Invite to join Patient Participation Group at Derwent Practice

The PPG has an increasingly important job to do by helping patients to have a real say in the way local health services are delivered – to best meet the needs of individuals, as well as those in the wider community.

Meeting four times a year and consisting of patient representatives and members of the practice staff – the PPG’s overarching role is to implement positive change.

Patients have long valued the relationship with their GP and general practice, but the dynamics of this relationship have changed over recent years – and patients today properly want more of a say in how their own healthcare services are managed.

The PPG can help GPs to develop an equal partnership with their patients. They can help to communicate accurately and honestly with individual patients and with the wider community about important health matters.

They can also help to drive change by exploring new ways of approach that the practice might not have previously considered; this can have the effect of allowing resources to be used more effectively to improve services, sometimes with the added benefit of seeing a reduction in costs. The PPG can also develop mutually supportive networks for both patients and the practice outside of individual appointments.

The aims of the patient participation group are:

• To offer opinions in a constructive manner and to put forward ideas on behalf of other patients.

• To improve the provision of health care.

• To improve communication between surgery, patients and the wider community about matters concerning the surgery and health in general.

• To provide assistance in the development of new services, and

• To encourage a spirit of self help and support amongst patients to improve their health and social care.

Those interested in becoming a member of the PPG or learning more about the work it does can visit the practice website at www.derwentpractice.com or email the PPG at derwentpracticePPG@outlook.com