What is a Patient Participation Group?
A PPG is a group of volunteers who work with their GP practices to provide practical support, to help patients to take more responsibility for their own health and to provide planned contributions and advice.
- They are based on co-operation between practice staff and patients.
- They help to improve communication.
- PPGs represent the whole practice populations wishes, not personal or individual views.
- Every PPG is unique, continually exploring the changes in patients needs in the local area.
What can a PPG do?
- Find out what patients think and meet regularly with the practice manager, GPs and other staff to provide feedback, identifying improvements and contributing to carrying out changes.
- Give practice staff and patients the opportunity to, where possible, share decision-making in the running of the practice.
- Provide a means for practice staff to inform patients about the reality of running a GP surgery.
- Carry out research, hold health awareness and information events, and carry out patient surveys.
- Help to improve practice facilities, such as new toys for the waiting rooms, up-to-date magazines etc.
- Provide practical help at clinics, such as the annual flu clinics.
- help people to find additional services and support in the community
What are the benefits of a PPG?
- Patients will have a better understanding and knowledge of the practice and its staff.
- Patients will be consulted about arrangements for their primary care health before decisions are made.
- Patients will benefit from improved communications between patients and staff.
- Patients will be able to use the PPG to suggest positive ideas and voice concerns.
- Services planned jointly between patients and practice staff are more effective and used more efficiently by patients.
- The practice gets help from patients in meeting targets and objectives, such as surveys carried out by the PPG.
- The PPG provides a way for the practice to test ideas and suggestions to the patients.
- Patients will have an organisation through which they can help others in need.
- The patient view will always be represented in local health care.
How to Contact The PPG
- There is a ‘suggestion box’ next to the PPG Notice Board in main reception at Acle Medical Centre.
View more information on the Acle Medical Partnership PPG Consitution via our PDF