Patient Participation Group

About the The Westbank Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG)

Every GP practice in England has a Patient Participation Group and ours is something we're genuinely proud of. The Westbank PPG brings together patients who care about their surgery and want to help shape it for the better. We're not a complaints forum or a rubber-stamp committee; we're critical friends, working alongside the Practice to improve services and represent the people who use them.

In 2026, we mark 20 years of working with the surgeries in Starcross and Exminster, a relationship that has drawn praise from the Quality Assurance Agency and one that continues to grow stronger. The world around us changes, the NHS changes, and our role is to make sure patient voices remain at the centre of how the Practice responds.

We meet every two months to discuss everything from NHS-wide developments to day-to-day practice matters. We regularly welcome guests from other patient groups, NHS professionals, and the voluntary sector, and we're always looking at new ideas and initiatives that could benefit our patients.

At the heart of everything we do is listening. We gather patient views through a range of channels, bring them to the Practice, work together on real improvements then share the outcomes with our members so everyone can see the difference their input makes.

A group that reflects all of us

Westbank serves a diverse community and we want our PPG to reflect that. At the moment we'd particularly love to hear from patients who are younger or from ethnic minority communities whose voices and experiences should also be helping to shape the care this Practice provides. You don't need any special qualifications or experience. If you're a patient here and you care about good healthcare, you belong in this conversation.

Can't make the meetings? That's not a problem.

We know life is busy which is why we created our Non-Attending PPG, a flexible way to contribute at a time more convenient to you.

It works simply: ahead of each meeting we'll email you asking for topics or issues you'd like us to raise. Our committee reviews every suggestion and incorporates as many as possible into the agenda. After the meeting you'll receive the written minutes by email, including the actions agreed between the PPG and the surgery.

We're proud of what the Westbank Practice offers its patients and we know it's considered one of the best surgeries in the area. We're also honest enough to know there's always room to improve. The Non-Attending PPG exists precisely because great ideas can come from anywhere and we don't want to miss yours.

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