Context

Patient involvement is now becoming a much higher priority within the NHS. Patient participation groups (PPGs) are used to establish a means by which patients can play a more positive role in their own health and well-being and can also contribute to the decision-making process within a medical practice.

Holt Medical Practice’s Patient Participation Group (‘Holt PPG’) was re-established in Summer 2021, with 6 named members hoping to bring renewed energy and focus to the group.

The aim of Holt PPG is to work closely with the Practice to ensure our patient population is properly represented and heard, to promote greater awareness of current issues or campaigns and to encourage open and constructive dialogue and what might be done to enhance understanding or improve something. Terms of Reference.

The Practice’s staff values the fresh partnership that has been formed and wishes to actively support and work closely with the PPG to help shape future healthcare in our community.

Who we are:

The PPG’s core patient members meet every other month with the Practice’s Executive GP Partner, the Business Manager and the Operations Manager.

Our core members are:

• Ann Pugh Smith
• Elaine Thexton
• John Pugh-Smith

We currently have 3 vacancies for patient members. We would be particularly interested in hearing from anybody with experience or interest in publicity and a representative for our younger adult population.

Public minutes of our meetings can be found on our PPG Minutes page.

We can be contacted directly through our PPG email address: nwicb.holt-ppg@nhs.net. This email address is checked monthly and is for patients to highlight any thoughts, general concerns, constructive feedback, and ideas to the PPG which will them be brought to the next meeting for discussion. It is not the forum to raise personal, or urgent, clinical concerns or complaints.

Our aims

These are to:

• Be positive ambassadors of the Surgery
• Contribute to, and feel part of, Practice decision-making processes on topics where we can make a real difference;
• Provide feed-back on patients’ needs, concerns and interests and challenge the Practice constructively whenever necessary;
• Assist the Practice by helping arrange and provide volunteer support;
• Facilitate the communication of information which may affect health care;
• Give patients a better voice in the organisation of their health care;
• Promote good health and wellbeing by encouraging and supporting activities within the Practice and promoting preventive medicine.

but, we are not:

• A practice management committee so we do not interfere with the Practice’s management decisions or its day to day organisation;

Part of the complaints procedure as there is already a procedure for complaints.

If you do have a complaint this should be raised directly, via the Practice, so that it can be thoroughly investigated in a timely and confidential manner. Further details on the Practice’s complaints policy can be found on our website.

Join Us?

If you are interested in becoming more involved in the PPG (or perhaps even find out a bit more as to what is involved in becoming a core patient member) you can register your interest by emailing us at nwicb.holt-ppg@nhs.net.

You can also download, print and fill out a Patient Participation Group Registration form to hand in at reception.