Patient Participation Group

Welcome to the Stamford Surgery PPG

• To act as a liaison between patients, doctors, staff and other health-related organisations
• to encourage self help
• to promote patients' needs and interests
• to support the Practice.

Stamford Surgery PPG is an independent group of volunteers who are all patients.

Stamford Surgery PPG will hope to achieve and expand on those activities to better support the Surgery in the future.

We are currently recruiting for new members, if you would like to be a member please get in touch using our secure online form and you will receive a response as soon as possible.

Terms of Reference

1. Definitions

• Lakeside Healthcare Stamford GP Practice: Referred to as the Practice
• Patient(s): Patient(s) registered with Lakeside Healthcare Stamford
• PPG: Patient Participation Group – a management committee comprising some of the Patients.
• The terms PPG, management committee, and committee all mean the PPG.
• Annual General Meeting (AGM): An annual meeting of the Patients and the Practice

2. Background
The PPG has been set up as a result of the requirements for patient participation as set out in the NHS England Standard General Medical Services Contract.

An extract from Section 5.2 is shown in Appendix 1. The primary role of the PPG is to follow the general principles set out in Section 5.2 of the contract.

 3. Aims of the PPG

• To work with the Practice to provide practical support, to obtain and provide feedback from Patients to the Practice and to provide strategic input and advice.
• To encourage cooperation between the Practice and Patients.
• To facilitate regular meetings between Patients and the PPG, where the Practice can be invited, providing feedback to the Practice.

4. Purpose of the PPG

• To give the Practice and Patients the opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest in their Practice.
• A forum for Patients and the Practice to improve and develop services within the Practice by co-production.
• To provide an opportunity for Patients to make positive and constructive suggestions/ideas about the Practice and specific medical conditions.
• To encourage health education activities within the Practice.
• To strive to engage all Patients.
• To involve patient participation in future commissioning of Health Provision.
• To ensure Patients know how to contact the PPG by e-mail.

5. What the PPG does

• The PPG is both a communication channel between the Practice and the Patients and a practical group of hands-on volunteers to bring about continuous improvement. Ensuring Patients are aware of how to contact the PPG via e-mail and forward e-mails to the PPG.
• The PPG facilitates effective relationships between the Practice and Patients by communicating patient experience, feedback and suggestions for improvements. It also validates initiatives from the Practice around proposed procedures and new developments.
• The PPG works collaboratively and positively with the Practice to actively improve services and facilities for Patients and to act as a sounding board for the Practice on issues affecting Patients.
• The PPG builds two-way communication and co-operation between the Practice and Patients, other individuals and organisations in healthcare, and the wider community.
• The PPG acts as a representative group to support the Practice and influence local provision of health and social care.
• The PPG works with the Practice, in accordance with clauses 5.2.4 and 5.2.5 of the Standard General Medical Services Contract (2019) to ensure reasonable efforts are made to implement improvements which have been agreed between the Practice and the PPG.

6. Online Members Group

• The PPG may set up and operate an Online Members Group. Patients who would be interested in participating may register their interest and email address via the Practice.
• The Online Members may be contacted by the PPG periodically to disseminate news items, and to be asked to respond to questions or surveys in order to obtain views on specific matters.

7. PPG Structure and Membership

• The PPG shall normally not exceed 15 members. The PPG shall appoint individual members when needed, always ensuring that the PPG is as representative of the Patient community as is practicable.
• Any adult Patient, aged 18 or over, may apply to join the PPG and will become eligible to join as and when vacancies occur, or they may nominate themselves (or are nominated) at each AGM. Removal of a Patient from the Patient list means that he/she ceases to be a member of the PPG.
• The carer of a Patient is eligible to be a member of the PPG even if the carer is not a patient at the Practice.
• The PPG will normally meet at least quarterly. In the absence of any apologies or available explanation, any member not attending three consecutive quarterly meetings will be deemed to have retired from the PPG. Meetings are subject to a quorum of one more than half of the members of the PPG. The PPG will extend an invitation to the Practice to attend its meetings. The PPG will also extend an invitation to Patients and carers to attend meetings quarterly to give Patients sufficient opportunity to express issues and concerns with the Practice [and to benefit from presentations given by clinic and wellbeing experts].
• Minutes of meetings of the PPG will normally be circulated, once accepted as a true record, to the PPG members, the Online Members Group, the Practice website and displayed at the Practice surgeries. Confidential information shall be omitted from the minutes.
• Members of the PPG shall respect the confidentiality of any information provided that is not in the public domain.
• Members of the PPG must not use the PPG as a forum for pursuing individual personal complaints or agendas. Members of the PPG must not breach patient confidentiality which is of the utmost importance. Members of the PPG must treat everyone on the PPG fairly, equally and with respect.

8. Annual General Meeting and PPG Officers

• The Chair of the PPG shall convene the Annual General Meeting of the Patients which shall be open to all Patients and carers. The AGM will be held each year, normally in January, at which PPG members and officers may be elected by the Patients attending the. The date, venue and time shall be published at least one month prior to the meeting by means of a notice in the local media, in the surgery waiting rooms by text message, sent from the practice and on the Practice website.  Agenda, previous AGM minutes and any other documents required for the AGM will be available on the Practice website for Patients to access and/or download prior to the AGM, to allow appropriate time for reading and compiling any requested additions, amendments or nominations.
• Officers of the PPG may include Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and if needed, an Education Lead and a Treasurer. Other posts may be created at the AGM on a proposal from the PPG.
• All PPG member and officer posts will be up for nominations and election at each AGM and the maximum terms for officers will be three years.
• Nominations for Officer posts which are vacant or where the Officer is no longer eligible for re-election shall be made and seconded in writing to the Chair or Secretary not less than 14 days before the AGM. Members and officers will be elected by an open vote at the AGM
• Alterations to these Terms of Reference must be proposed in writing to the Chair or Secretary not less than 14 days before the AGM and must be approved at the AGM. You may contact the PPG Chair or Secretary using our secure online form

Latest Committee Meeting Minutes

If you require a copy of older meeting minutes please contact us via our secure online form

September 2024

Present

• John Morphy Godber (chair) (JMG), Paul Matthews (PM), Elaine Hooper (EH). By invitation: Emma Wilson(Patient Services Manager) (EW), Dr Gavin Cattigan (Partner).
• Apologies from: Paddy Jelen (PJ), Judith Juniper (JJ), Allison Mann(AM) and Marion Pitt (MP).

2. Previous Minutes and Actions

2.1. The minutes of the July meeting were approved.

2.2.  Several committee members had volunteered to help with the Autumn flu clinics and EW said she would contact them individually to arrange dates.

2.3. Re: Putting links to local groups and services on the website, EW said she would be discussing this at a meeting next week. 

It was generally agreed that such links would be good and that anyone responsible for such a group could contact the practice to ask for information to be added. The Facebook page could also be used for advertising specific meetings and events. 

Action: John to post a message on the new email group.

3. Questions to the Practice

3.1. Is there a doctor who could offer expert support for HRT? 

• Dr Cattigan said several GPs had knowledge and two were currently having training from the British Menopause Association. He hoped all GPs would be able to give support. 
• It was agreed that it could be useful to put some information on the website and also advise receptionists about clinicians who were particularly knowledgeable about specific issues. This could assist patients to feel more confident that the person they were due to see would be especially interested in their concerns. Examples such as diabetes and mental health were mentioned. 
• Dr. Cattigan said that we could use our communication channels to advise patients of GPs, who have specific interests or specialisms.  

Action: Dr. Cattigan to consider what could be done to provide such information to patients.

3.2. Telephone Call Back Facility:

• EW reported that all the feedback they had received had been very positive. PM said comments on Next Door had also been good, with people reporting being called back and then getting a same day appointment quickly. EW said the facility is available between 8 and 9 am and then Midday to 3 pm, which are the busiest times.

3.3. The Q&A document:

• The committee had asked when this was likely to come for review, before publication. Dr. Cattigan apologised that it had not progressed as quickly as he would have liked but agreed to ensure it would be available for the next meeting on 19th November.

3.4. St Mary’s sound leakage:

• Some patients had mentioned being able to hear the general murmur of conversation from the consulting rooms while waiting. No actual words could be heard. 
• Dr. Cattigan said that there would be little opportunity to add extra doors or sound proofing. EW said they had been considering placing some smart speakers in the Waiting Area to provide gentle entertainment and cover conversation noise.

3.5. Use of Texts:

• There had been comments that some links in texts did not work and that some texts may be misleading and poorly worded. 
• Dr. Cattigan said that in general the use of texts for fast communication was positive, but it was important to take care of wording and content. This is something we can continue to monitor and seek patients’ experience.
• JMG asked about people who do not use texts.  Dr. Cattigan said that, if the patient record did not list a mobile number, then an alternative method would be used either by letter or telephone. However, a patient is able to formally nominate another person to receive texts on their behalf, if they choose. This requires a formal application. EW reported that the surgery does not withhold telephone numbers, so that people will know who is calling them. 

3.6. Anima:

• EW reported an increase in patient satisfaction rising from 58% good in July to 75% in August. Dr. Cattigan said that the response time for enquiries rated as “green” (not urgent) had been shortened from 2 weeks to 7 days and those rated “amber” to 3 days. 
• There had been concerns about the lengthy questionnaires and also the difficulty, sometimes, of finding the right category and path for a concern. Sometimes once a condition is identified Anima seems to take the patient relentlessly down a specific track e.g. hip pain seems to lead to an assumption that the patient is elderly and may have difficulties managing at home. Dr. Cattigan said that they could look at the pathways to help remove assumptions. 

3.7 Information about Events and Groups in the Area:

• EW said that there were plans to make much better use of notice boards in waiting areas to provide rolling information to help patients learn about other sources of help in the community. She said there would also be information about the various roles of people who patients may see and information aimed at carers. JMG said we should not just rely on noticeboards, as some people may not be able to read them and they are only available to people who have come into the surgery. He said that the new PPG email group could be used as an additional channel for communication   

3.8. Effects of BMA Action:

• Dr. Cattigan said that the BMA issues were national and would continue for some time. There should be no negative effects on patients. However one issue is that the surgery was now being more assertive in not accepting responsibility for things which belong in secondary (hospital) care and are funded as such. He said that if a hospital tries to put responsibility onto a GP surgery, who are not paid for the work, this would be pushed back.
• There was some concern among the committee over whether this could, in some cases, leave the patient without care, or with a delay.
• Dr. Cattigan said that the practice would be for the care to be provided by the GPs, but the secondary care body would be asked not to repeat the issue. 

3.9. Update from Surgery:

• Dr Hannah Waddingham has joined as a partner currently in induction. Dr Khela also joining from Spalding. This releases two locum people. Dr. Cattigan also said that the changes should mean more face to face appointments would be available from the end of October.
• The committee members reported an increase in positive comments both in person and online and were happy with the incremental improvements being made, as well as the willingness to listen and respond to issues raised by the PPG.
• Members also said that there had been positive feedback about the service provided by receptionist staff, especially at St Mary’s where a defensive attitude seemed to have gone. 

EW and Dr. Cattigan left at this point.

4. Committee only business

• The AGM will be in January and JMG will find a venue and date. 
• PPG meetings in 2025 will continue to be bi-monthly starting at 5 pm and either on Tuesday or Thursday depending on members’ availability.
• JMG reported that the new email group is attracting a lot of interest and is being promoted in the Mercury. He said there is a zoom meeting of all Lakeside’s PPG chairs on 30 September, which he is attending and will report back.
• JMG had had a meeting with SHEAC (Stamford Health Education and Awareness Charity) and had agreed with them that they and the PPG would work closely together in arranging events for Stamford. The first will be on  palliative care on Friday 15 November at the Arts Centre. He will represent the PPG on the SHEAC trustee board. He proposed that we invite both SHEAC and Shanni Storey (Community Connector) to our future meetings. 
• He had contacted the ICB (Integrated Care Board) for Lincolnshire about the fact that residents of Stamford are not allowed to use the Pain Clinic, operating out of Stamford hospital. The ICB had said there is an issue over staff sickness and they hoped to remedy the situation. We shall wait and see. They had also said they would be arranging some kind of consultation with Stamford, before the end of the year.
• This should be a good opportunity to hear directly from the ICB who have a lot of responsibility for health provision
• JMG said he thought the PPG page on the surgery website needs to be updated, shortened and made more accessible. He would offer a revised text for the next meeting which will be on 19 November at 5 pm.

Meeting ended at 6:30pm

PPG Contact

We now have an email group which you can join to hear from us and make comments on the services our surgery offers. We won't drown you in emails but will try to keep you up to date with news relevant to health in Stamford. To get email updates please contact the patient group using this form below.

Contact the PPG