When you are ill you need the support of the surgery and of all the facilities that it has to offer. You may be surprised to learn that when you are well the surgery practice needs your support to provide the services that are relevant to you.

Our practice particularly needs to cater for young families, those approaching the twilight years and those full-time working patients that find it difficult to attend the practice during normal working hours.

Patient groups have been set up at a number of practices in our locality and are seen as a very effective way to involve local people in the decision-making of the services of their practice. They are made up of a small cross-section of the patients and staff within that practice. Patient participation is patients working with a practice to:

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of services
• Foster improved communication between the practice and its patients
• Help patients to take more responsibility for their health
• Provide practical support and help implement change
• Break down barriers and share information.

They are not a forum for complaints nor a vehicle to resolve personal issues of members. However, PPGs can lead to a reduction in the number of complaints overall. In summary PPGs can;

• Offer feedback on the patient perspective;
• Help practices to make the most effective use of their resources;
• Improve communication;
• Help to promote good health;
• Influence decisions about which services are provided; and
• Offer practical support to the practice.

Our group has now been running since March 2011 and has a few volunteers but would like to hear from anybody who is interested in joining the group particularly for those families with young members. The meetings are currently held every two months, usually on a Monday evening at the surgery. For more information you can contact the practice managers on the surgery number.

Please remember the NHS is going through radical reform. Your participation can reflect the services our practice delivers to you.

If you are happy for us to contact you occasionally by email please click the link opposite to open the sign-up form and complete all the fields.