Developing GP practice patient groups

We've been working with patient participation groups in Hertfordshire and West Essex for more than a year now. In this workshop, the team review progress to date. Read more
Getting PPGs involved in research

The latest resource from our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB is a workshop looking at why PPGs should think about supporting clinical research. Read more
Communicating with the wider patient population

As part of our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board this workshop explores how GP practice patient groups and staff can use different methods of communication to communicate more effectively. Read more
How Patient Participation Groups can support interventions to tackle healthcare inequalities

As part of our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, patient groups explored how they can support local efforts to tackle health inequalities. Read more

Patient Participation Groups

We want to ensure patients, their families and carers are represented and heard from at all stages of their treatment.

Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) are generally made up of a group of volunteer patients, the practice manager and one or more of the GPs from a practice. PPGs meet on a regular basis to discuss the services on offer, and how improvements can be made for the benefit of patients and the practice.

The beauty of PPGs is that there is no set way in which they work - the aims and work of each group entirely depends on local needs - but they all have the aim of making sure that their practice puts the patient, and improving health, at the heart of everything it does.

In this section of our website you can see what PPGs in Hertfordshire and West Essex have done to diversify the people engaging with practices. In this area, PPGs are called patient groups. You can watch their training videos and download their resources to get ideas and inspiration for your PPG. One of the insights from this project is that patients didn’t really understand the term PPG, so the project team use GP Practice Patient Group instead. The resources on the website use a mixture of PPG and GP Practice Patient Group.

You can also download our PPG toolkit to help set up or revive your PPG. We have developed a model of working with NHS Trusts, GP practices and other health and social care organisations, including universities and colleges to assist with patient involvement.

Developing GP practice patient groups

We've been working with patient participation groups in Hertfordshire and West Essex for more than a year now. In this workshop, the team review progress to date. Read more

Getting PPGs involved in research

The latest resource from our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB is a workshop looking at why PPGs should think about supporting clinical research. Read more

GP patient group project

We’re working with Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board on a community engagement project providing bespoke training to more than 130 patient partnership groups to help them diversify and expand membership. This page describes the project, resources available and links to find them easily. Read more

Communicating with the wider patient population

As part of our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board this workshop explores how GP practice patient groups and staff can use different methods of communication to communicate more effectively. Read more

How Patient Participation Groups can support interventions to tackle healthcare inequalities

As part of our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB, patient groups explored how they can support local efforts to tackle health inequalities. Read more

Supporting volunteer members of PPGs

This video from our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB explores the benefits of a diverse volunteer membership of Patient Partnership Groups, what support volunteers need and also a case study from an active volunteer. Read more

Use our toolkit to set up your PPG

Our toolkit will help you set up or revive your patient participation group. We have a PDF toolkit and videos based on the toolkit on this page. Read more

Why GP practices and Primary Care Networks need patient groups

Alan Bellinger, a trustee of Healthwatch Herts and long-standing chair of his PPG, offers guidance for practices on the benefits of having an active patient group or network. Read more

Reasons for a patient group and what’s in it for the GP practice and patients

This video and accompanying slides shares insights from members of PPGs and a transformation manager from a primary care network. They talk about what makes a good patient group and why the benefit practices and networks. Read more

Effectively working together in partnership

This video from our project with Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB is about how patients and practices can work well together for the benefit of both groups. Read more

A guide to establishing a GP practice patient group

The Herts and West Essex project developed a step-by-step guide to setting up a patient practice group. Watch the video and download the slides. Read more

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Developing GP practice patient groups

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