The following comments and questions were raised as part of the online AGM process and are now presented here with the responses from the Pinn Medical Centre.
Fully accepting the difficulties involved, is the PMCPA pushing the PMC to resume face to face appointments without mandatory telephone discussions with a GP first. The procedure is fine in some, or even many, cases but there are others where it is simply not possible to assess a situation over the phone so a face to face should be automatic, even if the doctor and patient have to sit 8 or 10 feet apart.
Thank you for your feedback. It is essential The Pinn continue to protect its patients and staff. When a clinician has assessed the needs of the patient via a telephone call or video call and they feel that there would be benefit in a face to face consultation, the clinician is able to invite the patient to attend the practice. We must continue with this current method of working in order to minimise the risk of COVID transmission. (Pinn Medical Centre – PMC)
More of a comment. Thank you all staff at the Pinn for being there, throughout the terrible year for all of us. Hope you all kept COVID free & are well & not too stressed. I think the telephone appointments are an excellent way to sort out treatment when it’s really needed. So my question is: when COVID is over, please will you continue with this triage system? As a patient, it really works & often speaking to a GP is enough & if a face to face consultation is required, it happens quickly. Thank you all so much.
Thank you for your comments and kind words.
The staff have worked extremely hard throughout this last year to try and continue to provide a normal service. We hope to reflect and learn from the experiences we have had throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and incorporate the learnings of various system changes into the new way of working. (PMC)
One question – not really for you to answer but perhaps you can guide it to the right person.
I, and I think many of the Pinn patients – especially the older ones – would be very pleased to receive some information on what the Pinn’s plans are for their covid vaccination programme. Precise details are not necessary – but even a short indicative text would be very welcome eg “Our practice is not scheduled to be in the first tranche of vaccinating the over 80s but we are hoping to be able to tell you sometime in January what our programme will be.”
Thank you for your feedback
The team has already been working on this in the background and we hope to get communications sent out shortly. (PMC)
Walking and cycling is to be encouraged for local journeys so please could PMC provide cycle parking. Now that the ramp is used for waiting patients there is nowhere accessible to chain a bike up (unless you are strong enough to lift over the barriers in the car park! )
A bike rack would help support healthy and environmentally friendly access to PMC.
Thank you for your comments
We think a bike rack would be an excellent idea and we would support the PMC PA in their application to Harrow Council on this matter PMC)
Note The Patients’ Association is now pursuing this with Harrow Council.