We are a committed group of people, patients, staff and members of the community, who work collectively to form the Patients’ Participation Group.  We give our time voluntarily to support the Partners and Practice Manager in the effective running of the Practice.  Our energies are focused on maintaining and building upon the collaborative and community focused spirit, which exists within the Practice and the desire which the Practice staff have to offer the best primary healthcare service possible to their patients and our diverse community.

Many members have extensive first hand experience of the practice as long standing patients and members of the local community. Collectively we have a wide variety of professional skills, which we use to the benefit of the group and the Practice.  Many of us are parents and grandparents and have used the medical services provided by the Practice at all life stages from pre-natal to elder care.

What we do as a PPG is described in our Terms of Reference, and the principles by which we do it in our Code of Conduct.

We pride ourselves on our transparency as a group and welcome any questions or enquiries into the running of the PPG via the Practice Manager to be addressed to the Chair of Borough Green PPG.

The group would like to contact patients on occasion by email and/or text so that they can obtain the views of the widest group of patients possible. We would like to obtain your email address and mobile phone number to do this. Please complete the Patient Contact Form to provide your consent for this.

1. Contribute to practice decision-making and consult on future service provision & development.
2. As representative patients, give patients a voice in the organisation of their primary healthcare.
3. Provide feedback on patients’ needs, concerns and interests and provide a forum to question the practice constructively whenever necessary.
4. Communicate via the patient group to other patients – information about the community, which may affect healthcare.
5. Assist the practice and patients by arranging voluntary groups and other support within the community.
6. Look at developing mechanisms through participation to help monitor services e.g. secondary healthcare provision.
7. Promote good health and higher levels of health & wellbeing understanding, encouraging and supporting activities within the practice and promoting preventative medicine.
8. Influence the provision of secondary healthcare and social care locally through participation on a wider forum and by forging appropriate links with the local council.
9. Provide feedback to NHS Trusts & Clinical Commissioning Groups in appropriate areas.
10. Liaise as appropriate with other Patient Groups in the area

Central to all we do, we agree to act for the good of the practice and whole patient population. In addition, as members of the PPG we have drawn up and agree to sign up to the following:

1. PPG members will not discuss their own personal health issues, medical condition or treatment in any emails or survey responses.
2. The PPG is not to be used in pursuit of specific or personal health campaigns, for example in connection with access to special treatments.
3. Confidentiality is paramount. Email addresses of members of the PPG will not be disclosed to other members, unless their express consent is given. The PPG will not require information about individual patient’s identity, illness, condition or treatment and should not seek it.
4. Members of the PPG are expected to conduct themselves with courtesy and consideration for others.
5. Members of the PPG will not approach the media without the prior approval of the Practice and PPG Chair.
6. PPG members are, of course, free to comment as they wish as individuals. However, if they do so, they should make it clear that they are expressing a personal view and not that of the Practice or PPG.
7. The values that underpin the work of the PPG include:

• Everything done by the PPG should be able to stand the test of scrutiny by the community.
• Integrity must be the hallmark of all personal conduct between members of the PPG, the Practice and the community.
• There should always be sufficient openness in PPG activities to promote the confidence of the Practice, its patients and the community.