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Chairmans closing statement - 18th February 2025
Services provided to patients of the Hill Surgery have improved markedly over the last 15 months, as confirmed by the results of the HSAG survey in the previous bulletin. For this reason the HSAG committee has decide to close our website and disband, although the HSAG Group on Nextdoor will continue as a voice for patients of the Hill Surgery to discuss issues and concerns. Please read the Chairmans closing statement, below.
Members Survey results - 7th February 2025
The HSAG surveyed its members about how services provided by the Hill Surgery had improved, or otherwise, in recent months.
9th October 2024
As you know, HSAG was heavily involved in (at the request of the PPG Chairperson and a member) initially assisting the poorly organised PPG with its single committee member (the Chairperson) its handful of members, and no constitution. We wrote most of the PPG constitution and its Terms of Reference, proposed the PPG Board and voting rights and even put together a slide show to explain it all to both PPG members and the Practice GP Partners and administration. Finally members of the HSAG committee were able to be voted onto the PPG committee and start to bring our members concerns to the PPG meetings. That did not last long.
Below is a link to 'notes' from the final meeting of the then Hill Surgery PPG. It is important that patients understand the basis of the accusation of 'pre-prepared personal bullying and derogatory statements' levelled against members of the then PPG committee, which prompted the practice to end its regular PPG committee meetings and change the 'patient participation' format to a monthly newsletter.
6th September 2024
Some patient members have voiced concerns that when they complain to the practice manager in writing, they do not get a reply. HSAG has received a communication from the practice manager regarding the complaints process. See below for an extract from that communication relating to how complaints are recorded and replied to.
PPG in Crisis
Hello all, You may have recently received a text, email, or letter from the Hill Surgery practice, saying that it is changing the format of it's PPG to be more representative and more accessible to all patient groups. A link is included to a survey that asks if you want to be included in a new newsletter. This is a direct result of a statement made by the PPG vice chairperson criticising the PPG chairperson after he included a last-minute agenda item request by Dr Parker to discuss the PPG, and in particular members of HSAG and comments on our Nextdoor group. We considered this to be a disruptive agenda item, intended to damage the PPG without giving us the opportunity to study the documentation (which was not available anyway), and so we refused to discuss it at that meeting. The practice then later accused the vice-chair and Maxine Green of bullying and has taken the (we believe, unlawful) step of running the PPG in a way that suits the practice, without any discussion or vote. We believe that the practice disagrees with our criticism of its services to patients and wants to shut us up. We want to continue representing all practice patients and fighting for improved services. The HSAG committee will meet on the afternoon of 25th July, to discuss.
New committee members needed
Since forming our HSAG committee we have now lost two valuable members due to health issues. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us in reaching out to patients who are dissatisfied or need help negotiating the practice appointment and information systems. Please apply to chair@hsag.org.uk. I should emphasise that membership of HSAG or its committee gains us no priority of any kind with the practice.
Anita Waters has resigned
It is with sincere sadness that we announce the resignation of Anita, and even more so as she felt that she could no longer continue as a patient of Hill Surgery due to ongoing dissatisfaction with the service being offered. She has been accepted as a patient with St. Leonards Medical Centre.
PPG meetings of 24.05.24 and 31.05.24
Considering that the date of this PPG meeting was set on 22.04.24, at which time the practice team offered no objections, we were dismayed and annoyed that on the morning of the 24th the PPG Chairperson apologised and re-scheduled the meeting for the 31st May, on the grounds that the practice representatives could not attend.
Incredibly, again on the 31st May no apologies were given by the practice representatives, who again did not attend, apparently due to workload of the short week caused by the preceding bank holiday.
This apparent lack of interest by the practice in attending organised meetings of its own PPG could be interpreted in a number of ways, all of which are negative.
The next full PPG meeting has been set for the 9th of July, and later re-scheduled for Monday 15th July.
22.04.24 HSAG and the PPG
Following on from our previous meetings, HSAG members joined the April PPG meeting, where the constitution, terms of reference, board make-up and voting rights were proposed, seconded and agreed. Additionally Maxine (HSAG Vice-chairperson) and Nick Andrews (HSAG Chairperson) were formally accepted as officers of the PPG.
The decision to join the PPG was not taken lightly, but as a consequence of the practice managers refusal to deal with HSAG unless it used the PPG as a communications channel. We felt that we could be more effective within the PPG than outside it. Only time will tell, but HSAG will continue to operate independently.
10th April 2024
The HSAG committee was invited to attend 2 previous online meetings with the PPG, where we were allowed to voice our concerns about poor service to patients and listen to responses from the practice. You can see the HSAG minutes for both of these on the minutes pages. Following these meetings, the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of both the HSAG and the PPG had a face-to-face meeting, forming a steering group aimed at finalising the PPG constitution and proposing the PPG board together with associated voting rights. These will be proposed at the next PPG meeting. Updates will follow as appropriate. The HSAG will continue to remain independent of the PPG.
9th February 2024
Our first open meeting, which was at 7pm at Blacklands Parish Hall and which, considering the time of year, was well attended. At the time we had approximately 60 members in the NextDoor group (no website then), and around half of them came along. We asked for and received applications for committee members of the HSGA. Members of Hill Surgery PPG and HVA came along and an informative and constructive evening was enjoyed by all.