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What is a Patient Group?
The Forge Close Patient Group (PPG) is made up of a group of Forge Close patients, with an interest in health and healthcare issues. We are committed to looking at the ways and means of making a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by the practice.
The Patient Group can be instrumental in communication between the practice and patients, in facilitating patients’ comments and ideas on the practice’s services and in providing educational support to the patients. The Patient Group works as a first line in looking at new proposals to ensure that these will best suit the practice and patients in delivering the services required.
For example, we have provided input and feedback on the ease and means of communication with the surgery, topics of interest for health education talks and had the opportunity to provide our perspective on the surgery during Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessments.
We would like to build on the current Patient Group so that it is strengthened and firmly embedded at the Forge Close practice.
How is the Patient Group made up?
Firstly a Patient Group Committee is made up of patients supported by Dr Mageson and a member of the administration staff. The Working Group would aim to meet every 2-3 months for a couple of hours to discuss issues and plan forthcoming events.
We would like to establish a Virtual Group. The Virtual Group would be made up of patients who don’t have the time to attend meetings but who we can contact via email for their views.
Who can be in the Patient Group?
The simple answer is anyone who is a patient at Forge Close Surgery.
On the committee you would need to be able to give a couple of hours every 2 to 3 months for meetings and give support between meetings for tasks in supporting the committee’s work. We have held meetings face to face and virtually.
If you wanted to be on the Virtual Group, then this is more a case of being available to respond to requests as they are made via email.
In either case it is not time-consuming.
We would like to increase the number of participants involved in the Patient Group so that it truly represents the diversity of our patients in terms of age, gender, medical need, ethnicity, etc.
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Our Committee
Committee Members
Stan Bradshaw
Chairman
Harry Shannon
Vice Chairman
Orla Penruddocke
Secretary
Dr Mano Mageson
Surgery Representative
Joy Halligan
Committee Member
Gail Hilder
Committee Member
Doreen Hobbs
Committee Member
Vicky Kelham
Committee Member
Nicola Mushet
Committee Member