Many people don’t really think about health services until they, or a member of their family falls ill, or needs some form of medical attention. Then it’s important that the kind of help they need is readily available. One of the ways to ensure that this is the case is for patients to feed back to the practice their experience of the service they have received and any ideas they may have on how it might be improved. The job of the Patients’ Group is to examine the services available from the patient’s point of view and to bring suggestions for additions, alterations or improvements to the attention of practice staff so that changes may be considered by the practice.

 

The Patients’ Group for Edington and Woolavington covers Puriton, Woolavington, Cossington, Chilton Polden, Edington, Catcott, Pawlett, Shapwick, Ashcott, Chedzoy, Moorlinch, Burtle, Greinton, Sutton Mallet, Stawell, Westhay, Pedwell and the surrounding areas.

 

Membership of the Group is voluntary and at present the Group has eight members – from Catcott, Chilton Polden, Edington, Moorlinch, Pawlett, Shapwick, Sutton Mallett and Woolavington. New group members are welcome. Daniel Vincent, the Practice Manager, attends Group meetings and medical and other staff attend depending on the topics being discussed. The Group meets every six weeks to discuss ways of making a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by the practice.

 

The kinds of activities that the Group may become involved in include:

Being a ‘Critical Friend’ of the practice - advising the Practice on the patient perspective and helping to ensure that services are well designed to improve the patient experience.

• Health Promotion - running health promotion events and promoting self-care so that patients play as full a part as possible in understanding and looking after their own health.

• Improving Communications - raising awareness of the activities of the Practice and other support that is available to patients, as well as relaying information back to the Practice.

• Assisting Commissioning - contributing to commissioning decisions and advising on the redesign of services so that resources are used effectively and efficiently.

• Supporting the Practice - helping in a number of ways including, carrying out research into patients’ views, raising funds, running volunteer services and organising support groups.

 

The Group hosts a coffee morning on the first Thursday of each month at Edington Village Hall when patients are welcome to share their ideas and thoughts about the practice informally, while enjoying a cup of coffee. The Group does not become involved in specific, personal complaints about practice services. There is a clearly defined process for dealing with these issues however Group members will advise patients on how to make a complaint. The Group also represents patients on certain Somerset wide NHS groups which review issues such as NHS governance and the Out of Hours Service.

 

There is also a 150 strong ‘Virtual Group’ which is involved through internet contact. The practice would like to increase the numbers of patients in the ‘virtual group’. Virtual Group members receive information about the PPG and occasional surveys about the practice by email.

 

If you would like to be a member of the Patients’ Group or the Virtual Group, or you have any ideas or issues that you would like the Group to discuss, please feel free to contact Daniel Vincent at Edington surgery (Email admin@edingtonsurgery.nhs.uk Tel: 01278722077) or the Group’s Secretary Martin Davidson (Email martindavidson1@btinternet.com Tel 01278722799) both of whom will be delighted to hear from you. You can also sign up on the practice website www.edingtonsurgery.nhs.uk

 

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