Patient Participation Groups in GP Surgeries:
What is a PPG?
A selection of patients and practice staff who meet at regular intervals to decide ways of making a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by the practice to the patients.
What is its purpose?
- To give practice staff and patients the opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest in their practice
- To provide the means for patients to make positive suggestions about the practice and their own healthcare
- To encourage health education activities within the practice
- To develop self-help projects to meet the needs of fellow patients
- To act as a representative group that can be called upon to influence the local provision of health and social care
- To involve further patients from the wide population
What does a PPG look like?
The group should have:
- An elected chairman
- An elected Secretary – responsible for the general admin
(lt could be the minute taking is on a rota system) - An elected treasurer – responsible for taking care of funds and finances
Other members could be:
- Publicity – responsible for newsletters and leaflets
- Marketing – what opportunities there are for promotion in the practice
- Fundraising – responsible for co-ordinating what the staff and patients feel is important for the practice
Remember: The group that shares together – succeeds.
What can a group do?
Any of the following and a whole lot more…
- Carry out surveys into a whole variety of subjects
(e.g. health needs/expectations & major cause of ill-health in a particular area, measuring patient satisfaction) - Explore the changing needs of patients
- Gather ideas for improvements or modifications needed for the delivery of services
- Bereavement support
- Carers Group
- Hospital Visiting
- Shopping and support for housebound patients
- Home visits for the isolated
- Fundraising for new furniture, toys or decorating
- Keeping the plants or gardens of the surgery maintained
- General environmental improvements
- Trips and days out for the elderly
- Exercise classes
- Walking for health group
- Creating babysitting circles
- Voluntary/ honorary grand parenting
- Boot fairs
- Organising a health fair
- Offering handouts and support on special days
- No smoking day
- Flu Clinics
- Individual patients as teachers and expert patients with LTC to the newly diagnosed
- Producing a news letter for the practice
- Ensuring patient information and advice is as friendly as possible
- Training in basic first aid for patients
- Awareness around particular illnesses (e.g. Breast Cancer)
- Awareness for particular cultural groups around issues that relate to them more specifically
- ‘Any health questions?’ with the doctors event
Joining Our PPG
If you would like to join our group please contact the practice manager directly.