Background
The Finch Patient Forum (FPF) was formed as a committee of patients and representatives of the Finchampstead Surgery Practice partnership in 2012 to provide an effective ‘voice’ for the patient community and their relationship with the Practice. It should be noted that from the 1st April 2015, central government, who are seeking to strengthen practices’ relationships with the patient population and to promote the use of IT within the surgery’s activities, have made it a contractual requirement for all English practices to form a Patient Participation Group, PPG. Practices are expected to make reasonable efforts for their PPG to be representative of the patient population in order to ascertain patients’ views on a range of topics relating the planning, provision, and delivery of local healthcare services and practice issues. At Finchampstead a group of patients has been recruited to do this by means of a series of surveys. This group has been designated the title of the Finchampstead Patient Reference Group (FPRG),
- Finch Patient Forum Aims
The Finch Patient Forum aims to help by providing an effective ‘voice’ for the patient community and their relationship with the Practice. To do this, it has been and continues to be, a major activity to recruit patients to become members of the FPRG. The FPF is anxious that the membership of the FPRG should be as wide as possible so that it is a true representation of the Surgery patients. As the membership of the FPRG may well influence how services are delivered, interested patients are urged to join the Group either through the website or using paper forms widely available in the Surgery. The FPF will ascertain patient views on the health care provided, by conducting a series of surveys on the various activities of the Practice. The Forum is one of a number of Patient Participation Groups associated with surgeries throughout the Wokingham district. These PPGs have an umbrella body known as the Wokingham Area Patient Participation Group Forum (WAPPGF). The FPF will share information and ideas with the WAPPGF and other PPGs, and participate in area-wide surveys as necessary. - Communications
The FPF communicates with FPRG members primarily by email. However, to maintain as wide a membership as possible, copies of documents are available from the Practice and on the Finchampstead Surgery website. To keep FPRG members informed about the results of the various surveys and other relevant information, a newsletter is produced which is distributed by email and is viewable on the Finchampstead Surgery website. Paper copies are also available from the surgery reception. - FPF Organisation
The FPF is a voluntary organisation and operates as a committee composed of eight patient volunteers and two Practice members, one to represent the doctors and the other to represent the Practice administration. Any member of the Finchampstead patient population may apply to become a member of the committee. One of the patient members will be appointed Chairperson by a simple majority vote. While every effort will be made to determine committee activities as a consensus, if this cannot be achieved, then a majority vote will be used to decide a course of action, with the Chairperson having the deciding vote. If one of the patient members does not attend two consecutive committee meetings without communicating with the Chairperson then that member will be deemed to have resigned. This decision will be communicated to the person by letter. FPF committee meetings will be held regularly on a quarterly basis. All of the FPF activities are voluntary, however, the Practice has agreed to support the FPF by providing facilities for meetings, use of the Practice database for FPRG emails and minor expenses for the production of relevant leaflets and posters. It should be noted that the committee always functions with the knowledge and approval of the Practice. - Confidentiality
All FPF activities are conducted within the auspices of the Practice’s confidentiality requirements and thus patients’ information and data are kept confidential and secure at all times. FPF members are required to sign the Practice’s confidentiality agreement. - The Terms Of Reference will be reviewed annually.
Approved 6th November 2019