Patient Participation Group (PPG) and Fernville Friends

What is a Patient Participation Group?

A Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a group of people who are patients of the surgery and want to help it work as well as it can for patients, doctors and staff. The NHS requires every practice to have a PPG.

Who are ‘Fernville Friends’?

Fernville Friends is the name the PPG prefer to call themselves

Why should I join?

You have been to the surgery as a patient, parent, carer or friend.

Your experiences matter and you can bring different ideas to the surgery to help us treat patients better or to improve what we do in some way.

You will also gain a better understanding of the NHS, and gather feedback from other patients.

We encourage everyone: young, old, working, retired, people living with long term conditions to participate in the group. Fernville is your practice, after all!

What can you do to help?

There are many ways you can help:

• Talk to other patients in the waiting room about joining the group or promoting services such as the NHS App or online access
• Contribute ideas or information for the Fernville Focus quarterly newsletter
• Tell your friends and family about online services
• Support the practice at a health events
• Consider setting up a social media page
• Create a patient survey with practice staff
• Help ensure the website is ‘patient friendly’

Will my views be heard?

Your views are important and will be listened to. While it may not be possible to act on every suggestion, all feedback is valuable.

We aim to foster an environment of mutual respect, openness, and trust, where all patients’ perspectives are discussed and work together to explore solutions.

Please note that these meetings are focused on the needs of the broader community, rather than resolving individual issues. We want to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard fairly.

If you would like more information about Fernville Friends or our virtual group, please contact the practice via the form or enquire during your next visit.

How often does the Patient Participation Group meet?

The group meet face to face at the surgery, but not too often.

If you can’t make meetings then don’t worry – you can still be part of our virtual group.

What is a virtual group?

A virtual group (offically known as the Patient Reference Group) is a group of patients who would like to be part of the Patient Participation Group but prefer not to attend meetings. They get involved by email instead.

Information such as practice newsletters, minutes of the Patient Participation Group meetings and surveys will be shared electronically.

It means that if you can’t make face-to-face meetings, are caring for someone and unable to leave them, or are working, you can still be kept informed, give your views and participate.