The Patient Participation Group was established in 1986, and meet every 2 / 3 months at the Surgery with the following aims:

• to give Practice staff and patients the opportunity to meet in order to discuss topics of mutual interest;
• to offer a forum for the discussion of health education topics of interest to patients, with special reference both to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease;
• to undertake fund-raising activities in order to provide extra facilities and equipment for the Practice and patients;

If you would like to join the group or have a suggestion for equipment which could be of use to surgery staff and patients, please contact Loraine Harris at the Surgery on telephone no: 01480 860770.

In order to improve and maintain communication with patients and the local community, the Surgery has an established patient group.  The Patient Participation Group (PPG) are volunteers who give their time to work alongside the Practice to help and represent the Patients.

The group operate on a number of levels.  

Representation
The PPG help represent patient interests into the Health Service and the Surgery with attendance at various meetings aimed at change within the Health Service. The meetings are a forum to discuss and progress items raised in your Practice survey responses.  

Social
Each year the PPG and Surgery Staff have combined various social occasions with raising some money to enhance patient facilities at the surgery.  
We have coffee mornings, car treasure hunts, Christmas raffles and musical evenings, enjoyed by all and benefiting our rural community. 

Fundraising
Through this and other fundraising events, the PPG have been able to improve the surgery facilities, update equipment and improve the general wellbeing for our Patients visiting the surgery.  The PPG helped to fit out the Nurses consulting room, purchased equipment such as blood pressure monitors for patients to use at home, and more recently the group purchased baby changing facilities.

Educational
Funds raised also enabled the Surgery to purchase a number of useful books on a wide range of medical subjects, which are available for patients to borrow through the Reception.  In 2004 the group obtained a lottery grant to provide St John Ambulance First Aid training for 140 members of the community.

How to help
The PPG and Srugery Staff hope you will feel that this is a valuable community group as well as a personal benefit for patients and staff, and look forward to receiving patient suggestions, help and support regarding improvements which can be made, which can be made using the suggestion box in Reception.  Please look out for raffles and fundraising events, which are advertised within the Surgery or displays in the surrounding villages.
If you would like to join the group, please contact the Reception Manager, Loraine Harris on tel: 01480 860770 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Surgery Issues
Finally, if you have a complaint or issue with a Doctor or Nurse, but feel uncomfortable with a direct approach, the Patient Group can protect your anonymity and still progress your grievance.   If you have an issue please contact one of the Committee Members directly:

Sam Clay (Chairman)             01480 811170
Liz Razzell (Vice Chairman)      01480 810057
Jan Usher                            01480 819181
Pat Backhouse                     01480 861167
Maria Cornelius                     01480 811506
Adrianne McNaughton           01480 860732
Claire Neal                           01480 860214    
Avril Hanson                         01234 708935 
Pauline Moody                      01480 812305                     
Gordon Handley                    01480 811598  
Susan Little                          01480 470837
Val Thornton                        01234 771943
Barbara Wallis (Practice Rep)   01480 860770
Marylu Mitchell (Practice Rep)  01480 860770
Loraine Harris (Practice Rep)    01480 860770