Plain Talking Your opportunity to influence the future of your local healthcare provision

An opportunity…. setting the scene What are Patient Participation Groups? What is Plain Talking? Your involvement Questions and answers

An Opportunity Currently there is an opportunity for patients to be involved in LOCAL healthcare decision making The Government has set out changes which means local Doctors will be responsible for service planning and operation of local healthcare provision Why are you here? There is currently an opportunity for patients to be involved in LOCAL healthcare decision making. The emphasis is on Local! The Government has set out changes which means local Drs (rather than people in London, Gloucester or Devizes) will be responsible for service planning and operation of local healthcare provision. The Government has decided to make this change for 2 reasons: To reduce costs by removing unnecessary management costs and eliminating waste. To increase effectiveness of services This change is expected to come into force from 2013. Achieving cost reductions and improving services involves local people contributing to ongoing service planning, development of proposals and decisions about general service delivery. In summary, recent changes within the NHS are intended to deliver a more patient-centred service.

What are Patient Participation Groups? At its simplest, Patient Participation refers to people taking an active interest in their health care. At present, some GP Practices have Patient Participation Groups (PPGs). Their priorities are developed and agreed within the Practice Some groups have looked beyond the Practice to the decisions made within the NHS that directly affect their community According to the National Association of Patient Participation, the most significant way of involving local people in local healthcare decisions is to set up a patient participation group. Otherwise known as a PPG. The first PPG was set up in 1978 At its simplest, Patient Participation refers to patients taking an active interest in their health care. At present, most Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) operate within GP surgeries. Their priorities are developed and agreed within Practices. Some groups have, for some years, looked beyond the Practice to the decisions made within the NHS that directly affect their community. Regrettably, most often it has been in reaction to decisions taken without adequate consultation. In many cases, patients and GPs have supported each other in promoting the patient and public interest. This leads us to Plain Talking.

What is Plain Talking? Local Practices have joined together to launch Plain Talking to influence healthcare across the local area We would like local people to join this group to contribute to the improvement of healthcare services for everyone in the local area Local Practices including AVP, CP, BMC, SM and BV have joined together to launch Plain Talking to enable us to consult with local people about their healthcare. We would like this group to look beyond the Practice to the decisions made within the NHS that directly affect their community. Hence the group will cover healthcare provision in Amesbury, Bulford, Durrington, Ludgershall, Shrewton, Tidworth, Upavon, Wilsford. We would like a range of people to join this group so that as many people from the local population are represented. This means men and women of all ages, from the very young to the elderly, those working, unemployed, unable to work and retired, those who are carers or have children at home all contribute to the improvement of healthcare services for everyone in the local area.

Your involvement The way in which this group works is evolving and can be directed by you As a starting point, we suggest that the group provide feedback on issues identified by yourselves or those that are already known to us The way in which this group works is very much up for discussion and can involve as much or as little as you feel able to contribute. Since Drs will be responsible for local healthcare provision from 2013, we suggest that the group provide feedback on issues identified by yourselves or those that are already known to us. Once the Drs are responsible, contributing to the design of services and initiatives and exploring the changing needs of patients will be needed. If you are in agreement with this, we would like to know how we can obtain your feedback or what can we do differently. You were given a note card on your way in and therefore if you can spend the next few minutes completing this, we would be very much appreciative. We’ll leave you for 5 minutes to complete this. Please feel free to discuss with the people sitting next to you. We’ll then return for Questions.

5 minute exercise Complete questions on the note card Please feel free to discuss with the people sitting next to you Return for Discussion and Q&As

Questions and Answers Discussion mediums Issues that need addressing Reaching local people Discuss each part of the note card: Discussion mediums Surveys (post/electronic) Online forum Issues A&E DNAs Representation Reaching people Check understanding of what Plain Talking is and state what Plain Talking is not. I.e. a forum for complaints, a doctors fan club, a time-consuming activity for all involved including patients, practice staff.

Thank you Thank you for coming this afternoon, we will be holding two more meetings like this across the local area. Therefore if you know of anyone who would like to attend, please spread the word. We will feedback the outcomes of these meetings to you according to your preferred method of communication. However, if you would like to discuss any of the issues raised today, please contact the Practice Manager of your Practice. Many thanks