Name
The name of the group shall be: The Cirencester Health Group Patient Participation Group.
Remit
The group will assist the Cirencester Health Group (CHG) to achieve its mission to provide high quality health care in a responsive, supportive, courteous and cost-effective manner. It will promote the wellbeing of patients of CHG without distinction of gender, age, race, colour or political, religious or other opinions or characteristics of individuals by encouraging development and quality of health promotion and health care services; and by liaising with the doctors and staff, other community health workers, Health Authorities and other persons or organisations concerned with health care.
Objectives
- Be the voice of all our patients and/or provide a channel of communication between patients and the practice, to provide feedback on patients’ needs, concerns and interests, and to challenge the practice constructively whenever necessary.
- Contribute to practice decision-making and consult on service development and provision, highlight excellence and identify areas with scope for improvement, or change.
- Encourage patients to become actively engaged in their own healthcare by giving them a voice in the organisation of their care and being proactive in seeking information.
- Promote good health and higher levels of health literacy by encouraging and supporting activities within the practice and promoting preventive medicine, through, for example, targeted health events; participate in the health improvement of the local population, share experience and communicate information about the community that may affect healthcare; seek to influence the provision of secondary healthcare and social care locally.
- Advise on structure, content and effectiveness of the website and other forms of communication with patients.
- Liaise with other PPGs in the South Cotswold cluster, and/or more widely.
Membership
The PPG shall consist of a maximum of 20 members. Membership shall be open to any patient of the Practice. Patients may nominate themselves for election to the PPG, subject to the maximum membership number.
Potential new members must apply to the Practice Manager before attending meetings, although it may be necessary to wait for a vacancy to arise. The PPG may propose potential new members. Removal of a patient from the practice list, for whatever reason, may disqualify them from continuing as a member of the group. The period of membership is indeterminate.
Any member who misses three consecutive meetings without good cause shall be deemed to have resigned. Members must sign the CHG Confidentiality Agreement.
Meetings
Ideally the PPG should meet six times per year at two-month intervals, however the frequency may be adjusted to suit prevailing circumstances.
Chair, deputy chair and minutes secretary
Shall be elected by the group and reviewed from time to time thereafter.
Minutes
Minutes shall be kept and the minutes secretary shall enter a record of all proceedings and resolutions.
Voting
If necessary, decisions reached by the group may be decided by a simple majority vote of those patient members present and entitled to vote. No member shall exercise more than one vote. In case of equality of votes the person chairing the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.
Methodology
Including but not limited to the following areas.
- To contribute to, and be kept informed of, practice decisions, and provide feedback on patient needs.
- To be kept informed of the practice policies relating to health care and to express opinions on these policies on behalf of patients.
- To consult with the practice on service development and provision and assist in the assessment of medical needs in the local community.
- To promote good health within the community by encouraging and supporting activities within the practice including preventative medicine and healthy lifestyle choices by organizing health events as appropriate.
- To produce a newsletter, in conjunction with the practice, twice a year or as circumstances dictate, to inform patients of the work and activities of the group and/or practice developments. The newsletter will be available at reception and will be readily available on the surgery website.
- To seek to ensure that general information and advice given to patients is readily available and clearly presented.
- To represent patients of the practice in seeking to influence local provision of health and social care.
- To collect patient opinions and experiences to help the practice evaluate its services.
Complaints
The PPG will not consider personal complaints; these must be addressed to the management directly.
Contact
The group may be contacted via email at this address: cirenhealthgroup.ppg@outlook.com.