Purpose The purpose of the Patient Participation Group (hereinafter called the PPG), is to support the planning, provision and delivery of local health care services and issues by representing a patient's view, and works in partnership with the Sunbury Health Centre (hereinafter called the SHC).
The PPG will form a link between the patients and the SHC with a view to making a useful contribution to the improvement of existing services, and to help the SHC to develop new services to meet and identify patients' needs.
The role of the PPG is summarised as being to:
·Provide support and challenge ·Be a voice in the local community ·Help disseminate information ·Develop a communications strategy ·Improve the physical environment _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Membership All patients are members of the PPG, but a small Core Group is needed to take the work of the PPG forward. The PPG will endeavour to ensure that the Core Group reflects the diverse community the Practice serves. Any patient registered at the Practice will be eligible to apply for membership of the Core Group.
The Core Group will consist of a minimum of six and a maximum of 10 registered patients, in addition to the following members from the Practice ... Lead Doctor, Strategic Business Manager, Practice Manager and Office Manager.
Application for membership to the Core Group should be made on the prescribed form on the PPG website. Members ceasing to be registered at the SHC will automatically cease to be members of the PPG.
All patients who are members of the Core Group will be expected to serve a minimum of one year, with a maximum of five years. Should a member who has served the five-year term wish to continue on the PPG, he/she should make his/her wishes known to the rest of the group. Re-election is then possible, with the expectation that the said member will serve a minimum six-year total period, and a maximum ten-year total period.
The PPG may co-opt others with specific expertise / experience to assist it as appropriate.
The members of the Core Group will elect a Chair and a Vice Chair in the September Core Group Meeting every year. A Secretary will be appointed to the Core Group on an annual basis. This will be a non-voting position. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meetings Open Meetings, to which any registered patients may attend, will take place three times a year. These meetings will have a limited agenda to give all patients the opportunity to discuss issues and make suggestions for future developments at the SHC.
Core Group Meetings will take place every six weeks, excluding August and months in which there is an Open Meeting.
An Extra Ordinary Meetings (hereinafter known as EGM) may be called by the Chair - or by three other PPG members - via the Secretary. Ten days' notice must be given and the SHC - through the Practice Manager - must be informed in advance. Only the subject, for which an EGM has been called, will be discussed.
The Quorum of any meeting will be four of the members - not including SHC representatives.
A Draft Agenda and a request for any further Agenda items for all Core Group Meetings will be circulated to all members by the Secretary - at least 10 days before the date of the Meeting. A Final Agenda, and any supporting papers, will be sent to all members at least five working days before each Core Meeting.
The Agenda for all Open meetings will be agreed at the preceding Core Group Meeting, and will be available on the PPG web-site five working days before the Meeting.
The Secretary will prepare the Minutes of both the Core Group and Open meetings. The Minutes of the Core Group Meetings will be distributed to members within 14 days of each Meeting. Where any action is required of a member, this is to be indicated in the Minutes.
The Minutes of all meetings will be posted on the PPG web-site, and a paper copy will also be available to view in the Waiting Room at SHC. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
General No remuneration or expenses will be paid, unless authorised by the Practice, in consultation with the Chair.
All members of the PPG who receive and learn about any confidential information concerning a patient or the SHC, must not disclose this information unless they have received express permission from the SHC, or the Practice Manager. Any individual who discloses any confidential information, without permission, will be suspended until the matter has been satisfactorily resolved.
Dissolution The PPG may be dissolved by the Health Centre for good and sufficient reason. The Health Centre retains the right to veto PPG activities.