What is a Patient Participation Group?
A Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a patient led group linked to a local General Practice. The PPG is made up of a group of patients that reflect the diversity of the catchment population. Initially, the partners invited the Royal Burgh of Lanark Community Council to help identify individuals who would form the initial Group taking into account the age profile of the community, along with experience and community links. The group will work along with GPs and practice staff to provide a patient perspective on the health care services that are offered to the community.
What a Patient Participation Group is not.
A PPG is not a body to receive or hear complaints. The group does not deal with individual health care queries from patients and cannot mediate between patient and practice. All complaints or concerns should be progressed using the Practice and NHS complaints procedure.
So what can the Patient Participation Group do?
Most importantly, the PPG is an opportunity to help and support the Woodstock Surgery to provide effective healthcare in our area. It is planned that the PPG will meet regularly to discuss areas of concern, challenge and good practice. The PPG is a partnership between the patients and the practice and should be a positive and collaborative body which seeks to share a common aim of ensuring the patients are well cared for in a changing NHS context.
The objectives of the PPG are
- To give patients a voice in the organisation and delivery of their healthcare and encourage and support patients to look after their own health with good health education and practice.
- To discuss and agree an action plan with such a plan contributing to decision making and service provision and development within the practice.
- To promote co-operation and information exchange between the Practice and Patients to the benefit of both.
- To identify where the Group can influence the Practice and/ or other parties to the benefit of Patients and/or the Practice
- To seek and listen to the views of Patients and represent their views to the Practice or others with responsibility for health or social care
- To work in partnership with the practice to support Person Centered Care and improve patient satisfaction.
- Be offered the opportunity to be involved with the commissioning of services within community.
How do we find out about the work of the PPG?
After each meeting, members of the PPG agree the minute of the meeting and it is posted on the practice website. The PPG have also agreed Terms of Reference which outline the operating principles, membership processes and aims.
Can I join the PPG?
The initial membership of the PPG was chosen by the practice in conjunction with the Royal Burgh of Lanark Community Council who had been working with the practice on the matter from a number of years. The Group consists of a Chair, Deputy Chair and additional patient members, along with representatives of the Practice including at least one partner and the Practice Manager. Members serve for a period of three years and initial members will serve for either one, two or three years to ensure a rotation of membership.
Vacancies in the Group will be advertised within the community. In order to be as representative as possible of the Patient population adverts will make it clear what the gap is the group is seeking to fill e.g. parent of young children, someone with social work experience. Volunteers will be asked to submit a statement outlining their experience and suitability for the role and may be invited to meet with the Chair or Deputy Chair and representatives of the group to ensure they are suitable for the needs of the group.
Can I attend meetings of the PPG?
The regular meetings of the PPG are open to those who serve as members on the group, however each year, normally in September, a meeting will be held which will be open to all patients and carers of patients to
- Hear a report from the practice on performance and progress made with the agreed action plan.
- Update those attending on the work of the Group over the previous year
- Listen to the views of those attending on the appropriateness of future plans and to change these if higher priorities emerge
- Elect Officer Bearers
- Elect members to fill vacancies
- Listen to a presentation from an appropriate health or social work speaker at the Annual Meeting.
The PPG can also hold open meetings or events if there are particular issues to be discussed or communicated such as a major change in services or communication about particular forms of treatments. Dates of the Annual Meeting or any open events or meetings will be displayed on the practice webpage and in the PPG pin board in the surgery.
Minutes of Meetings
Dates of Forthcoming Meetings
2025
- To be announced
2024
- Wednesday 10th January
- Wednesday 28th February
- Wednesday 24th April
- Wednesday 19th June
- Wednesday 28th of August
2023
- Wednesday 8th March
- Wednesday 26th April
- Wednesday 21st June
- Wednesday 30th August
- Wednesday 25th October
If you have any issues you would like to bring to the PPG our meetings will be held on the following dates (please note these dates may change if circumstances dictate).