Purpose of a PPG:

• To give patients and practice staff the opportunity to meet and discuss topics of mutual interest.

• To provide a means for patients to become more involved and make suggestions about the healthcare services they receive.

• To explore issues from patient complaints and patient surveys, contribute to actions plans and help monitor improvements.

• To contribute feedback to the practice on National Patient Survey results and Friends and Family Test feedback, to propose developments or change, where appropriate.

• To support health awareness and patient education.

What can a PPG do?

• Discuss constructive suggestions for improving the practice, and share concerns that could affect the wider practice population.

• Organise health focused events with the practice, i.e., healthy eating awareness as an information event for all practice patients to attend.

• Create a patient survey with practice staff, to get feedback about the practice from the rest of the patient population.

• Design a newsletter for the practice, to provide regular updates to patients.

• Assist the practice in making sure their website is ‘Patient Friendly’.
  
  
• Engage with the local community via fundraising events and useful health information, to ensure the PPG is representative.

• Invite health and voluntary professionals to PPG meetings, for PPG members to remain informed and updated about local opportunities for patients.

What can a PPG not do?

PPG patient members cannot provide any medical advice to other patients, or deal with personal/medical issues or individual patient complaints during the meeting. These should be dealt with outside the meeting following the practice’s already established procedures.