Patient Participation Group

Oakleigh Road Health Centre Patient Participation Group (PPG) is open to all patients registered at the practice. Its aim is to help to promote cooperation and strengthen communication between the practice, patients and the wider community in order to improve local health services.

The PPG meets quarterly. The meetings are attended by patient members, representatives of the Health Champions, as well as members of the Practice partnership and management.

Our PPG aim

Our overall aim is to build a positive and constructive relationship between patients, their surgery and the community it serves, with patients and other stakeholders having an active role in the management and delivery of service.

How you can join

We encourage your contribution to shape delivery of your practice. We meet 4 times a year. To join as a volunteer for our Patient Participation Group or if you are happy for us to contact you occasionally by email or our WhatsApp group please complete our online application form. If you would like further information please ask to speak to Lorraine Williams (Care Coordinator).

What your PPG is required to do

• Be a critical friend to the practice 
• Advise the practise from the perspective of a patient 
• Inform the practice about the efficiency, timeliness and quality of services provided
• Carry out research into the views of patients
• Communicate regularly with the patient population

What your PPG has done

• Discussed with the doctors, the management and the staff the various options about the clinics and services available in the light of the funding squeeze
• Expressed views about the services provided and available e.g. phlebotomist now taking appointments in the surgery
• Suggested ways to maximise the use of the practice facilities – e.g. early opening to provide appointments for working patients before 9
• Coordinated a survey of patient satisfaction, the outcome of which was shared with the practice management and largely implemented
• Helped publicise the various alternatives means available to get prescriptions – now being supplemented to reflect recent regulatory changes
• Engaged in a one-to-one assessment with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector as part of their practice inspection. The overall outcome was Good (which is broadly the highest possible rating as negligible numbers of practices achieve outstanding). 

What the PPG now plans to do

• Organise better direct communication with all patients, probably via text messaging
• Expand the membership of the PPG to maximise patient representation
• Continue to monitor practice performance, especially as personnel changes
• Promulgate patients’ concerns about appointment availability, the practice register (especially as local building developments expand and add to patient demand) 
• Re-survey patient satisfaction levels
• Continue to monitor prescription delivery via local pharmacies and services