Forest Health’s Aims
Over the years both Forest Health and Gainsborough surgeries have been fortunate to have active patient participation groups. We are excited to re launch these meetings and invite members of the community to participate.
Forest Health will offer ‘Patient Participation Group Meetings’ (PPGMs). These meetings will be held at one of our premises throughout the year with tickets on a first come, first served basis to allow the maximum possible number of attendees.
The Meeting agenda for the upcoming meeting will differ slightly to those held in 2024. To enable maximum participation from you, our patients, we will hold a workshop-based meeting, where you will be broken out into groups to discuss certain topics as set out below. We welcome your input in these groups on discussing and learning more on these specific topics, a prompt sheet of questions will be given to each group to help frame discussion. We will then all reconvene as a wider group for an overall discussion on key feedback themes, and to collate actions for the practice team to take away. We remind you that this is not a complaints forum and the correct process for making a complaint can be found HERE.
Our topic areas for discussion for our next meeting will be:
- Healthier Together app – Helpful workshop for parents. Why it is useful and benefit to parents.
- NHS App/prescription processes – Help with the NHS app and feedback on the prescription process.
- Social Prescribers / Carer support – Social Prescribers will give an intro and we will welcome any feedback from carers on support they receive.
For those who wish to help to support the practice in a volunteer capacity, with events such as information afternoons or wellbeing drives or with newsletters, it is our intention to form a ‘Friends of Forest Health’ group to keep going some of the valuable activity that we have had in the past from the traditional PPGs.
PPG meetings will be held at our Bagshot Road Surgery (Sainsburys site) and the next meeting is currently scheduled for:
Tues 4th February 2025, at 7pm.
How do I attend?
Details on how to sign up to attend will be shared here once the date for the next PPG meeting has been announced.
What is a Patient Participation Group?
The purpose of the patient participation is to give practice staff and patients the opportunity to, where possible, share decision–making in the running of the practice.
What is the purpose of a PPG?
- Patients will have a better understanding and knowledge of the practice and its staff.
- This allows latest information to be given to patients regarding the practice and will inform what decisions can be influenced and what cannot.
- It will allow to present the patient’s perspective to the practice staff and help them gain an understanding.
- Patients will benefit from improved communications between patients and staff.
What are the benefits for the patient?
- Patients will have a better understanding and knowledge of the practice and its staff.
- Patients are kept up to date with what is happening in their practice.
- Practice staff will learn more about what patients think and feel and gain greater understanding of their needs.
- Patients will benefit from improved communications between patients and staff
What are the benefits for the practice?
- GPs and their staff will be able to plan services jointly with patients in order to increase their effectiveness.
- They will be able to get help from patients in meeting targets and objectives.
- They will have a forum to voice concerns, ideas and suggestions to patients.
- They will get closer to the community for whom they care.