Sign Up To Our Patient Participation Group

Join our Virtual Patient Participation Group (Consent required):

Would you like to join our Closed PPG Faceook Group?

By joining the PPG Facebook Closed Group you will find lots of useful updates and information about the practice and our services. We welcome your feedback to help us build and improve the services we provide.

Please note, the PPG Facebook Group is not a platform to voice personal interests or resolve personal issues, rather it aims to promote and develop health initiatives and services we provide.
By consenting to join this group you consent to your Facebook profile being shared with, and viewed by, other PPG members within the PPG closed group.

Please read and sign our terms of reference below:

Virtual Patient Participation Group Terms of Reference – Version 1, July 2021

In order to grow our practice Patient Participation Group (PPG) we want to create a safe and friendly, virtual group for helpful, constructive comments and a platform to share ideas. An online PPG Facebook (FB) forum page has been developed as a virtual patient group to help patients share ideas before presenting them to the practice.

If you wish to be a part of our PPG you must adhere to these terms at all times. Please ensure you read them thoroughly. Copies are available upon request at reception for you to sign and also on our website to download. The PPG is patient led with practice contribution and support.

Some terms of reference (please see below) have been developed to help us achieve a successful virtual platform. The terms of reference for the PPG will be reviewed on an annual basis or if the NHS requires changes to be made to the regulations.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Virtual Patient Group is to establish a platform of communication with registered patients of the Practice so that the practice and patients can share views and ideas on the services provided. We also aim for our patients and PPG members to have a better understanding and knowledge of the Practice, its staff and the services we provide.

Our aims are:

• To build good relations between the GP practice and patients, by communicating patient experience, interest and concerns. Providing feedback to the practice on current procedures and proposed new developments.
• To work with the practice to improve and develop services and facilities for patients, acting as a sounding board for practice staff on issues affecting patients.
• To strengthen and build a two-way communication and co-operation between the practice and the wider community to the mutual benefit of all.
• Membership shall be open to all registered patients and will reflect the patient profile and be widely representative and inclusive
• To encourage & promote health education activities within the practice

KEY POINTS OF THE PPG

• The FB group will aim to represent the diversity of our practice population
• The FB group will create and improve two-way communication between patients, the practice and the community
• To create a sense of partnership between the practice and patients
• To provide constructive feedback on patient and community needs, services we provide, to share concerns and interests
• To share health promotions and promote them
• To collect patient opinions and experiences to help evaluate the practices services.
• Communicate to the Practice community and/or the wider community information about the practice and the services we provide
• Members of the group may be asked to complete brief online surveys which will be fed back to the practice. The results will be used to help the practice plan and prioritise areas for the practice to develop and improve in the future. Staff of the practice will see the results of the survey but they will be collated and will remain anonymous. Results of the survey will be shared with practice staff and PPG members to help improve services provided.
• Members can choose to leave the group whenever they wish. (Please notify Fiona Morrison, Patient Services Manager, via email if you wish to leave the group. We can then ensure that you receive no further communication from the PPG).

PATIENT PARTICIPATION IS PATIENTS WORKING WITH THE PRACTICE TO:

• To promote a patient led culture
• PPGs work by building a relationship between the practice and its patients that breaks down barriers and shares information
• Feedback constructive feedback to help improve practice services
• To improve communication between the practice and patients
• To make sure that the patient feedback is listened to that the practice and patients share the same values
• Help patients to take more responsibility for their health and find out how to source services via the practice
• Provide practical support, virtual support, share constructive feedback and help to implement change.

Please note that the PPG is not:

• A forum for complaints: Clear ground rules are declared to ensure that PPG members do not use the PPG as a group to resolve their own personal issues and/or complaints.
• In order to be valuable, PPG members must have the confidence to support and challenge the practice to benefit the patient population

The terms of reference for the PPG will be reviewed on an annual basis or if the NHS requires change to be made to the regulations.

Rules of Membership

1. You must be a registered patient of Hedena Health Practice to be a member of the PPG.
2. The PPG Membership is not based on opinions or characteristics of individuals and shall be non-political and non-sectarian, at all times respecting diversity and exemplifying its commitment to the principles contained within the Equality Act
3. Complaints and personal issues will not be addressed via the Patient Participation Group. If you have a complaint, please put complaints or any personal issue relating to services for the attention of the Patient Services Manager, Fiona Morrison, who will be able to assist.
4. Discussions will take place via the FB online forum. We aim to meet in person once, or twice a year.
5. We will all be flexible, listen, ask for help and support each other to improve the services the practice has to offer and be committed to delivering results as a patient group collective.
6. Recommendations for improvements to the Practice and/or services should be discussed and agreed within the PPG before presenting to the Practice for comment. Suggestions will not be considered by the Practice until agreement has been reached.
7. The PPG will nominate one or two representatives who will liaise with the Practice on suggestions and recommendations. Our appointed patient Chair Person and an appointed Secretary will assist and represent on these occasions.
8. All views are valid and will be listened to. We encourage all PPG members to share views and opinions. The purpose of the virtual group is to hear from our patients and for patients to share constructive conversations on topics of interest. PPG members views and suggestions will help to inform future service improvements for all patients of the practice.
9. Topics and replies to PPG online forum posts will be visible immediately but will be moderated by the PPG Administrator/s (Fiona Morrison, Patient Services Manager and Julio Barresi, Premises & IT Manager). Honesty is welcomed, as is challenge between individuals, but we ask that patient’s tone and language remain courteous and respectful at all times. Posts which are considered to be offensive will be deleted and you may be removed from the PPG online forum.
10. Confidentiality - All members of the Virtual PPG Group must ensure the need to maintain absolute patient confidentiality at all times. Any member whose work on behalf of the PPG includes work in the practice or consulting with other patients or members of the public should sign and return a copy of the practice's Confidentiality agreement before undertaking any such activity.
11. The ground rules of the PPG may change from time to time at the discretion of the Practice. PPG members will be informed of any changes made.
12. PLEASE NOTE: No medical information or questions will be responded to.

The information supplied to 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.