Countesthorpe Health Centre Patient Participation Group
Feedback and suggestions for the Patient Group
This form should not be used for complaints or issues of a personal nature. If you have a complaint please address this to the Practice Manager, who will respond swiftly and in confidence. (* Denotes required fields).
There are now 2 ways you can share your views as a registered patient about your needs and experiences of local health care services. One is to be part the Patient Participation Group: the committee meets every 2 months at the surgery and patients are welcome to come along. Many patients are interested to hear what is going on and are happy to give their opinion but do not wish to attend any meetings. You can now be part of the discussion by signing up to the Patient Reference Group (PRG) where your views can be expressed by email only. From December 2011 you can join the Patient Reference Group as an email-only member.
Please click here for further information and to join the Patient Reference Group.
National Aims
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For the Patient Participation Group to have representation in every GP practice and that each group is based on the mutual interests of the Primary Care Team and Patients of the practice.
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To promote the role of the Patient Participation Groups as participants in decision making within the NHS.
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To maximise the benefits of sharing common interests, while recognising the individual nature of groups and the differing structures in the United Kingdom.
Local Aims
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To promote and support the involvement of registered patients in the provision and monitoring of local health care service.
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To obtain the views of registered patients about their needs for and their experiences of local health care services.
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To make known the views of the Group to those responsible for providing and managing local health care services.
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To provide a valuable source of information to users and providers of local health care services.
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To request information and expect to receive a timely response from an appropriate member or representative of the Practice.
Countesthorpe Health Centre Patient Reference Group
The Patient Participation Group was established in 2008 with local patients being invited to attend meetings on a bi-monthly basis.
A partner from the practice always attends the meetings to address and share information with the group.
Any patient registered at Countesthorpe Health Centre is eligible to join the committee.
Committee for 2011 - 12
Mrs Margaret Carter (Chair)
Mrs Elaine Cooke
Mrs Patricia Cornforth
Mr Howard Gowdridge
Mr Colin Headley
Dr Ranjit Johri
Dr Suman Johri
Mr Richard Kilner
Mrs Lucy Smith
Why I joined the PPG
(Click on the name to open up the article)
Margaret Carter
Why I joined Countesthorpe PPG by Margaret Carter
Having lived in Kilby for a number of years and been a patient of Dr Hoffler, long before the conception of Countesthorpe Health centre, when I heard about the Patient Participation Group (PPG) thought I would go along and see what it was all about.
The practice has over 9500 patients from 14 towns and villages so a lot of people to represent. The committee was set up in 2008 and I joined at the first meeting and have been there ever since. This year I was elected chair for the coming year and am finding it a challenge to represent patients and understand the problems experienced by the practice.
I have no formal knowledge of the workings of the NHS, but hopefully I’m a fast learner, I have however had experience in monitoring the local prison HM Young Offenders Institute & Remand Centre Glen Parva for the past 15years.
The idea of the group is to improve the patient experience with input from patients. A survey was conducted last year and this will be repeated shortly to see if matters picked up on the first survey have improved the service. Action Points from that survey were:
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Promote the use of the Tardis
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Encourage patients to register on line
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Promote the work of the PPG
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Increase understanding of out of hours services
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For the practice to have longer opening hours
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Promote a better understanding of the appointment system
A few minor improvements have been made after suggestions by the PPG they are: most chairs in the waiting room now face the counter to allow better sight of the doctors when they announce the next patient’s name, a white board has been placed over the booking in point to alert patients if their doctor is running more than 30 minutes late, just small adjustments but it all makes a difference.
For further information email patients@countesthorpehealthcentre.co.uk or leave a message at reception.
There are big changes ahead - why not be part of them!!
November 2011
Richard Kilner
Why I joined the Countesthorpe PPG by Richard Kilner
I have lived on Willoughby Road in Countesthorpe since 2004 and have been a regular supporter of the Health Centre ever since.
About two and a half years ago I mentioned to Gary Aram at the centre that I had recently interviewed for a role on the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland NHS Primary Care Trust Board as a non-executive director but that I had not been appointed. He told me that the Countesthorpe PPG was looking for patients to join the group and suggested that I speak to the Practice Manager Isobel Wells who could explain what the PPG did.
I set up a meeting with Isobel and she was very helpful explaining that the group was made up exclusively of Countesthorpe patients and that the key objective of the group was to represent the views of patients to the practice partners and management.
I should explain that at the time I joined the PPG I had no knowledge of healthcare, my background was construction and financial services. I went along to the group and met up with some eight other patients and joined up on the spot!
At the time I joined I was working fulltime so was very pleased that the time commitment was not too onerous; the PPG meets every two months at the surgery on a Monday evening between 6:30pm and 8:00pm.
The work the group undertakes is two fold; firstly to hear what the practice is up to and to give feedback as patients and to publicise this, we have our own notice board in the waiting area and frequently have articles in the village magazine. Secondly we try as best possible to represent the views of patients. Some of you will remember the survey that members of the PPG undertook some nine months ago when we asked a series of questions about opening hours, delays to appointments and using the Tardis, to name but a few.
Since September this year the group has been chaired by Margaret Carter who can be contacted by email on patients@countesthorpehealthcentre.co.uk
If you are interested I would strongly urge you to come along, you will be made to feel very welcome and it is only by participating that your voice and the voice of the patients will be heard.
November 2011
Lucia Smith
Why I joined the Countesthorpe Patient Participation Group by Lucia Smith
After my retirement we moved to Glen Parva to be near our family and I became a patient at the Countesthorpe Health centre.
Through my involvement with community groups over the years I realized that more information was needed to help older people access the necessary services and that their views on matters of Health and Social care should be heard.
My particular introduction to the NHS Trust in Leicestershire began when I became a dignity champion for older people and was asked to participate on the UHL Pacesetter project which brought about the speedy assessment of frail older people on emergency entry at the hospital.
I have been a member of the Leicester Mercury Patient Panel since 2008 and have the opportunity to meet managers from the P.C.TG and NHS Trust and through questions and answers keep updated about the on going changes in our hospital and general Health care.
The Countesthorpe Health centre was at the forefront in establishing a PPG in 2008 when I joined. I have been an active member of the group over the last three years and I have enjoyed my participation in a progressive group that interacts with patients, Doctors and the Manager of our Health centre to promote changes that could benefit all patients.
For further information you can reach us by e-mail patients@countesthorpehealthcentre.co.uk
November 2011
Feedback and suggestions
Any patient wishing to give feedback or make suggestions to the practice can either do so directly through the Patient Feedback page of this website or they can send a message to patients@countesthorpehealthcentre.co.uk. Alternatively they can address a message to the patient group and leave it at the surgery, where it will be passed to a member of the committee who will take it to the next meeting.