Your Patient Participation Group (PPG)

How are patients involved?

All registered patients are automatically 'participating patients' in the life of the Practice.

Patients can share matters of general interest with the Practice in several ways or through the Patient Participation Steering Group (scroll down to discover more).

The Practice communicates with patients through Practice newsletters, text & email notifications, its website, community and social media, and notices / leaflets in public areas of the Practice.

What is the purpose of the Patient Participation Group?

To foster a strong relationship between the Practice and its community.

  • Encouraging good communication between the Practice and its patients for the benefit of both.
  • Helping the Practice to share knowledge and information about its own and associated community services.
  • Helping the Practice to improve services.
  • Supporting health promotion and encouraging self-care.
  • Representing registered patients both to the Practice and to local health and care organisations.

What is the Steering Group?

A representative Steering Group liaises with the Practice to ensure jointly that the purpose of patient participation is being met. 

In particular, it:

  • promotes ways in which patients can make best use of and support the Practice;
  • assists the Practice in collecting patient opinions and experiences that help the Practice to evaluate its services;
  • helps to provide information about the Practice for the local community and to bring patients’ needs and interests to the attention of the Practice.

The Steering Group communicates with all patients primarily through a section of the Practice website and newsletter.

Steering Group members have no access to patient lists or data held by the Practice.

The PPG's Terms of Reference

Our Patient Participation Group has a single purpose:  To foster good communication between the Practice and its patients in a way that benefits both. 

Our Terms of Reference set out how we do this. To download and view the PPG's Terms of Reference, follow this link>>

Patient Participation Group has a single purpose:  To foster 

Where to find more information

Email the PPG at lymebayppg@gmail.com, or check the noticeboards at each site.

How the PPG works

 

Patient participation group = All registered patients, who can –

  • access PPG information through the Practice newsletter and website;
  • communicate issues directly to the Steering Group through contact details shown below;
  • attend periodic ‘open’ meetings arranged by the Steering Group / Practice on matters of major interest.

 ‘Virtual’ Group

  • Registered patients sufficiently interested but not wishing, or unable, to commit to regular bi-monthly meetings.
  • Receive Steering Group agendas & Minutes with open invitation to attend meetings as you wish.
  • Willing to contribute issues and ideas to the Steering Group.
PPG LOGO

Steering Group

  • Meets bi-monthly, with Practice representative(s) present.
  • Manages PPG functions, information-gathering and liaison with the Practice.
  • Led by Co-chairs / Secretary (who are patients) plus –
  • Committed members who agree to take part regularly in bi-monthly meetings.
  • Future events, and Minutes of meetings, published in this PPG section of the Practice website.

Future Patient Participation Group Meetings

PPG meetings are held on Tuesday afternoons from 2.30pm at Lyme Regis Medical Centre.  Meeting dates for the remainder of 2024 are:

  • 30th April
  • 16th July
  • 17th September

Our next Annual General Meeting will be held in November 2024, time and venue to be confirmed. 

 Scroll down for minutes of our previous meetings.

a group of people meeting

The PPG Chair and Secretary

Steering group members are volunteers as are the Chair and Secretary

Chair:   

  • Vicci Stocqueler

Secretary:   

  • Joanna Scotton

The Steering Group meets bi-monthly on a Tuesday afternoon at the Lyme Regis Medical Centre.  A summary of the major Steering Group achievements during 2023 may be downloaded and viewed by following this link>>

How to contact the Steering Group

The effectiveness of the PPG relies on hearing from its patient-members about any generally-applicable questions, problems or ideas that you may have. Patient experiences of Practice services, good or not so good, may well contribute to general feedback, so the PPG is always interested to hear of them. Please bear in mind that individual patient issues should be raised in the first instance to the Practice management team. If they cannot be resolved there, reference to the PPG is appropriate.

You can get in touch with us by any of these methods:

  • using our Contact Form

  • dropping a note into the red ‘Messages for the PPG’ box at either Practice site;

  • talking to any member of the Steering Group whom you happen to know personally.

Please let us know your thoughts. All messages will be treated in confidence. If used in feedback to the Practice, they will be anonymised.

Our Contact Form

Complete our contact form and email* it to lymebayppg@gmail.com

Download our PPG Contact Form as a Microsoft Word document here>>

Or, if you prefer, you can download the PPG Contact form as a pdf document.  Print it out, complete it and return it to us via the Practice by posting to:

Lyme Bay Medical Practice, c/o Lyme Regis Medical Centre, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset  DT7 3LS

Download and print out our PPG Contact Form as a PDF here>>

 

We will be in touch shortly after we receive your form.

*By providing your email address you confirm you consent for us to contact you occasionally by email.

Ways in which you could help the PPG and the Practice

You could support the work of the practice through the PPG:

  • volunteer occasionally to help with jobs like stewarding at events (flu vaccinations or large health screening days, for example). Volunteer help for the Practice is coordinated by Caroline Powley. You can contact her by emailing calpowley@me.com.
  • let the Steering Group know of particular questions or concerns you have about medical services locally if you haven’t been able to resolve these directly with the Practice or other service provider.
  • contribute your interest and/or expertise to a short-term PPG working group, such as reviewing and advising on Practice communications or on its website.
  • offer to become part of the PPG’s ‘Virtual Group’ or Steering Group if this would suit your interests and commitments. 

For more information and to give your support please email the PPG at lymebayppg@gmail.com.

PPG Health and Care Information