Patient Participation Group

About the Patient Group

The purpose of a Patient Participation Group is to ensure that patients are involved in decisions about the range and quality of services provided by their practice.  These groups can be crucial in providing us with patient feedback on the access to the surgery and systems such as appointment booking but also helping us to make the experience attending the surgery a positive one for all.

We are looking for a broader range of patients to join in order to give a good balance to the group.

What does the PPG do?

The NHS are supportive of PPGs and is keen to see more patients engage with their local practice and on wider health issues.  It recognises that this involves two different but complementary PPG roles:  1. helping their GP practice to improve services for patients and 2. contributing to the NHS's clinical commissioning plans.

1. The PPG helps the Practice communicate and build prositive relationshsips with it patients population.  The core objective of the PPG is to support the Practice to achieve its health promotion aims by liaising between patients and the Practice.  It is a forum for considering the wider issues of running the practice, and for introducing new ideas and initiative.  Patients' views are sought through regular patient surveys, which are analysed to formulate an action plan, which is implemented by the Practice.

2. The PPG is invited to comment on the NHS's plans for care provision in all area as they come under review, such as emergency provision, frailty management, diabetes treatment, etc.  Your experience of NHS treatment is a valued input to planning furure provision. Blithehale medical centre is supportive of the NHS's patient-driven model, and welcomes patients getting involved.
The PPG does not deal with individual issues between doctor and patient.

Latest PPG Minutes

Date: 15 July 2026

Present: Sahifa Khatun, Rahamon Adeleke, Naeema Qurayshi, Bola Jacobs, Leo D'Souza, Hortencia Dsouza, Mark Mapstone, Joy Godsell, Rajvir Khinda, Caroline, Mohammed Miah, Jharna, Tayo David Bambridge, Jebu

Minutes: Naeema Qurayshi

1. Previous minutes

• PPG minutes to be sent two weeks after the meeting and members to be contacted one week before the meeting as a reminder
• Members encouraged to use PPG email inbox
• All complaints and issues to be sent as written communication to the practice
• Discussion regarding improving face-to-face appointment availability

2. Today's agenda

Introduction and apologies

Sahifa Khatun unable to attend

Blithehale Logo

• The logo outside the practice and on the website says Blithehale Health Centre but official name is Blithehale Medical Centre. Unable to change the physical logo due to costs
• Action: amend the logo on the website (completed)
• Minutes from now on to be sent in the body of the email to members (as not all can access Microsoft Word)

Practice update

• Two new GPs – Dr Khizar Khan-Mahmood and Dominik Zenner
• Both trainers for medical students in the practice
• Average appointment times at the practice for face-to-face appointments are 12 minutes

Double appointments

• Do we allow double appointments?
  • Patients can request it, but it is up to the GP’s discretion
  • Query as to whether those with children or learning difficulties get double appointments. Agreed that this is also at the GP's discretion.
  • Double appointments are not something we ordinarily advertise – used inappropriately in the past
  • Some patients have alerts on their medical records to say they should be booked double appointments

Booking appointments online

• A few months ago, we did have online appointments available, but they were not booked appropriately
• These were not GP appointments
• It is no longer something we offer

AccuRx updates

• Often making updates and changes to improve the system

Patient experience and access to services

• We maintain continuity of care with preferred GP at the practice
• If requested GP is not available, others are also available so that patient needs are met
• Many patients have notes on their records to say who is their preferred GP
• Certain GPs also specialise in certain subjects
• Importance of building relationship with clinician

Experience of triage system

• The practice does not accept 'Contact us' forms for medical queries
• Every consult that goes through the triage platform is manually looked at by clinical team
• Contact us form goes through reception and looked at during all working hours
• Practice to look into responses for Contact Us forms – seems some have not received responses

Appointment booked experience

• Patients attending the practice in person told to do online consultations for appointments
• E-Lites done in shared reception space
• Members feel reception should not be asking patient symptoms in front of other patients
• Question of confidentiality
• Difficult to direct query to the most appropriate clinician without providing any details to reception
• Some are better suited than others based on medical issue
• Query whether reception can ask patients for their date of birth and name by having patients write it down instead of saying it aloud
  • Action: Request for separate space for reception asking symptoms (to be fed back to the team)
• Patients unable to book face-to-face appointments directly due to triage system
• Mandated system now/nationalised system for all GPs
• Who is doing triage for medical issues?
  • Two GPs

PPG development and membership group

• System of collaboration
• Would help if PPG registers with national PPG – will give guidelines on how to operate
• Supposed to agree charter/Dos & Don’ts of PPG
• By end of August, practice will send details on national PPG guidelines

Health promotion and membership group

• Social chaplaincy at certain medical centres
• All faiths
• Something to implement at the GP?
• Mental health nurses available at the practice
• Would bridge the gap between bereavement or issues patients facing that GP might not necessarily be able to help with
• Can provide a copy to the clinicians to investigate this type of the service

Posters for the practice

• TDB collecting posters
• Bengali posters regarding stroke
• Posters trying carers
• Clinicians do share these posters amongst each other and in WhatsApp groups
• Has been mentioned in clinical meetings already
• RA will take in posters

The practice may be converting two offices into clinical rooms.

3. Other business

• A member was sent a link to book an appointment – explained they were unable to access the link and informed by reception they need to book appointment via link. This is incorrect – in future, patient should request to speak to manager and take receptionist’s name if told the same thing.
• 14,114 patients registered at the practice
• No maximum capacity of patients
• Minutes of the PPG meeting will be available on the website. Not something we can populate round to all patients as text messages to patients are chargeable.
• Request for notices to be put up on the doors to advise patients to check the website and staff to also inform patients to check the website for PPG information.

With no other business, the meeting is closed.

Next meeting: 14 October 2026