Patient Group

What is the Patient Participation Group (PPG)?

The Patient Participation Group is made up of a group of patients and staff who meet regularly, creating a direct link between patients and staff and the services provided by the Practice. The group provides a forum for patients to raise issues, discuss developments and contribute to the decision making to improve services within the surgery. It is not a forum where individuals are able to raise individual concerns or complaints.

The Baildon Medical Practice PPG

This was established in 2011. Currently the group is made up of nine patient members and the Practice Manager.

Meetings are held at the surgery three times a year. Informal meetings are held between these scheduled meetings in order to discuss agendas, matters arising and event planning.

The group has organised a number of events :

Healthy Hearts	2015
Carers Event	2016
Dementia Day	2017
Dementia Play (Lost in Memories)	2018
Friends Link Up	2018
First Aid Training	2018
Patient Opinion Survey	2018

Aims

To ensure that the experiences, views and needs of patients are sought and communicated to the professional staff to help to improve the services and day to day running of the Practice.

To work collaboratively with Practice staff, other PPGs, the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and the Care Quality Commission to ensure high standards of service for all who use the Practice.

To consider suggestions related to the service provided by the Practice which might be of further benefit to the patients.

To act as a sounding board for future surgery plans.

To organise health promotion events relevant to patient needs.

To undertake surveys and form action plans, which address issues, raised by these surveys.

Joining the Group

Membership of the group is open to any patient who attends the Practice. We would welcome new members of all ages. If you are a young person 16-25years old with an interest in healthcare or considering a future career in Health and Social Care then we would love to hear from you.

Please contact the Practice Manager if you have an interest in joining the Group.

Patient Participation Group (PPG) took issues to the Practice Team who listened & acted as follows;

You say (the Patient Group) We did (the Practice Team)

You say - install blinds in the waiting room to cut down on glare & heat.

We did - applied film to the windows to reduce glare & reduce heat, as blinds could be an infection control risk.

You say - organise events on Dementia Awareness.

We did - agreed this was a good idea & asked PPG to do this. The PPG organised two events one held at the Wesley Chapel & one at Bingley Arts Centre.

You say - make Access to the Practice building easier for people with mobility issues particularly wheelchairs.

We did - put a sign on the outside indicating how people could gain help with access from Reception staff.

You say - Loneliness and isolation is a problem for people over 50 years. The PPG Group looked at establishing a social group/drop in coffee morning. This has been established with a partnership with Community Link (Cliffe Ave, Baildon). A ‘Friends Link Up’ coffee group is held on alternate Wednesdays 10:00am - 11:30am.

We did - agreed to advertise and signpost patients to it.

You say - We said, PPG to set up & use Social Media (a Facebook page) to share Practice news and keep a channel for the PPG to gain ideas/feedback from the patients.

We did - You decided that utilising a Facebook page could have confidentiality issues and the preference was to increase the use of the Practice website as the medium to increase engagement.

You say - We asked to Trial Evergreen app with the PPG group members, this requires an access code from the Practice.

We did - You decided that, in the knowledge that other apps are due to be released, continued promotion of SystmOnline access through the Practice website would be appropriate in the medium term, before a decision is made.

You say - Awareness of the PPG is hampered by the current siting of the PPG noticeboard in the entrance; we asked for it to be moved into the waiting room, seated area.

We did - Felt that there were real benefits in having the PPG noticeboard in the entrance. Signposting to it is now included on the Practice noticeboard in the waiting room.