Patient Reference Group - PRG
Our Practice Patient Reference Group (PRG) was formed in 2011, with the intention of our patients becoming more of an integral part of our Practice. Thank you to those across the years who have been involved.
The Group was established to allow patients to become critical friends of our Practice, providing feedback and insight into the quality of the service we provide.
Groups across the country were designed to also organise health promotion events and carry out research into the views of patients along with acting as a sounding board for consultation on changes to services which may be considered.
Whilst the Heathgate PRG has not completed all of these activities, it has certainly acted as a critical friend providing feedback on services, listening and understanding some of the challenges we have, and continue to face in Primary Care, often offering solutions and recommendations from a patients perspective. The PRG was critical in the design of our extended hours service, supporting the stance for local provision at the Practice and not across other South Norfolk Practices.
We have shared updates on different clinical matters and arranged themed clinical meetings including dementia awareness and prostate testing.
The pandemic and pressures in Practice had an effect on regular meetings (copies of minutes of those pre-pandemic meetings are still available on request), and so the group was re-established in February 2024, with a smaller membership meeting to explore how we could re-establish a group more akin to the national expectations of a PRG.
That meeting saw members agree to focus on patient education and awareness of the Practice, the services we offer, the wider multi-disciplinary team and NHS Primary Care in general. They will still be our 'ears and eyes on services' and our key critical friend.
Members have been asked to help us build a more diverse group through local contacts and other groups they belong too, and act as a conduit to those to spread the wider messages around Primary Care locally. Once their thoughts and opinions on how we can work and spread the news about our service are collated, we will by 31st May create a patient engagement plan to launch with groups and organisations.
The PRG has challenged the Practice to think broader around sharing details of the services we offer and our wider team, so patients are aware of the extended group of healthcare professionals now working at the Practice.
We plan to meet again in April 2024, to review how the plan is emerging.
If you would like to join the PRG, please contact the Practice at nwicb.mail.heathgate@nhs.net Our Managing Partner can put you in touch with members to talk about the groups work.
Thank you to all for your continued interest, support and engagement with the Practice.