maple surgery

patient participation group

secretary's report to the AGM of 28 November 2012 (HTML Version)

This report covers the second full year of the patient participation group. We have continued to work closely with the Practice to improve the services to patients, but this has been a difficult year for the patients and Practice alike. The impending end of the current contract, early in 2013, has brought unwelcome change and uncertainty.

We have been without a Chairman and Vice-Chairman since the last AGM. Members of the Executive Committee have taken turns to chair the monthly meetings. Whilst this has been a satisfactory arrangement so far, it highlights the needs to recruit more members.

After several months of discussion, the PPG approved and adopted its new Constitution at the February 2012 meeting. The Constitution sets out the purpose of the PPG, defines eligibility for membership, delimits the powers of the Executive Committee, and defines the rules for the conduct of meetings.

The PPG has liaised with the Practice on numerous issues, including extended opening hours, the change of the surgery's computer system, and the Parish Council's emergency disaster plan. We had planned to have a joint PPG/Maple Surgery stall at the Village Fête, and we were as disappointed as everyone else in the village when bad weather forced the cancellation of the Fête.

On a more positive note, the PPG and the Practice organised a highly successful Health Awareness Evening in April, on the theme of memory loss. The event attracted a large audience to hear expert speakers on Alzheimer's disease and other types of memory loss.

The regular Health Walks, organised by PPG Executive Committee member Patricia Daniels, continue to be very popular, and they have attracted praise at a national level.

The PPG also addressed the issue of support for patients who have long-term or chronic illnesses and who feel isolated because they do not know what activities are taking place in the village. The PPG has created a leaflet which lists many of the regular social, artistic and health-oriented events in Bar Hill. The leaflet is free and copies are available at the maple surgery.

The PPG's meetings in the second half of this year have been dominated by the problems caused by the imminent end of the current contract. Patients have expressed their growing frustration at being unable to see the same GP on successive visits, and their great dismay at the departure of several well-liked GPs who have left to join other practices which can offer them greater security of employment.

Members of the PPG Executive Committee took an active part in the public meeting which was held in the Church Hall in late October to explain the procedure for choosing the organisation that would take over the Practice from April 2013. Executive Committee members asked a number of questions, with particular emphasis on patient representation in the selection process and on how the performance of new contract holder would be monitored, especially with regard to patient satisfaction.

The PPG will continue to represent the interests of the patients of the maple surgery until the new contract begins, and hopefully beyond. We meet at 6:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every month except December, and we welcome everyone to come along to our meetings.

David Harper
PPG Secretary