The practice has a Patient Participation Group (PPG) which is a collaborative environment where patients and staff can discuss practice-related issues with the aim of continuously improving services.
The PPG is administered by a small committee of volunteer patients who run a programme of activities in 2 categories:
- Meetings at which patients can learn about the work of the practice and hear about any changes it intends to make
- Acting as the patients’ voice by collecting information and opinion, giving feedback to the practice and making recommendations for improvements
Towards the end of each year members of the PPG assist the committee in putting together a prioritised programme of projects to be run the following year.
The Nene Valley Hodgson Medical Practice PPG Constitution can be read here:
If you would like to be involved …
You can join the PPG by completing an application form that can be found via the blue button below, or via the paper forms at each site’s PPG notice board. You don’t need any qualifications or previous experience; you just need to be a registered patient (or carer of a registered patient) of the medical practice. If you would like to find out more about what is required, please read the documents in PPG Documents section of this website.
Once you are a member of the PPG, if you would like to take a more active role, you can put yourself forward to serve on the organising committee.
You will need to bear in mind, that the PPG is not a forum that deals with individual medical matters or complaints. It is genuinely an organisation set up to help the practice continuously improve its services, primarily for the benefit of patients.
What will be expected of me?
As a PPG member you can be quite passive and just read information that is sent to you. You can attend meetings (there are normally 4 a year) if you wish to hear first-hand about the medical practice or take part in information gathering exercises. Or, if you want to get more involved, you can apply to join the committee.
Signing up slips are also available in reception at each site.
Patient Participation Group (PPG) Frequently asked questions:
Q. Why are my contact details required when I apply to become a member of the PPG?
A. The PPG committee will sometimes need to contact you to inform you about meetings, provide you with information or ask whether you would like to be involved in a project.
Q. What happens when I apply to become a PPG member?
A. Once you apply to join the PPG, a member of the practice’s admin staff will check whether you are a registered patient of the practice and, if you are, will forward your contact details to the PPG Secretary, who is a volunteer. You will then receive a welcome message from the Chairman of the PPG, also a volunteer.
Q. How will I be contacted?
A. By e-mail.
Q. How often will I be contacted?
A. Not very often – probably about once a month, at most.
Q. What if I no longer wish to be a PPG member or I leave the surgery?
A. In both cases just inform the PPG Secretary ([email protected]) and you will be removed from the PPG membership list immediately. Alternatively, contact the practice to advise.
Q. Who can I contact for further information?
A. If you have any other questions please contact the PPG Secretary
PPG Meeting dates 2025
Committee Meeting: Committee Members only
Full Meeting: All PPG members invited to participate in the meeting
Tuesday 14th January 2025 – Committee Meeting
Thursday 27th February 2025 – PPG Community Event
Tuesday 4th March 2025 – Committee Meeting
Thursday 12th June 2025 – PPG Community event
PPG Newsletters
Community Meeting
Further Details
Please see the video link for further information on Patient Participation Groups
Click the following link to see the HealthWatch guide to Patient Participation Groups, a best guide for both patients and the practice:
PPG toolkit 2023_0.pdf (healthwatchcambridgeshire.co.uk)
Healthwatch
Our Partnership Boards | Healthwatch Cambridgeshire
Partnership Boards | Healthwatch Peterborough
The National Association of Patient Participation
This association aims to promote the role and benefits of PPGs to patients, the public and health professionals, to create more understanding of the value of true patient participation also to promote the support available from N.A.P.P
The information you supply us will be used lawfully, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to know what information is held about you and sets out rules to make sure that this information is handled properly.