We would like to invite our patients who were previously involved in our Patient Participation Group (PPG), as well as new members to help us form a new PPG. As the former PPG chairman is no longer registered with the practice, it has been some time since the PPG met. It is very important as a surgery for us to have a working relationship with our patients to ensure between us we can communicate effectively to help us provide an effective service to all. In light of the on-going pandemic, we will need to operate the group virtually. While we realise that this will not be a welcome change for all members, we are sure it can be recognised that the COVID-19 guidelines are constantly changing and a virtual approach is the only one guaranteed to remain permissible and safe in the coming months. We will naturally welcome any and all suggestions from members as to how the virtual format could be made more accessible for them or how any inconvenience caused by this format might be mitigated.
In order to provide an initial direction for the PPG, we would like to establish a picture of the most pressing concerns amongst our patient list. To this end, we intend to design a patient survey and would welcome the PPG’s input into subjects that should be covered. The PPG’s assistance in encouraging patients to respond to the survey would also be welcomed.
We also foresee a role for the PPG in educating our patients:
• Managing expectations when necessary.
• Operational and capacity constraints in primary care are well understood by the surgery staff, and we would welcome the PPG’s assistance in spreading the necessary awareness amongst our registered patients.
• Hearing the patient perspective on the impact of these constraints may assist the surgery in finding ways of mitigating them.
• Feedback on the appointment system in particular would be valuable, as while it must be recognised that no system can achieve universal approval, we will always welcome suggestions that might bring us closer to it.
• Encouraging our patients to register with Patient Access to ensure they are able to gain what they need without having to contact the surgery
The above are just a few examples of how we could work together going forward.
Please email: mayflower.ppg@nhs.net to consent to becoming involved with the PPG and receiving emails.