What is Lordswood’s Patients’ Reference Group, PRG?
By “Group” we mean the Lordswood Medical Group of three GP practices; “PRG” is the patients’ reference group; and “PPG” is the patients’ participation group. The PPG meets regularly with people from the Group.
Our patients’ reference group (PRG) consists of a large number of people from all three of our practices. We act as critical friends to the Group’s doctors and staff, using our experience as lay people (patients and carers in particular) to help improve the service.
Being a patient reference group (PRG) member lets you have your say without joining the PPG. We email you the agenda for and record of each PPG meeting, so you know what we’re doing. You can of course then comment or ask questions or ask us to discuss specific concerns or ideas you may have. (But we don’t deal with health questions or complaints about the Group. See further below.)
Every so often, we also ask reference group members questions, such as
- What you think about the opening times, the quality of some care or service you may have received, or the reporting of test results;
- To find out
- any concerns you may have about services.
- constructive suggestions you may have for improving the practice(s) you go to.
- how you feel your practice could be more “user friendly”.
What does Lordswood’s PPG do?
Our patient participation group (PPG) consists of a few patients from the three practices. We meet with Lordswood for a couple of hours five or six times a year. PPG members come from the PRG.
In meetings and collaboration with the Group’s doctors and staff, the PPG members have various roles. We consult the PRG members where we can, of course:
- Organise the questions asked of the PRG members and collate what you say in reply.
- Discuss your concerns and suggestions for improving the practices.
- Help the practices to make sure the surgeries and services are ‘patient friendly’.
- Create succinct patient surveys, with PRG members as pilot, to obtain feedback and views about the practices plus ideas for improvement.
- Produce newsletters, to provide updates to patients.
- Organise health focused events for patients to attend (for instance, with specialist speakers on healthy eating, social prescribing, living with dementia / stroke / incontinence …).
- Assist the Group in making sure this website is ‘patient friendly’ and clear.
- Invite health and voluntary professionals to PPG meetings, for members and PRG members to remain informed and updated about what’s going on.
What we do
PRG and PPG members and PPG meetings cannot provide any medical advice, or deal with personal/ medical issues or individual patient complaints.
For medical advice, go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/.
If you wish to complain, please use the Feedback form on the Contact Us section of the website.
We are not concerned with the day to day running of the Group; we have no formal management role.
Join us
We are volunteers from all three Group practices. Any patient of any of the practices is welcome to apply to join. For a start, we invite you to join the patient reference group (PRG).
If you accept, please contact us by clicking here.