Patient Participation Group

Overview
A patient participation group was established in this Practice in December 2011 and meets periodically to consider the range and quality of services provided by the Practice.
The group met for the first time last December. We started by considering and agreeing the format for the next patient survey, and the additional questions we wanted to include. We met again in February 2012 to review the survey results and agree an action plan. We plan to meet at least quarterly ongoing to review progress generally and consider other shared areas of interest.

Aims of the Group
To maintain a small patient group of eight to ten members, who will meet periodically to consider the range and quality of services provided by the Practice. The outcome of the meetings and shared views will be displayed in the surgery, on the website and in the Practice newsletter.

Agreed areas of priority
Patient group members will be invited to engage periodically with practice representatives, to discuss and agree practice priorities, as well as help identify areas of focus for practice surveys, using the following headings; Patients' priorities and issues, Practice priorities and issues, planned practice changes.

Group membership
Our aim is to keep the group relatively small (ideally 8-10 members but no more than 12 maximum). We try to select patients who represent specific groups of patients in terms of their experience of the care and service that is offered by the Practice and the clinical staff e.g. Children and young people, families, the working population, elderly patients, ethnic minorities, patients with a long term medical condition or physical or mental disability, Carers etc. Young people are ably represented by two students from the local secondary school.

Links to other groups
Ottery St Mary Hospital League of Friends, Ottery St Mary Locality Health Team, Primary Care Health Team, Practice Partnership, Local Links, Health Watch, Health & Well being Boards, Devon Carers Centre.

How to contact the group
Members can be contacted individually or collectively via the Practice. We can forward messages to group members on your behalf. General issues can be addressed directly to the Practice by telephone - 01404 814447 or email coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk

Joining the Group
If you are interested in becoming a member of our Patient Group, we would be pleased to hear from you, as we maintain a waiting list of interested patients.
Please contact Sue Stokess, Practice Manager on 01404 814447 or speak to any of the GP's.

Relevant Documents
Documents relating to Patient Participation can be found on the Practice website by clicking on the following links:
- Patient group ground rules/terms of reference
- Patient survey results - IPQ in Practice Questionnaire
- Patient survey results - Practice questions
- Annual report and action plan