Patient Participation
Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) have a key role to play as they help ensure that patients and carers can influence their local care services.
It is important that patients and carers are aware that a Patient Group exists in their GP surgery, what it’s for and how they can get involved and make sure that their views are heard and responded to.
Locality Links CIC has been working with patients and local people in supporting the development of PPGs to ensure their ideas and experiences influence this project and how Patient Groups develop in the future as well as reaching wider numbers and different types of patients.
We want all Patient Groups to draw on the experience and views of patients and carers to work with GPs and other staff in a positive way as equal partners and as a useful resource for the practice.
With the continuing desire to improve services and new requirements for GP Practices to carry out the Friends and Family test and inspections by the Care Quality Commission, Patient Groups have a still more important role to play. Acting as critical friends rather than as complaints forums, they can offer practical suggestions on topics such as waiting areas, waiting times and phone messages.
Other roles might include providing information to patients and the local community, health promotion activities such as health fairs, and condition-specific support groups, plus many news ideas which patients may have. Locality Links supports PPGs by working with patients, carers and practice staff to:
- Start a patient group
- Patient group terms of reference and member role and responsibilities
- Confidentiality policy and agreement for volunteers
- Meeting agendas
- Patient group information leaflet and posters
- Ongoing Development
For more information contact us@localitylinks.org.uk
