Patient Participation Group Representative (Example)

Volunteer Role Description

Why does the practice need my help?

The Patient Participation Group meets with GPs (if you can put a specific name here that’s even better) and the Practice Manager every ___. The patient members tells us what we’re doing well, what we could do better, and work with us to come up with changes we can make to create a GP Practice which delivers great health care for all our members!

The most important thing we need from you is your experience of being a patient at our practice – that’s an insight in to how well we’re doing that we can’t get anywhere else – and a willingness to share those experiences with us, and make suggestions about how we can improve. Unless we hear from patients we don’t know if we’re meeting all your needs, so our PPG members are really important.

By getting involved in the PPG you can help make your local GP Practice even better for you and for your community. You will also gain an exciting insight into how your health service and your GP Practice works.

What skills do I need to have to volunteer?

You will need to be either a patient or a carer of a patient registered at this practice, and to be enthusiastic about working with us to enable this practice to offer the best health service we can to all our patients!

As a patient representative you will be speaking on behalf of all patients at the practice, not just yourself, so it’s important to think about their experiences as well.

What will I be doing as a Patient Representative?

  • Attend meetings of the PPG, raise issues that you have identified, and discuss possible solutions with the PPG and the Practice and agree actions the Practice can take to make things better. Help the practice to deliver its services more effectively to more patients. For example, helping the practice to get more people to get their flu injection.
  • Talk to other patients at the practice to find out what they think about the service, and bring any feedback to the PPG to discuss.
  • Work with the other PPG members to develop and improve the PPG and to encourage more patients to join.
  • If the Practice needs to make changes to the services they offer they will ask the PPG for their thoughts on how this will impact on patients, and how they can make it better.

You may also choose to get involved in:

  • Writing articles about what the PPG is doing for the practice newsletter for other patients to see.
  • Organising and running events for patients that the PPG has chosen to put on. For example, diabetes awareness events, patient walking group, etc.
  • Attending borough wide engagement events to influence health services outside of your GP Practice.

How much of my time will this role need?

The Patient Participation Group meets every _____ for ___ _ hour(s). You’ll get the most out of the role if you are able to attend every meeting as you’ll be able to see how your ideas and feedback are used to change and shape the practice.

You’ll also need to spend at least a couple of hours between every meeting preparing by, for example, reading information sent out in advance of the meeting or talking to other patients to find out what their thoughts on the practice is. If the PPG decides they would like to run more activities for patients there will also be the opportunity for you to get involved in that too.

When and where does the PPG meet?

(complete with your details. Eg, The PPG meets at the Practice. Most meetings are held on weekday afternoons. Or: Meetings alternate between being held on a weekday afternoon and a weekday evening)

Will my travel expenses be paid?

(details of the practice’s policy on travel expenses)

That sounds great! How do I get involved?

Get in touch with ______at (telephone number) or (email addresses), or speak to your GP or a receptionist. We’ll take your contact details and let you know when the next Patient Participation Group meeting is.

(Optional, if a PPG member is willing) I’m still not sure. How can I found out more?

You can get in touch with (PPG Chair or other) and they’ll be able to tell you more about what being a member of the PPG is like! You’re also welcome to come along to a meeting to see whether this is something you would like to do.

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