Feed back about your GP practice

Did you know… your GP practice should have a Patient Participation Group – and you can be a member?

What is a Patient Participation Group (PPG)?
It is a group made up of patients from a GP practice and it can also include practice staff.

What is the purpose of a PPG?
From April 1, 2015, it has been a requirement in the GP contract for all practices to have a Patient Participation Group. The group is there to give patients – and staff – the chance to make suggestions about the practice and to feed back their views. However, The Patients Association stresses that a PPG should be set up in a way that allows it to reach the broadest cross section of the patients in that particular practice.

In other words, members of the group should think about the wider patient interest and not just their own personal views. This could include carers of registered patients, or seldom heard groups such as those with mental health conditions.

Describe the role of a PPG
The role of a PPG also includes:

• being a critical friend
• advising the practice on what the patient thinks and provide insight into the quality of services
• encouraging patients to take more responsibility for their own and their family’s health
• carrying out research into the views of those who use the practice
• organising health promotion events
• regularly talking with its patients
• PPGs are also encouraged to share their views on local and national health care developments

Patient feedback
Your own GP practice should regularly review feedback with its Patient Participation Group as well as the rest of the patients on its books to look at ways if improving the practice. The Patients Association suggests the following as sources of feedback to review:

• Planned practice changes
• Themes from complaints and suggestions
• Patients and carer priorities and issues
• The Friends and Family Test
• The GP patient survey
• Views from local voluntary and community groups, including Healthwatch Sefton

  

Healthwatch Sefton has been working with both of Sefton’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to map the number of PPGs in the borough and ensure patients are given the chance to have their voices heard.

To help with this, two events are planned for later this year. Details of these will be shared nearer the time. It is our aim to work with the CCGs through the events so GP practices can share good practice when it comes to developing their own Patient Participation Group.

In the meantime, we want to hear from you now so we can build a picture of how these groups are working within Sefton.

Have you heard of Patient Participation Groups?
Do you know if your practice has one?
Would you like to become a member but are unsure how to go about it?

Call the Healthwatch Sefton team on FREEPHONE 0800 206 1304 or email: info@healthwatchsefton.co.uk