maple surgery

patient participation group

newsletters

March 2011

Note: This article originally appeared in the Bar Hill News.

The maple surgery patient participation group (PPG) is a voluntary organisation which provides a link between the maple surgery and its patients. The members of the PPG are all maple surgery patients themselves, and the group aims to represent the local community in a variety of ways, including:

Voicing the ideas, suggestions and concerns of the patients;
Supporting vulnerable patients;
Improving, enhancing and expanding the services offered by the surgery;
Encouraging health education initiatives.

The group meets on the last Wednesday of every month, and the meetings usually include representatives from the surgery who answer our questions and give us the latest surgery news.

We currently have 15 members, and a committee consisting of a chairman (Mrs Margaret Moffat), a vice-chairman (Mr Brian Burrage), a treasurer (Mrs Margaret Brown) and a secretary (Mr David Harper).

Topics discussed at recent meetings include:

The cost of travel vaccinations;
Concerns over confidentiality when surgery reception staff ask patients about the reason for making an appointment;
The availability of the seasonal flu vaccination;
Health walks in and around the village;
Making life simpler for patients who have many repeat prescriptions.

The PPG hopes to communicate regularly with the local community through the Bar Hill News, and we are also planning our own newsletter and web site. Watch this space for news!

If you have a question about the maple surgery, or suggestion about ways to improve the services it offers, or if you would like to talk to someone about your experience with the surgery, the patient participation group would like to hear from you. We also welcome new members. Please feel free to contact the group by email to anyquestions at maple-ppg.org