WHAT IS THE PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP (PPG)?
A group of patients and practice staff who meet at regular intervals to decide ways of making a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by The Health Centre to the patients.


PURPOSE OF THE PPG

• To foster and maintain a good relationship between The Health Centre and you the patient
• To give patients and Health Centre staff the opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest in their Health Centre
• To provide the means for patients to make positive suggestions about The Health Centre and their own healthcare
• To encourage health education activities within The Health Centre
• To develop self-help projects to meet the needs of fellow patients
• To act as a representative group that can be called upon to influence the local provision of health and social care
• To involve further patients from the wide population

5 MAIN AREAS OF WORK

1. Improving services provided by The Health Centre by providing feedback
2. Offering support to other patients, for example, by setting up bereavement support groups or carers’ groups, hospital visiting, shopping and support for housebound patients, home visits for the isolated
3. Improving facilities at The Health Centre
4. Developing and implementing social activities for patients such as trips for the elderly, walking for health groups, babysitting circles and voluntary/honorary grand parenting.
5. Providing information, for example, ensuring that patient information and advice is as user friendly as possible, offering handouts and support on special days and enabling an “expert patient” facility so that newly diagnosed patients meet with patients with long term illnesses

HOW THE PPG WORKS?
The running of the Group really depends upon the group of people involved. Full meetings are held quarterly with the executive meeting on a monthly basis or as necessary between these main meetings. Meetings are held at The Health Centre.


JOINING THE PPG
The PPG welcomes new members, particularly representatives from the under 18 age group, parents with young children and patients with sensory or physical impairments. Please ask at the Health Centre reception for details of who to contact of the PPG executive committee or just come along to one of the quarterly meetings.


NEXT MEETING
The next meeting for the PPG will be on 1st December 2008 at 7pm at The Health Centre, Station Approach. Everyone is welcome, so please feel free to come along and help shape your surgery.


Dates of future PPG meetings [1]
Minutes from past meetings & Chariman's Reports [2]


PAST EVENTS ORGANISED BY THE PPG INCLUDE:

• PPG Diabetes Awareness Evening, 6th Sept 2006 [3]
• Inaugural AGM, 18th Sept 2006 [4]
• Arthritis Education and Awareness Evening, 23rd May 2007 [5]