PPG

What is the Patient Participation Group?

The Patient Participation Group (PPG), act as a liaison between the Practice and its patients. They are an advisory group of members, who work voluntarily with the practice, acting as 'critical friends' to help us improve services for the patient population.

The group is required to ensure that the we provide high quality care that meets the needs of our patients and carers; ensuring that they put you, and improving health, at the heart of everything it does.

It is a group of people that want to help the surgery to work as well as it can for patients, doctors and staff.

The NHS requires every practice to have a PPG to provide feedback and suggest improvements that can be made to the services offered by our Practice. It offers open discussion and an alternative perspective on the many topics relevant to general practice.

The role of the PPG includes:

• Being a critical friend to the practice
• Advising on the patient perspective and providing insight into the responsiveness and quality of services
• Encouraging patients to take greater responsibility for their own and their family's health
• Carrying out research into the views of those who use the practice
• Regular communication with the patient population

We aim to regularly review feedback with our PPG to consider areas for improvement, such as:

• Patient and carer priorities and issues
• Themes from complaints and suggestions
• Planned practice changes
• Care Quality Commission (CQC) related issues
• The GP patient survey and bespoke surveys
• The Friends and Family Test
• Working with local commissioners (CCG/NHS England/Local Authority)
• Views from local voluntary and community groups, including Healthwatch

Who is part of the PPG?

The Patient Participation Group is developed in an appropriate way to ensure regular engagement with a representative sample of the practice population, and it should have a structure that allows it to reach the broadest cross section of the patient population. These meetings are also attended by staff of the Practice, which enables views of both staff and patients to be discussed.

If you have been to the surgery as a patient, parent, carer or friend, your experiences matter and you can bring different ideas to the surgery to help us treat patients better and to improve what we do in some way.

You will also gain a better understanding of the NHS, and gather feedback from other patients. Your opinions are important and will be listened to. It may not be possible to act on every suggestion, but all feedback is valuable to us. Working in a spirit of mutual respect, openness and trust, all patients' views will be discussed and, where appropriate, we will work together on solutions.

What is a 'Virtual Group'?

“Virtual membership” is intended for patients who have an interest in getting involved with the PPG, but who are unable to make the commitment of regular attendance to meetings at the surgery. It would entail them using e-mail to receive relevant documentation and/or have input and comment on relevant PPG topics.

Information such as practice newsletters, minutes of the PPG meetings and surveys will be shared electronically. It means that if you can't make face-to-face meetings, are caring for someone, or are working, you can still be kept informed, give your views and participate.

How often does the PPG meet?

The PPG meet at the surgery, but not too often.

We know that you are busy, so we meet only a few times a year and hope that you can join us. If you can't make meetings, then don't worry - you can still be part of our virtual group.

Immingham & Keelby - Every 6 weeks approx.
Weelsby View - Every 8 weeks approx.

Recruitment

At present, there are a number of vacancies on both PPGs (Immingham & Keelby and Weelsby View), and the groups are particularly keen to recruit younger members and those with young families. No previous experience of health services or of the operation of The Roxton Practice is required.

If you would like more information or are interested in becoming a member of the Roxton PPG (Immingham & Keelby), Weelsby View PPG or a 'Virtual Member', please contact Les Allen (Secretary) by phone or email.