarah confirmed that the surgery building does not have capacity and Tesco would need to give permission for their car park to be used. When it was used during Covid, a marquee was erected with heaters.

Accessibility issues in surgeries

The PPG highlighted some potential issues for patients with mobility issues or in wheelchairs: i.e. entrance doors, disabled toilets, desk heights, car park.

Sarah confirmed that the intercom at Eaton Socon main entrance works and staff will assist patients when requested. She will check the doorbell at Cedar House. Dumbelton is a newer building so complies with disability regulations including automatic entry door. Eaton Socon has a side door with push button entry but this cannot be used by patients currently. (Post meeting note – The Cedar House doorbell has now been replaced. Sarah confirmed that the side door at Eaton Socon could be used but would still need staff assistance as the entrance leads to staff areas).

Sarah confirmed that a Disability Access Risk Assessment is carried out each year by an independent company at all three surgeries and no issues were identified at the last assessment. All disabled toilets have emergency pull cords. Jonathan to check which toilet at Cedar House is a problem for a wheelchair user.

Reception desk heights cannot be changed (Dumbelton was built with a lower desk). New permanent screens have been installed recently on reception desks.

Disabled car parking at Eaton Socon was discussed. Only one disabled bay is currently on the level area at the bottom of the car park. Ideally a level path would be built from that area to the main entrance however it is currently blocked by trees and shrubs. Dr Chetty confirmed there is no budget to change this, however he will review disabled parking spaces.

The sign at Cedar House stating “No Prams” will be removed by Sarah (Post meeting note - sign now removed).

Health Checks

All 40–74 year olds who have no underlying long term health conditions should be invited for a health check every 5 years. This includes cholesterol check, blood pressure, height, weight etc. Patients can request an appointment if they haven’t been contacted. Patients with long term conditions have annual reviews.

Health Kiosks

These are in all Eaton Socon and Cedar House surgeries and patients can walk in and use them at any time. Data from the kiosk automatically uploads to the patient record. Kiosks record height, weight and blood pressure.

Sarah explained that hypertension and diabetic reviews will in future be carried out in the patient’s birthday month.

Blood test results from hospitals

Sarah confirmed that blood test results from Hinchingbrooke and Peterborough hospitals are not shared with GPs unless the GP has referred the patient. This is a cause of frustration for patients and GPs and is an ICB issue.

(Post meeting note – Jeanette to take this issue to the Healthwatch meeting on 1 July – item 12b).

Text messages re Blood Pressure checks

Patients can be worried to receive text messages requesting them to take and record their blood pressure twice a day for seven days. Sarah explained that this would only happen after one abnormally high BP and the wording of the text cannot be altered. The surgery can lend BP machines to patients who don’t have one. The British Heart Foundation website has a list of recommended BP machines.

Appointment stats

Jonathan provided printout of stats for GP face to face appointments booked same day and Did Not Attend for 5 local surgeries: Lakeside, Almond Rd, Gt Staughton, St Neots Healthcare and Yaxley. Jonathan to assist Dr Chetty to access these NHS records.

Sarah provided monthly Lakeside stats for March. Access to appointments has improved as well as call waiting times. Now they are fully staffed and have a stable reception team, staff morale has improved.

PSA Testing

Dave Young explained that he is helping to organise a free PSA testing event in August (date TBA) to be held at St Neots Golf Club. It will be run by Dr Jyoti Shah, a Consultant Urology Surgeon with NW Anglia Trust and her team. It will include a blood test for PSA and rectal examination. There will be 65 places on a first come first served basis. The event will be publicised by Black Cat Radio and on local websites. Results will be sent to GPs and if follow up tests are required, these will be organised by Peterborough hospital.

Dave is organising retractable banners to be displayed locally to encourage men to take PSA tests and to give information about prostate cancer. The wording on the banners will be agreed by the team at Peterborough hospital. Dr Chetty agreed that a banner can be displayed in the waiting rooms of all three Lakeside surgeries.

Staffing Update

Sarah confirmed that 2 registrars will be leaving soon and 2 new part time GPs (female) will be starting in June. The website will be updated. Jeanette mentioned that one registrar (Dr Elrayes) is listed on the GP page of the website.

The PPG would like individual photos of clinicians to be displayed in surgeries including their specialisms. Dr Chetty agreed to organise this once the new GPs have started (unless individuals state that they don’t want their photos displayed).

Sarah confirmed that there are name plaques on all GP doors now.

TV information screens in surgeries

New TV screens will be installed in waiting rooms with information for patients on a loop. Dr Chetty agreed that information about prostate cancer testing can be included. Dave knows someone who has a film studio which could be used if Dr Chetty wants to make a promotional video.

AOB

Healthwatch. Jeanette and Jonathan have been attending local Healthwatch meetings which cover all NHS services. Healthwatch has now set up regular quarterly meetings for PPGs and Practice Managers to attend (next date 13 August at the Fleet, Peterborough).

The general Healthwatch meeting to be held on 1 July, will include a presentation from NW Anglia trust to cover developments at Hinchingbrooke. Healthwatch have asked PPGs to gather feedback from patients and GPs about the interface between GP services and hospital care e.g. relationship between GPs and hospitals, communication and coordination of treatment and referrals/waiting times. Jeanette forwarded the email to Sarah for a response from Lakeside.

Lakeside patient survey closes next week. 900 responses received so far. Helen asked why patients are sent a text after every appointment asking them to review their care. Sarah explained that this is automatic.

AOB

Healthwatch. Jeanette and Jonathan have been attending local Healthwatch meetings which cover all NHS services. Healthwatch has now set up regular quarterly meetings for PPGs and Practice Managers to attend (next date 13 August at the Fleet, Peterborough).

The general Healthwatch meeting to be held on 1 July, will include a presentation from NW Anglia trust to cover developments at Hinchingbrooke. Healthwatch have asked PPGs to gather feedback from patients and GPs about the interface between GP services and hospital care e.g. relationship between GPs and hospitals, communication and coordination of treatment and referrals/waiting times. Jeanette forwarded the email to Sarah for a response from Lakeside.

Lakeside patient survey closes next week. 900 responses received so far. Helen asked why patients are sent a text after every appointment asking them to review their care. Sarah explained that this is automatic.