NAILSEA FAMILY PRACTICE PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
The Nailsea Family Practice Participation Group was started in October 2009 in order to enable patients registered at the practice to become involved in the planning and implementation of their healthcare. Our Group is a member of the National Patient Participation Association (NAPP) which offers training, information, and assistance. They hold an annual Conference and several of our members are attending this in June.
Although in its infancy, the aim of our Group is to obtain the views of patients in order to offer ideas and recommend improvements to the Practice. This concerns not only the way the GPs and their staff provide care but also the environment in which it is provided. For instance, hand rails have recently been fitted at the front of the Health Centre to improve access, and orange chairs have been placed in the waiting room for patients who have mobility problems and are unable to negotiate the narrow aisles. There is also a room where patients are able to take their own blood pressure and leave a recording for their GP. A variety of information on many topics has also been made available.
The Patient Participation Group is also involved in promoting health education and awareness on subjects of interest and value to the patients. Last year the Group held a successful Health Awareness Day at the Health Centre and this is being repeated on the 15th October this year from 10.00am to 1.30pm. Hopefully, more organisations will be able to attend this year’s event in order to offer a wider range of information and assistance. There will also be an art competition for the children of local schools about healthy eating, with prizes for the best entries in each age group.
Group members also try and assist the Practice wherever possible. Last year members provided support to the flu clinics. They handed out the required forms and ensured that patients were seen by the Nurses as quickly as possible.
In the future, we plan to expand our contact with patients in order to ensure that the views of people from certain disease groups and other groups such as ethnic minorities, young adults, those with disabilities and mothers with babies are represented.
With the Government’s emphasis on patient choice and involvement, and the move towards GP commissioning, the role of this Group will become increasingly important. We need to tell our GPs and their staff the way we would ideally like our healthcare provided so that they can offer timely, cost effective, evidence based, and quality services.
All information provided to the Patient Participation Group will be strictly confidential.
If you would be interested in joining this Group, or have any ideas or comments which would help us, please contact the Practice Manager, Carole Brooke on 01275 866753 in the first instance. A direct line to a PPG member will soon be available