Growing Patient Participation

Welcome to this, the second issue of the Growing Patient Participation Campaign Update. This issue recaps on last week’s Westminster Health Forum, provides the latest on the Making a Difference fund, features tips from PPGs, and includes a PPG Focus profiling the Cissbury Practice Based Commissioning Consortium, in East Sussex.

We welcome your feedback so please email us at campaign@growingppgs.com with any comments or questions on articles featured in this Update, or with any suggestions you might have for forthcoming issues. 

During his presentation to the Westminster Health Forum earlier this month, Dr Michael Dixon, chairman of the NHS Alliance, (one of the Growing Patient Participation Campaign’s partners) outlined the importance of primary care's leading role at a time of economic instability.

Dr Dixon argued that “by encouraging local co-ownership, with patients as friendly critics, co-commissioners and co-providers will be able to work together to create a local health service that is much better suited to the needs of the local population.”

PPGs, it was argued, are invaluable in helping to achieve this and in helping move care closer to the patient, as they allow patients to influence service design and delivery.  Visit the NHS Alliance website for more information

This PPG Focus looks at the work of 13 practices from Worthing, East Sussex, which have come together to form the Cissbury Practice Based Commissioning Consortium, established out of a need to ensure equitable access to all services by all patients in the area.

As a first step to improving patient engagement, the group has set out to ensure all practices in the area have the necessary support required to start up a PPG, should they want to. All practices in the area have now signed up to the consortium agreement. Success is measured against targets including the number of patient groups within the consortium and access to enhanced services.

Dr Bruce Allan, the chair of the consortium, explains, “it is imperative to gain the views of patients on new services that we commission and PPGs are the vehicles to enable us to do this.”

To find out more information email jowadey@nhs.net , or if you would like your PPG to feature in the next PPG Focus email some details to campaign@growingppgs.com

Helping things run smoothly

The St Leonard’s Medical Practice Patients’ Group, in Exeter, says that having an established constitution, which sets out the aims of a PPG and provides a structure for its activities, can help ensure PPGs have elective authority and the necessary powers to both raise and spend money. Click here to view some example PPG constitutions.

Keeping patients informed

Members from the Ridgeway Surgery Patient Group, in Harrow, say that setting up a regular newsletter is a great way of keeping patients up to speed with all the latest practice news, and details about what the PPG has been working on behind the scenes. Click here to view a selection of other PPG newsletters.

Making the most of winter flu jab clinics

Many PPGs recommend using winter flu jab clinics as an opportunity to partner with local authorities in providing patients with information about local services. Services can range from advice about benefits and keeping warm during winter, to obtaining fire alarms and details of local social or support clubs. PPGs often use the clinics to promote their own activity and to recruit new members.

If you have a tip to share, email your contribution to: campaign@growingppgs.com. 

The last Update announced the launch of the Making a Difference fund, which aims to support PPGs in getting new initiatives off the ground.

PPGs have the opportunity to bid for up to £4,000 of the £20,000 being made available over the next 12 months. Awards will be made on two occasions (winter 2009 & spring 2010) - the deadline for the first round of applications is 23rd November 2009.

If you haven’t done so already, download an application form from our website.