Patient Engagement with their GP Practice Leven & Beeford Medical Practice Terri Wardell – Business Manager

What is a Patient Participation Group? Patients working with a practice to:  contribute to the continuous improvement of services;  help improve communication between the practice and its patients;  help patients to take more responsibility for their health

Based on Communication and Co-operation  Patient participation groups work by building a relationship between the practice and its patients to break down barriers and share information.  Patient participation groups can develop to influence wider NHS health issues – as Clinical Commissioning Groups are involved in the development of new services, PPG’s may be invited to feed in to wider consultations and service reviews.

Patient Participation Groups are not…. A forum for complaints  Clear ground rules that the group sign up to help to ensure that group members do not use the group as a vehicle to resolve their own personal issues. A doctors’ fan club  In order to be valuable, PPG’s must have the confidence to challenge the practice. A tool for other agenda’s *A tool for Implementation of the Governments or any individuals pre-determined agenda

Issues can be addressed by:  Targeting groups of people not represented on the practice participation group to find out what they think  Asking certain representatives to join the group for a short time or for a specific purpose; and  Making sure that you try to contact a diverse range of people - to get the views of all types of people including; young, old, working, unemployed, ethnic minorities, people whose first spoken language isn’t English etc

What are the benefits? Good for patients because they will:  have a better understanding and knowledge of the practice and its staff.  be consulted about arrangements for their primary healthcare before decisions are made.  be more responsible for and have a greater role in managing their own health.  benefit from improved communications with staff.  have a forum to suggest positive ideas and voice concerns e.g. appointment issues, parking problems

What’s Involved?  Develop aims and objectives  Attend (at least) 4 meetings a year  Occasional canvassing of opinion with the wider community  Taking in part in patient surveys and discuss results

 We must make sure we monitor progress against objectives  Publicise our successes  Involve people  Learn from other groups  Expand activity (we do not want to become stale)  Make sure we review our objectives regularly Continuing growth…..

 NAPP – National Association of Patient Participation  Website  Useful resources available for members Support

 To set the next meeting date  All interested parties to sign the TOR  First couple of meetings can be chaired by the Business Manager  Future aspirations – Chair & Vice Chair Friends of Leven & Beeford Medical Practice

Any questions ?????????????