NEW PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

A Patient Participation Group (PPG) gives an opportunity for there to be two-way communication and decision making between the practice staff and its users. It allows us to communicate what the practice is being challenged to deliver, whilst giving patients the opportunity to influence how we may deliver the initiatives we are contractually obliged to do so.

We recently had to disband the historic PPG since we could no longer see the group as a critical frie…

NEW PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

A Patient Participation Group (PPG) gives an opportunity for there to be two-way communication and decision making between the practice staff and its users. It allows us to communicate what the practice is being challenged to deliver, whilst giving patients the opportunity to influence how we may deliver the initiatives we are contractually obliged to do so.

We recently had to disband the historic PPG since we could no longer see the group as a critical friend as the feedback, we were receiving was becoming non-constructive.

A critical friend is ‘someone who provides constructive feedback, without prejudice or negativity, to enable a service or function to develop positively’. The partnership felt that this was no longer the case with the historic PPG group.

A PPG isn’t:

• A forum for complaints. Clear ground rules are needed to ensure that PPG members do not use the PPG as a vehicle to resolve their own personal issues.
• A time-consuming activity for practice staff. Some effort is required to get PPGs going but thereafter they should be self-organising, and patient led and will often undertake activities that save the practice time

We now wish to move forward in a more professional and mutually respectful way to ensure that we truly can work with our patients is a constructive way which demonstrates noticeable service improvements for ALL our patients.

We are looking to recruit patents willing to join a new PPG. Follow the links for available information on how the group will work and to download an application form to join

Please submit applications into reception at the Village Surgery for the attention of Susan Lowe, Non-GP partner.