The Chapel Row Surgery Patient Participation Group (PPG) met on 27 January 2021.

Chaired by Erica Tipton and attended by several parishioners on the Group it was also supported by Dr Jimmy Lennox, now Senior Partner, and Paul Gomm the Practice Manager. Normally, reports on the PPG’s proceedings are made at BPC meetings but in the light of the present pandemic situation it was thought a more immediate report would be appreciated.

The PPG delegates were unanimous in their praise of the Surgery’s speed in setting up its Covid-19 vaccination programme and the efficiency and courteous manner of all those manning the Pangbourne vaccination centre. Dr Lennox reported recently there had been a temporary lull in activity owing to lack of vaccine deliveries. However a decent supply of vaccine was now assured and the plan was for vaccinations of the over 70s and the clinically vulnerable to resume next week.

Shortly the Surgery will be introducing a system of texting patients with a link to a vaccination appointment booking system.

The vaccination centre has been able to extract 1200 doses from a standard 975 dose delivery of the Pfizer vaccine by minimising waste.Should any unused vaccine be left at the end of the day ,which might have to be thrown away because of storage limitations, there was a reserve list to call people forward at short notice.

The access arrangements for appointments at the Surgery is working well as is the outdoor system for collections from the dispensary. The Surgery has decided to split its dispensary and receptions teams into two, working an am and pm shift. This will ensure that if team members have to self-isolate there will still be 50% of the staff available to work.

There have been no Covid-19 outbreaks amongst the staff at the Surgery.