Did you know that since April 2016 it has been an NHS contractual requirement that GP surgeries in England should have a patient focus group?
Patient involvement is now high priority in the NHS, and Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) are used to establish communication between patients, medical practices and the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), which organise the delivery of NHS services across England.
There are two PPGs locally, formed of volunteers from Rye Medical Centre and Ferry Road Health Centre. All patients are able to keep in touch as a ‘virtual’ group and are represented by a committee who meet face-to-face with members of the surgery team on a regular basis. In this way patients and carers have a route to discuss matters which concern them and help identify solutions.
Part of the responsibility of the PPG is to keep the community informed on topical medical matters and promote messages on how to maintain good health. In Rye, the PPGs representing the two surgeries do this by holding two public events each year addressed by local health professionals.
Both of the local PPGs (Rye Medical Centre and Ferry Road Health Centre) have been in existence for several years, and have developed a working relationship with aspects of the CCG that design and implement changes in East Sussex health services. Patients have been encouraged to be part of the design of local services in the past two years and PPG attendance at meetings ensures representation of our views.
So why not take up the opportunities of being a member of a PPG, which has the aim of putting the patient and improving healthcare at the heart of everything it does? This should be of real interest to us all. Do contact your local PPG for further information at rmcppg@btopenworld.com
Photo: Rye Medical Centre PPG