Helping patients to find their voice

What is a Patient Participation Group?

I have been involved in social work in various guises for many years, but this is different. This is about empowering patients to find their voice; a voice about the future of ‘their’ healthcare. It’s about involvement and about being heard, but it’s a bit ‘top-secret’ and few people know of its existence or its purpose, so I am hoping to dispel a few myths and encourage others to join. Anyone can join a Patient Participation Group; the only requirement is that members of a PPG should be ‘reflective of the patients using the service’.

Its purpose is to equally support the surgery and its patients with impartiality and objectivity. A PPG is made up of volunteers and, when possible, a GP or practice manager will attend the group, which meet on a regular basis. This may involve discussing new initiatives at the surgery. The patient group may recommend how things might be improved for the benefit of the patients from their perspective however, we all have the same commitment: to work in collaboration with the surgery to improve healthcare for patients.

n Did you know that the NHS requires every GP practice to have a Patient Participation group plus it’s an expectation of the CQC (Care Quality Commission) that require all Surgeries have patient representation. Does your surgery? The CCG (Clinical Commissioning

Group) recognises patient/surgery engagement as a vital part of the future of healthcare. So how do we get this to work?

Every PPG aims to ensure that patients, their families, and carers are represented. Nothing is set in stone and patient groups develop differently, but it does depend on how ‘enthusiastic’ GPs are. Some practices are more proactive than others and recognise the benefits of having an active patient group, in return they get a dependable team of volunteers committed to improve things for staff and patients alike. However, the patient group need to be taken seriously. Do all GP practices engage? Do GPs even know who the group representatives are?

Some GP practices can be resistant to change, insisting on ‘going it alone’, but with no patient influence, is this a true indication of the patient viewpoints?

As surgeries merge into larger practices, a patient group could play an active part in the merger’s delivery. We rely on our GPs and Practice Managers to do right by us, and we trust them, but if they are not always listening to their patients, how do they know?

Here in West Dorset, we differ hugely from inner city practices, but our needs are similar, our concerns the same.

Some recommendations from across the UK from patient groups have gone on to influence and shape the NHS, championing the patient’s voice.

A patient group must react to patient’s views objectively and with understanding, using it proactively to feed back to the practice.

Although patient groups are affiliated to a practice, it works independently on behalf of all patients. It acts as liaison between the practice and patients, opening the opportunity for discussion and debate, offering feedback, sometimes at national level. What qualities should someone bring to a PPG?

It’s a sensitive area; listening skills are important as often comments can be construed as criticism, passing on complaints and comments need to be carried out objectively and with confidentiality.

An attention to detail and being precise and accurate in delivery is critical as is a desire to be an advocate for the vulnerable and those wishing to be heard and understood.

Your PPG

Your views matter, you have a voice, and you have that right to be heard about things that affect you or your family’s healthcare. Your opinion matters.

As I see it, patient groups can bring huge benefits to any GP practice in supporting a profession that we are constantly being told is under huge pressure.

There is no doubt that covid had a huge detrimental effect on the moral of both GP practices and patients alike. Covid was an anomaly, an unknown force threatening an unprepared world, vaccines have allowed an element of normality, but it’s left a legacy, could anyone anticipate the impact covid is having on our lives. n Anyone who feels strongly enough about healthcare in their area, should join their own surgery’s Patient Participation Group. A collaborative, influential and powerful voice across a nation making a difference to people’s lives.

What are the benefits to the surgery?

GPs have been vocal in citing difficulties after Covid and the subsequent inevitable backlog of patients has caused tension, this tension has been exacerbated by delays and difficulties getting appointments. Referrals to hospitals have increased and people are increasingly ‘demanding’ rather than ‘requesting’.

Members of a patient group are not clinicians, some have skills and experience in a healthcare environment, (although this is not a prerequisite) some have experience dealing with the public or it may be just someone who simply cares and wants to get involved. No qualifications are needed.

Any knowledge and experience can bring huge benefits to GP practices and patients alike, it is getting GPs to recognise this that ‘can’ be the uphill struggle and as the current system grapples with the weight of winter pressures and a covid legacy there is some ‘resistance’ from some practices despite the obvious benefits and contractual requirements.