When we first locked down, we asked our practice manager how we could help. Through our Facebook page we kept our patients informed on the new booking systems in place. We also used the Facebook page to keep people updated with the latest evidence related Covid information as well as any information the practice needed to promote as things changed and the pandemic wore on.
Our Practice
Our practice operates from two sites serving a total of around 13,000 patients. We are lucky that as a teaching practice, it has had the opportunity to recruit some of the best clinicians and support staff and generally receives very positive reviews from patients for the services provided.
As part of Patient Participation Group Awareness Week we are sharing the stories, experiences and insights from our Member PPGs.
The following survey results have been shared by the Weymouth & Portland GP Patient Participation Groups (PPG), whose Chairs wanted to give patients a stronger voice throughout Covid-19. In doing so they could better understand their patients’ circumstances and how best to use GP resources throughout the pandemic.
Whitewater Health PPG has eleven members with a variety of backgrounds and skills. The Practice (18,000 patients) is based on two sites in North Hampshire.
We have an excellent relationship with the Practice. The Practice Operations Manager and GP attend every PPG meeting.
The Meads Medical Centre serves around 9,000 patients in the rapidly growing town of Uckfield in East Sussex.
The Patients’ Group, which was formed 10 years ago, has always enjoyed an excellent working relationship with the practice. It achieves its key role as a critical friend whilst being positive and supportive.
Patient Participation Group Awareness Week is fast approaching – let’s work together to share the critical role PPGs play within primary care.
N.A.P.P.’s role is centred around listening to the concerns of patients, understanding the issues they are facing within primary care and escalating this to ensure the patient voice remains at the heart of local, regional and national decision making. As such, we have developed a short survey to gather feedback from our members and the public to understand the most important policy priorities impacting patients in primary care.
NHS England has proposed that the commissioning functions of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) need to be absorbed into the newly developing integrated care systems (ICS) by April 2022, as part of its plans to “accelerate collaborative ways of working”.
This comes as part of a package of proposed changes to legislation designed to hand ICSs the direct commissioning power. It will result in a ‘single pot’ of funding which brings together current CCG commissioning budgets and primary care budgets, among other sources of funding.
Our President, Dr Patricia Wilkie, recently completed a paper for the Society of Apothecaries, which explores the history of the patient – from a case, to a person, to a partner.
Our members spoke, and we acted. To support their need to connect with each other, particularly during these trying times,1 February marked the launch of our online community platform, VeryConnect.