What is the Patient Participation Group
At Market Street Medical Practice we feel passionately about listening to and engaging with our patient population.
We have run an enthusiastic and active Patient Participation Group (PPG) since 2013, whose aim is to improve communication between the Practice and its patients, in order to support service improvement and better meet the needs of the practice population.
The PPG aims to:
* work towards inclusivity and equality
* raise / escalate important issues
* improve patient care: quality, experience, safety
* improve practice efficiency
* input to local commissioning
* promote patient empowerment
It provides evidence-based feedback to the practice about the services the practice offers and works with the surgery to improve practice services.
PPG members frequently represent the practice population at local engagement events, promoting patient empowerment, bringing practice issues to a wider audience and encouraging greater patient involvement in PPG activities.
Since 2013 the influence of the PPG has been immeasurable. As a result of their input, many positive changes have been made to the surgery and its services.
Membership, Officers and Support
The membership is open and any patient registered on the Practice list is eligible to participate in PPG activity, in person or virtually.
The PPG will strive to have officers drawn from the patient membership, including the Chair, but in the event of no willing volunteers, the surgery will provide officers to support PPG functioning. In the absence of patient member Chair, there should be a patient spokesperson elected by the membership.
MSMP will provide a venue for the PPG to meet at an agreed frequency per year (currently bi-monthly), will provide admin support for PPG activity and will facilitate communication between members and the public.
Attendance
The contribution of patients to PPG activity is a valued resource and it is recognised that members give their time freely to contribute.
There is no expectation for frequency of attendance or participation. Non-PPG members who wish to attend the PPG meeting as observers are welcome.
Accountability and Governance
MSMP PPG is accountable to the public, who will expect PPG members to behave with probity and to exhibit good governance.
The surgery has statutory responsibilities on information governance, e.g. confidentiality, and has a duty of care to all patients. The surgery will never disclose patient information to any patient or PPG member.
So our local population can have confidence in the running, probity and governance of the PPG we have written our MSMP PPG Governance Principles. All approved PPG members sign up to these principles (below). Confirmed PPG members are listed on our PPG notice board in the surgery.
Governance Principles
The surgery will never disclose patient information.
All communications issuing from the MSMP PPG have been agreed by the group in both manner and content. Individuals may not represent or imply representation of the PPG or surgery outside of agreed activity.
PPG members are responsible for their own behaviour but are expected to abide by the goovernance principles
All MSMP PPG activity is available and accessible in the public domain
Any breach of these principles will result in an individual no longer being an approved PPG member. They will always be entitled to comment on surgery services.
Working Methods
The PPG is an open forum for discussion where all contributions, virtual or in person, are considered equally important, and works collectively to achieve common objectives. The PPG meetings are minuted, disseminated to PPG members and reviewed at the start of the next meeting. They provide a narrative of PPG activity over the year.
The PPG aims to produce an action plan, publicise it in the Practice and review its progress annually. Non PPG patient views are sought additionally e.g. via questionnaires, social media and local engagement events.
Can you contribute?
The PPG strives to ensure representation from diverse patient groups representing the totality of the Practice population. We promote patient involvement and encourage more patients to consider contributing to the PPG - by signing up to the Governance Principles and becoming a member, or attending meetings to observe, or contributing your views on line.
Contact us: View our PPG leaflet:
in writing 92 Market Street, Dalton-in-Furness, LA15 8AB
Twitter @MSMP Dalton
phone 01229 462591
Sign up as a member of the PPG:
To view our PPG Principles of Governance and become a member of the PPG, click here. To become a member print off the form, sign the last page, date it and post/email/bring it to the surgery. Many thanks.