Working in partnership with the practice, a PPG can help to make services more user-friendly and improve patient experience. By identifying issues that are important to patients and by responding to any new initiatives, it can improve and influence the way in which services are planned and delivered, and increase patients’ confidence in the healthcare provided. A PPG can support the practice when it is faced with impositions from outside sources which may not have a beneficial impact on the practice or its patients.

In practice, PPGs can play a number of roles, including:

• Advising the practice on the patient perspective
• Organising health promotion events
• Communicating with the wider patient body
• Running volunteer services and support groups to meet local needs
• Carrying out research into the views of those who use the practice (and their carers)
• Influencing the practice or the wider NHS to improve commissioning
• Fundraising to improve the services provided by the practice

If you would like to know more about joining the Sheen Surgery  Patient Participation Group please send your details to our email address swlicb.sheensurgery@nhs.net and we will pass it on.