Patient Participation Group (PPG)

What is the vPPG?

This is a group which has been set up in response to patients that have said they would like to be involved in a Patient Group but are unable to attend meetings. 

As a member of the Virtual Patient Participation Group we will send you emails asking for your opinion on a range of topics. 

You decide how often and when you would like to answer. 

By being a member of the VPPG, you will help the practice to provide an accessible and responsive service and you will be amongst the first to hear about news and updates.

What is the role of the VPPG?

At its simplest, patient participation refers to patients who wish to take a more active interest in developing local healthcare services.

The idea is for patients and staff to work together to share ideas to help patients to take more responsibility for their own health and help improve the services offered at the Practice. It gives patients a say in how services are planned, developed and evaluated, by developing a good working relationship with the practice staff and GPs. 

The PPG will seek to improve communications through the practice website along with the use of notice boards and direct communications within the Practice e.g. articles in the patient newsletters.

Getting Your View

The group would like to contact patients on occasion by email and/or text so that they can obtain the views of the widest group of patients possible. We would like to obtain your email address and mobile phone number to do this. Please complete the Patient Contact Form to provide your consent for this.

The information you supply us will be used lawfully, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The Data Protection Act 1998 gives you the right to know what information is held about you and sets out rules to make sure that this information is handled properly.

More about what a vPPG can do

• Assist in communicating to patients how recent changes to NHS will affect services provided
• Let the practice staff know more about the level and standard of service they provide from a patient perspective
• Help the practice decide on overall service priorities
• Help patients understand more about their medical condition/problems including talks on individual topics, e.g. Diabetes and Heart Disease
• Help provide information on help available and support groups and networks
• Help improve the experience of attending the Surgery

How do patients communicate with the vPPG?

• You can contact us electronically
• You can communicate online via the Virtual Patient Participation Group

How will I get feedback from the vPPG?

• Information will be available in the waiting room at the surgery
• Information will be available on the practice website
• If you provide us with your email address and mobile telephone number we will add you to our contact list and we will contact you by email or SMS message.