Helping the Practice to improve services

• Providing feedback from consumers e.g. appointment systems
• Monitor the accessibility of Practice communications e.g. develop the Practice booklet and leaflets, design of the website
• Carrying out surveys into a whole variety of subjects e.g. measure patient satisfaction, health needs and expectations
• Practical help e.g. flu clinics in GP Practices – making sure the patients are happy!
• Improving Practice facilities e.g. new toys for the waiting room, maintaining plants and gardens
• Helping obtain the patient view for e.g. planning permissions with a new build project for Practice premises
• Designing new services and initiatives e.g. extended opening for GPs
• To explore the changing needs of patients

Offering support to other patients, for example…… 

• Bereavement support
• Carers group
• Hospital visiting
• Befriending for housebound patients
• Volunteer transport scheme for medical appointments
• Providing health based social activities e.g. walking for health group, exercise classes, creating babysitting circles, trips out for older people

Providing information 

• Organising a health fair
• Offering handouts and support on special days e.g. National No Smoking Day
• Individual patients as teachers and expert patients with long term illnesses to newly diagnosed e.g. Diabetics etc
• Producing patient newsletters for the Practice
• Ensuring that patient information and advice is as user friendly as possible
• Representing your Practice locally and nationally when patient voices are needed.

Arranging special health events 

• Encouraging health education activities within the Practice 
• Training in basic first aid for patients
• Training new parents to distinguish when to call for medical assistance and when to self treat
• Awareness around particular illnesses e.g. breast cancer 
• Awareness for particular cultural groups around issues that relate to them

(also referred to as a Patient Reference Group)

A patient Participation Group is:

Patients working with the Practice to

• Help themselves and other patients to take more responsibility for their health
• Provide practical support for the Practice
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of services

Varied to suit local needs 

• The activities of each group are determined by the needs of the community and in consultation with Practice staff

Based on co-operation

• It works by building a relationship between the Practice staff and patients that breaks down barriers to communication
• It enables the sharing of information
• It can provide a springboard for public involvement in wider aspects of the NHS

Aware and sensitive

• It is confidential when needed
• It communicates widely throughout the local community

A Patient Participation Group is NOT

A Forum for complaints-
By providing a channel for communication, a PPG can reduce the risk of complaints. Many groups agree to forward concerns to the Practice Manager or the PCT PALS team.

Implementation of a pre-determined agenda (the governments or anyone else’s)-
The Independence of the PPG’s is a major strength. They are informally accountable to all the patients in the Practice and should therefore take a balanced view of needs. This is why the first meeting is being chaired by the Amber Valley and Erewash Patient and Public Involvement Manager from the PCT who is independent of the GP Practice.

A time consuming activity for GP Practices-
Most PPG groups are self-organising. Many groups undertake activities that help the GP Practice staff

New-
Patient Participation Groups have been around for quite a while with the first one being formed in 1972