Terms of Reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) is to facilitate good relations between the practice and patients by communicating the patient experience, interests and concerns to the practice and providing practice feedback to the patients.

The PPG will act as a representative group to work collaboratively and positively to support the practice and influence local provision of health and social care.

The PPG will feedback relevant concerns/issues/good practice to the PPG Network, and other bodies when appropriate such as Healthwatch and CQC.

The decisions made by the PPG will be owned by the group rather than an individual.

Key Tasks and Objectives

The key tasks and objectives are to:

• Contribute to practice decision making and consult on service development and provision
• Provide constructive feedback whenever necessary on patient’s needs, concerns and interests to the practice 
• Represent patients as well as enabling them to understand the practice’s point of view
• Maintain confidentiality
• Provide a means for patients to make positive suggestions about the practice and their own healthcare 
• Work with the practice to promote health education 
• Help develop the practice survey and review/discuss the results of any practice surveys and help to develop an action plan as required
• Action proposals to enable enhanced quality outcomes.

Membership

Membership of the PPG is voluntary and is open to all registered patients.

Membership will aim to recruit to reflect the patient profile and be widely representative and inclusive of different genders, ethnicity, ages and abilities as required in the GP contract. 

The PPG Attending membership should not normally exceed 12 members.

Management of Attending and Non-attending Group Members

The Attending group will meet on the second Monday of the month, no fewer than 4 times a year. The secretary will produce minutes of meetings to be considered and approved at the following meeting. These will be sent to all PPG members and available on the practice website.

Group meetings will be attended by consistent representatives who will contribute to the Key Tasks and Objectives in a variety of offices/roles.

To support the PPG and extend its reach the PPG will maintain an online group referred to as Non Attending PPG members. Any patient may volunteer to be part of Non Attending group. The PPG officers will maintain regular contact with the Non Attending group in order that they may contribute to the meeting Agendas and obtain their views on specific matters.

The group will elect a Chair and Vice Chair who should be a patient registered at the practice.

The group will elect a Secretary who will take the minutes which will be circulated to all members and made available to any patients on request. The minutes will be recorded on the Practice Website.

Elected Officers will normally serve a term of one year which may be extended up to a maximum of three years. If in the best interests of the PPG an officer is required to continue after this time the rationale and democratic process leading to this will be recorded.

The practice manager or a support member from the practice team, or one GP will attend each meeting (schedule permitting).

Other members of the practice team may be invited to attend to discuss specific issues.

The meeting will be held and considered quorate when four or more members of the group excluding the designate manager and GP are in attendance.

Decision making will be transparent and noted. Declaration of interest is required by members prior to voting and decision making.

Annual General Meeting

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be convened in March/April of each year.

This will review membership, project work and wider activities undertaken by the PPG during the year. A Westbank doctor will attend the AGM.

Patients will be notified of when this will occur and patients will be encouraged to attend.

Review of Terms of Reference

The terms of reference will be reviewed on an annual basis.