We are here to give you the opportunity to:
- Let the practice staff and doctors know what patients would like or expect from them
- Review the results of patient’s satisfaction surveys
- Help the practice decide on their priorities for the year ahead and beyond
We meet four times a year and always welcome new members.
If you are interested in shaping the future of the practice and would like to join the group, or would like more information about it, contact Patient Services on 01244 563015 or email to heathlanemedicalcentre@nhs.net with your name and DOB.
The surgery is keen to expand our Patient Participation Group, so why not come along to discuss your ideas and hear about planned changes. At our previous meetings, we have discussed the results of our latest Patient Satisfaction Survey and came up with ideas on how we could improve our score.
PPG members regularly host monthly NHS App setup sessions in the waiting room, offering guidance and support to patients who need help accessing the app.
Future topics at the meeting will include:
- Reviews of our patient surveys and practice initiatives
- An update on any planned changes at the surgery
- Ideas for the development of the group – what would you like to see your patient participation group doing?
- Any other ideas you want to bring along about how you’d like to see the service develop and how you think patients might be involved
Terms of Reference
Aims
The aims of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) are to provide:
- a patient perspective to the practice
- a forum to discuss issues relevant to the practice
- a means by which patients may influence local health care services.
Objectives
The core objectives of the PPG will be to:
- Facilitate and enable dialogue between patients and the practice team and promote patient involvement in the practice.
- Involve patients in the review, development and planning of services by Heath Lane Medical Centre and, through the practice’s membership of the West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, to influence the wider development of medical services in Cheshire.
- Advise on services and issues about which the practice should consult with patients, consider any comments resulting from this consultation, and support the practice in responding to them. e.g. review and where appropriate provide advice and recommendations on the practice’s annual patient survey and other feedback channels, any external audits, and other surveys the PPG may consider necessary to obtain the views of the patients.
- Ensure patients’ needs are considered in the development of the practice systems e.g. appointment systems and telephone systems, providing information about and promoting understanding of such systems amongst patients.
- Support the practice in drafting practice materials and communications, such as the newsletter and web site, and offer feedback on literature for patients.
Membership
The membership of the Heath Lane Medical Centre PPG shall include:
- Patient representatives.
- General Practitioner(s).
- Representatives from the practice team
- PPG membership will be open to anyone registered with the practice. The practice will, as far as is possible given the voluntary nature of the group, ensure that its membership reflects the patient population.
- All members will be expected to respect rules of confidentiality and not discuss personal or sensitive information outside a meeting.
- Membership of the group does not confer any priority claims on the practice or any right to preferential treatment, nor does it alter the existing NHS processes for handling individual complaints.
- Members who do not participate in any way for more than one year will be deemed to no longer be a member of the PPG, and will be removed from the circulation list
Meetings
- Meetings will be held at least 4 times a year or more often if the group agrees.
- Meetings will have an agenda. Minutes will be taken and will include points for action.
- Dates of meetings will be publicised and a copy of the minutes displayed in the practice waiting areas and on the web site for patients to read.
- The Chair, Vice-chair and Secretary of the PPG will be appointed by the group, from the patient members, for a period of one year.
- Meetings will be held on the practice premises.
- A representative from the practice team will attend meetings to take minutes and organise agendas and papers.
- Any member of the group wishing to place an item on the agenda should contact the Chairman or Practice Manager before these latter meet to plan a particular meeting agenda, usually about two weeks before such meeting.
- Draft minutes of each meeting will be forwarded to the Chair within two weeks of the meeting, and published on the agreement of the Chair.
- The meeting will be quorate when five members are in attendance.
- The chairman may from time to time set up ad hoc groups from PPG members who volunteer to help carry out particular tasks/assignments.
Review
These terms of reference will be reviewed annually.
