Helsby and Elton Patient Participation Group – how we have supported our practice through the pandemic

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.

After our experience marshalling and supporting the flu clinic, the Practice Manager asked if we could support the Covid Vaccination Programme. We jumped at the chance and to date have supported every clinic that has been held with a minimum of 8 PPG committee members at each event.

We have been making contacts with the local school to help health and wellbeing days and invite some of the 6^th formers to join the committee so the younger community has a voice which has been working extremely well.

Sadly, our annual healthy Helsby event was cancelled but this has given us time to expand the event for later this year or next year at the latest. Healthy Helsby invites local charities and health and wellness professionals to have a stall where they can promote their services. We have all walks of life attend including Dentists, Health and fitness, cancer charities, meditation and mindfulness, Children’s groups, PCSOs attend, British heart foundation to name just a few.

We have been busier than ever during the pandemic making new contacts and getting good quality information out to our members.