Patient Participation Group

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Aims

• To facilitate good relations between the Practice and patients by communicating patients’ experiences, interests and concerns and by providing feed back to the Practice on current procedures and proposed developments.
• To contribute to the continuous improvement of services offered by the Practice and ensuring that patient information is both current and user friendly.
• To provide practical support to the Practice, including fund raising to supplement the operation of the Practice and the Group.
• To help patients to take more responsibility for their own health by identifying relevant information sources and agencies which are available within the National Health Service and outside it.
• To feed back to appropriate bodies within the NHS and local authorities patients’ experiences of the health related services they have received and of their reaction to proposed changes within those services.
• To feed back to appropriate bodies within the NHS and local authorities patients’ experiences of the health related services they have received and of their reaction to proposed changes within those services.

Constitution

Title
1. The name of the patient participation group of the Practice based at the Lonsdale Medical Centre, Tunbridge Wells, will be “The Lonsdale Patients Group”.

Constitution
2. The initial Annual General Meeting’s first business will be to adopt this constitution, subject to any amendments that may be agreed by a majority of those Members attending. Thereafter, any amendment will only be made if a written proposal is given to the Secretary not less than thirty days before the next Annual General Meeting and is subsequently approved by a majority of those attending that meeting.

Membership
3. All Patients registered with the Practice will be considered as members of the group.

Meetings
4. An Annual General Meeting will be held each calendar year, which all Members will be eligible to attend and to vote on any resolution.
5. The agenda for the AGM will include the election of Committee Members, to be determined by ballot, chosen from a list of Members who have signified their willingness to stand for election, submitted in writing to the Secretary at least ten calendar days prior to the meeting. Their submission may include a supporting statement, not more than sixty words long, of their interests, which will be included on the agenda.
6. The holding of the AGM will be advertised by notice displayed in the Surgery, on the Practice’s website and by e-mail to those Members who have agreed to the use of this as a means of communication.
7. The Committee will be comprise of not more than ten Members, of whom eight will be elected at the AGM to serve for a term of two years. However, only the four Members who receive the most votes at the initial AGM will serve for a term of two years, the other Members elected will serve only for one year in order to allow an annual rotation. The Committee will be allowed to appoint two Members selected to ensure that, as far as is practicable, all sections of the registered patients are represented or to fill any casual vacancy; each to serve until the next AGM.
8. The Committee will meet at least four times between consecutive AGMs. A quorum of four Members will be required before a formal meeting can proceed.
9. At its first meeting following an AGM, the Committee will elect a Chairman, a Vice Chairman and a Treasurer. If the Practice has been unable to provide a Secretary, the Committee will also appoint a Secretary.
10. Decisions of a Committee shall be determined by a show of hands, unless a member requires a ballot to be held. In the case of a tie the Chairmen will have a casting vote.
11. The Committee may appoint a Sub Committee to consider a particular issue and to nominate its Leader. The Sub Committee will report back to the next main Committee meeting.
12. The Committee may co-opt a non- voting Member to serve until the next the next AGM, whom it considers can provide expert knowledge or skills that are not otherwise available to the Committee.
13. The Committee may affiliate the Group to, or join, other bodies whose aims are consistent with its own.

Practice
14. The Practice will not be bound by any decision of the Group affecting the operation of the Practice, unless otherwise agreed.
15. The Practice will be able to present items for consideration by the Group and to make a submission in support, either in writing or by a representative.

Agenda
16. The Secretary will circulate an agenda to each Committee Member and to the Practice not less than seven days before each meeting. The Agenda will be drawn up by the Secretary in conjunction with the Chairman and approved by the latter.
17. Committee Members may put forward items for inclusion in the next agenda, together with a short statement describing the substance of the item, which would be reproduced in the Agenda if the item is accepted. The Practice will have a similar right.

Minutes
18. As soon as is practical after a Committee meeting, the Secretary will produce a draft set of minutes, which will be submitted to the Chairman for approval. The minutes will include, where appropriate, a synopsis of the discussion on items and record any decision taken or action required. Once approved, a copy will be provided to the Practice and will be shown on the Practice’s website. A copy of the Minutes will be sent to each Committee Member with the Agenda for the next meeting.

Finance
19. The Treasurer will be responsible for any income or expenditure and will maintain appropriate accounts. A summary of the accounts will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting for approval. A copy will be given to the Practice.

Dissolution
20. If two thirds of the Committee decide, for whatever reason, that the Group should be dissolved, a Special General Meeting will be called at which a similar majority of the Members voting will be required to confirm the dissolution. Any assets held will be returned to the Practice after all outstanding liabilities have been satisfied.