Patient Board Newsletter May 2023

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The Patient Board

The Patient Board consists presently of eleven patients who work closely with the Practice Manager to discuss issues identified by patients which aim to improve the surgery’s services. The Board meets every three months for one hour and welcomes participation of other interested patients. Contact the Patient Board for more information.

What's Happening at Westbury on Trym Primary Care Centre

• Catherine Farrington, who has supported the Patient Board, has been appointed Practice Manager, a role we are confident she will admirably fill.
• A First Contact Physiotherapist has joined the practice. Josh Wells will be available to support patients with musculoskeletal problems on Monday and Thursday mornings and  all day on Wednesday.
• Pharmacy Referral – For two years the practice has referred patients for advice and support for minor illnesses, such as earache, infected insect bites, shingles and sore throat.

Bristol Patient Participation Forum

The Forum brings together representatives of the numerous Patient Participation Groups (PPG) to share their experiences as a means to strengthen each PPG.  Discussions focus how PPGs communicate with patients and the steps they take to expand membership to reflect the diversity of patient population. The Forum also offers an opportunity to engage with local NHS officials on issues such as waiting lists for elective treatment and health inequalities.

Patient Participation Group (PPG) Champions

This is a national group launched in 2022 to raise the profile of PPGs. Towards that end recent meetings featured presentations on a research project from the Patients Association and the Hertfordshire and West Sussex Integrated Care System on the challenges encountered by PPGs and recommendations to improve their practice.

Local NHS Governance: The Integrated Care Board

In July 2022 a new structure to oversee the delivery of health care in Bristol North Somerset and South Gloucestershire  (BNSSG) came into effect. It consists of the Integrated care Board whose members include NHS senior officials and Local Authority executives. Supporting the Board are the Integrated Care Partnership, which draws together “senior civic, community and health leaders”  to set the strategic priorities for BNSSG. Towards that end, a Lived Experience Group, made of patient representatives and ICB staff are developing a system-wide strategy to fulfil such aims as “improving outcomes in the population’s health” and “tackling inequalities in outcomes, experiences and access”

Protect Our NHS

A patient-led campaign group which seeks to combat privatisation of health care and work to adequately resource the NHS. PONHS meets the first and third Tuesday of the month via zoom. For more information contact the Patient Board

Published: May 26, 2023