Volunteering with a GP Practice Patient Participation Group

As a patient volunteer of the local health centre Patient Participation Group (PPG) leadership group I had a really helpful conversation this week with our social prescriber. I learnt more about this role and that the two of the greatest needs that they have identified in our rural community were social isolation and lack of transport.

Fortunately, the community we live in is well supported by groups and activities so we discussed contacting each group to explore if their members could offer help with transportation. We also discussed that social isolation may lead to lack of social confidence, so we have agreed to find out more about meeting and greeting new members into clubs and groups.

I also observed a conversation between our local GP practice manager who works in a co-partnership arrangement with the chair of our PPG leadership group. This group provides support to practice staff, clinicians and the local community enabled by the involvement of a wider group of active volunteers.

We discussed that NHSE Digital have produced a toolkit that will help explain what the NHS App can do for patients. Videos, posters, step-by-step guides, digital images and message templates to help us talk about the app have all been developed. I also learnt about some of the current challenges with improving communication to the local population that is being experienced by practice staff and PPG groups and how these are being addressed.