Patient Participation Group

A Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a group of people who are patients of the surgery and want to help it work as well as it can for patients, doctors and staff. The NHS requires every practice to have a PPG. PPG members are expected to approach the role with objectivity, tact and diplomacy, drawing on and using their own experience to inform discussions and decisions, in a manner that respects the priorities and concerns of all patients.

Reasons for joining the PPG

You may have been to the surgery as a patient, parent, carer or friend and all these experiences matter. You could bring different ideas to the PPG to help the surgery care for patients better or to improve what they do in some way. You could also gain a better understanding of the NHS and gather feedback from other patients. If you would like to know more about how you could contribute to the work of PPGs, please contact us for an informal chat – rhsppg@gmail.com, please note this email address is for PPG related queries ONLY, if you have a administrative query please complete a eConsult Admin Form HERE.

Rothschild House Group has a single PPG for all patients wherever their usual surgery is located. However, to ensure that the views of all patients are represented at each location where there is a surgery, there are three local committees covering Tring/Pitstone, Berkhamsted and Markyate. Representatives of the three committees work together to support patients’ interests irrespective of their geographic location or registered surgery within the Rothschild House Group.

Representatives of the three committees, bring forward those issues which affect all patients to regular patient group committee meetings with Rothschild House Group staff. Individual local committee meetings are held regularly to discuss issues to be brought forward to the meetings with staff. In addition, the local committees discuss issues related to that particular area or surgery, for example a local initiative such as a health campaign, classes, education event or site-specific issues which are raised directly with the relevant responsible practice staff.

The PPG participates in our local Primary Care Network (Alpha PCN – Rothschild House Group, Manor St and Gossoms End practices in Berkhamsted) meetings by providing a patient representative on a rotating basis and are involved in a number of other healthcare organisations. These include Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board, which replaced Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group in July 2022 and local hospital and ambulance trusts. This ensures that our patients’ views are represented at these regional health organisations and in turn our patients are kept informed about plans and new services which may affect their healthcare services.

We believe firmly that patient involvement in healthcare discussions helps maintain high standards of care and communication within the Rothschild House Group surgeries and in the wider NHS services to which patients may be referred.

We receive strong support from the management of the Rothschild House Group, who recognise the value of patients contributing to decisions about their healthcare. We are members of the National Association for Patient Participation (N.A.P.P.) which is a valuable source of information and advice, paid for by the practice.

For further information and to contact the PPG please email rhsppg@gmail.com. Whilst this email is a single reference point, your email will be passed on to your local committee. Please note – we are unable to deal with any personal health issues which should be taken up through the practice directly.

The PPG currently publishes a regular email newsletter of local health information which has a large circulation beyond the patient groups’ membership. You can sign up for your personal copy via this link or QR Code below.