Ridgeway Surgery Patient Group
Sarah Carter, a founding member of The Ridgeway Surgery Patient Group in Harrow talks about hosting health promotion events for patients
The Ridgeway Surgery Patient Group was set up in 2006, with the aim of engaging local patients, of which there are over 10,000, with improving their own health and well-being, and providing them with the support to do so.
According to Sarah, the group’s main successes to date have been their health promotion events, which aim to educate patients on managing their own health conditions. Recent events have included talks on arthritis, planning for a family, and diabetes. At the diabetes event, a specialist diabetes nurse provided patients with practical advice on how best to manage their lifestyles to ensure they stay healthy, as well as giving them the opportunity to ask questions about the condition.
They have also held, in collaboration with the staff and other health professionals, two well attended open-house health events offering advice on healthy lifestyles, with information on alcohol, smoking, exercise, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, teeth etc.
Since Sarah joined the group, she has been active in developing their regular newsletter, which aims to provide news, updates and health information to the surgery’s patients and visitors to the local Polyclinic - where their GPs work from too - as well as attending the regular meetings. According to Sarah, being part of the group has helped [Sarah] to expand her knowledge of the NHS, and has shown her that in understanding their own conditions, patients really can make a difference and have a say in the way their healthcare is delivered.
The GPs within the practice also value the contribution the group is making to their understanding of the views of their patients, and to the general health of the local population. According to Sarah, they understand that this is a natural way to ensure both patients and doctors obtain maximum benefit from the NHS.
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