The Friends of Cradley Surgery
The PPG recently rebranded itself as The Friends of Cradley Surgery. The Friends Group was formed in March 2015 as part of our obligation within General Practitioner Contract. The aims of the group have been evolving since that time but its main functions are seen briefly to act as a “critical friend” to the practice by helping us appreciate and understand issues affecting our patients and fundraising to support the work of the Practice and to improve the care that is available to patients of the Practice.
What are PPG’s?
Patient participation groups (PPGs) are now an integral part of GP practices up and down the country.
Since they were established in 2016, plenty of different ideas surrounding PPGs have been introduced and, in many ways, the beauty of PPGs is that there is no set way in which they work. The aims and work of each group entirely depends on local needs, but all have the aim of ensuring that their practice puts the patient, and improving health, at the heart of everything it does.
In practice, PPGs can play a number of roles, including:
- Advising the practice on the patient perspective
- Organising health promotion events
- Communicating with the wider patient body
- Running volunteer services and support groups to meet local needs
- Carrying out research into the views of those who use the practice (and their carers)
- Influencing the practice or the wider NHS to improve commissioning
- Fundraising to improve the services provided by the practice
Our latest meeting was held on the 21st March 2024. Please find attached the meeting minutes.
If you’re interested in becoming a member of our PPG, please write to Kirsten Jonathan (Chair of the PPG and practice manager) and address the letter to the Surgery, with your contact details (an E-mail address is preferable as our meetings will be mostly virtual) or fill in an online consult stating you’d like to join!
PPG Cradley Surgery Terms of reference
We’re always on the look out for new members 🙂
Dates for the diary:
We are looking at June 2024 for the next meeting. More details to follow
How often does the PPG (Friends of Cradley Surgery) group meet?
We meet at the Surgery, but not too often. We know that you are busy so we only meet a few times per year and hope that you can join us.
If you can’t make my meetings then don’t worry- you can still be part of our virtual group.
Will my views be heard?
Your views are important and will be listened to. It may not be possible to act on every suggestion but all feedback is valuable. Working in a spirit if mutual respect, openness and trust, all patients views will be discussed and, where appropriate, we will work together on solutions.
