A MEDICAL group in Nailsea has received a grant to fund health and wellbeing events for its patients.

Nailsea Town Council awarded the Patient Participation Group (PPG) of Tyntesfield Medical Group with a grant of £1,300.

The purpose of the PPG is to facilitate good relations between the GP Practice and its registered patients.

For example:

• Monitoring patient experience and actively follow up on concerns raised through the Family and Friends feedback & other NHS surveys

• Working in collaboration with the GP Practice, as a ‘constructive friend’ to improve their services and facilities, and

• Acting as a representative group to support the GP Practice and influence the local provision of health and social care.

Richard Rogers, chair of the Patient Participation Group of Tyntesfield Medical Group said: “We are very grateful that Nailsea Town Council has agreed to support our voluntary work by allocating us a Community Grant of £1,300 for our Wellbeing workshops.

“The PPG are working with the GP practice to increase their participation with these Wellbeing workshops.”

The PPG at Tyntesfield Medical Group comprises a group of 17 patients (up to 26 patients), all volunteers, aiming to represent the wider population representing the whole patient population.

The PPG meet 10 months of the year. Patients can find a noticeboard in each surgery, which provides an overview of the PPG, a suggestion box & membership forms, which can be used by any patient.

The Grant of £I,300 will be used to facilitate the organisation & delivery of health events & the promotion of wellbeing workshops.

The themes of these activities will be selected under the guidance of the GP practice, based on the demographics of their patients.

In April 2024 the PPG delivered a ‘Diabetes event’ targeted at patients with pre-diabetes & Types 1 & 2.

The event was supported by speakers from the GP Practice, The local Diabetes prevention programme and Diabetes UK.

In 2023 the group delivered two successful events on the subjects of Dementia & End of Life Matters (‘Good Grief’).

The PPG are currently working with a number of parties, including Hayley Orchard, who is Nailsea Town Council wellbeing officer, on how best to establish an ongoing set of Wellbeing Workshops.