Burbage Surgery Patient Participation Group
burbageppgsec@icloud.com
Beginnings
The group was founded in December 2005 with a formal constitution. It became affiliated to NAPP - the National Association for Patient Participation -and has since become a registered charity.
Structure and organisation
Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month, with the annual meeting taking place in April. At present there are 12 committee members, including the officers and three ex-officio members - the practice manager and two doctors, with one attending each meeting to update on surgery matters.
The officers are: chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer, secretary and publicity officer (at the moment combined). Three elected members have been on the committee from its beginnings.
The committee includes one Asian and one Nigerian member, and the ages range from late 30s to late 70s. We aim for the membership to represent the age range and ethnic make up of registered patients, and are seeking additional younger people and more men.
If anyone wishes to join us, please contact any members or leave your details at the surgery reception.
Disciplines
Formal minutes of each meeting are recorded and circulated to all members for approval at the following meeting. Four members form a quorum.
National support
Membership of NAPP - the National Association for Patient Participation - has continued from the start of the group, with members able to read its monthly bulletinson line and access all its resources.
Representatives have attended NAPP conferences and are involved in discussions/meetingswith representatives of other PPGs in the Hinckley area to exchange views and ideas.
Charity
Three trustees were appointed to comply with Charity Commission's registration, and audited accounts are submitted to the commission each year.
Publicity
Group and surgery activities are published regularly under Surgery News in a double-page spread in the Local Rock, a free editorial/advertising publication which has a circulation in the Burbage area of 13,000.
The newsletter is also published on the NAPP website.
Fund-raising
We have raised money from various activities including fashion shows and five charity golf days, with the most recent making a profit of £1,700. We have also organised raffles, skittle nights and a walking treasure as joint fund-raising/social activities. Our latest fund-raising event is a Christmas raffle, with proceeds going towards surgery benefits and the prostate cancer charity, PROSTaid.
Benefits
We have bought a blood pressure monitor for the Burbage Surgery waiting room and two defibrillators, one for Burbage - which has already been used to save a patient's life - and another for the Wolvey surgery. The group has also bought furniture, books and toys for the children's area of the Burbage waiting room. From the most recent golf day, we donated 500 of the profits to the Rainbows children's charity. We have also recently bought a self check-in screen for patients attending the Burbage surgery.
Patient contact
In addition to keeping patients informed of events, activities and issues through the newsletter, members also meet them face-to-face. We serve coffees at the regular yearly flu clinics and have carried out surveys to find out patients' views on the surgery and their treatment. Overwhelmingly, patients say they are very satisfied with their treatment.
The group fully supported the practice in its recent efforts to build new premises, and shared its tremendous disappointment when funding was withdrawn before any agreement on buying a proposed site could be finalised. It is committed to continuing that support for a new build/expansion to ensure that patients have the improved facilities and enhanced services they have told us they expect.
The group has an excellent relationship with the practice, and members join the staff in meetings and on committees to seek the best for patients, most recently helping to address their concerns about difficulty getting through to the surgery by phone at peak times.
Members of Burbage Surgery Patient Participation Group
John Moore (chairman) email johJDM@aol.com
Mike Hudson (vice chairman) (contact through surgery)
Paul Stewart (secretary) email pdstewart1947@me.com
Dr Phil Thomason (ex officio) 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Wendy Shaw (practice manager) 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Pam Adams 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Yhona Adcock 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Lorna Clarke 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Carol Davies 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Pat Hydon 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Babita Joshi 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Stephen Smith-Phelps 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Anthony Sheldon 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)
Giles Hudson 01455 634879 (contact through surgery)