HEALTH: Chance to be involved in care

The week is co-odinated by the National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP), a charity formed in 1978.

Uniquely placed as the only umbrella body for patient-led groups in primary care, NAPP has almost 40 years’ experience in promoting, supporting and developing patient participation.

There are now more than 1,500 groups affiliated to NAPP, representing at least ten million patients across the UK.

The Patient Participation Partnership, Alnwick Medical Group (AMGPPP), is proud to be affiliated to NAPP and includes patients from the Alnwick, Embleton, Longhoughton and Seahouses surgeries, ensuring that the perspective of patients is at the heart of local provision and that local primary care services are of high quality and improve continuously.

AMGPPP fosters improved communication between AMG staff and patients, as well as helping patients to take more responsibility for their own health.

Patient Participation Awareness Week marks the launch of the AMG Virtual Patient Participation Partnership, which is for those AMG patients who are unable to attend meetings.

This could be because of differing abilities, or because study, work or caring responsibilities for children or dependents means they cannot attend meetings on Tuesday afternoons, or would have insurmountable difficulties in travelling to the four surgeries.

They may also have face-to-face communication difficulties.

Potential Virtual PPP members should be able to access the internet and communicate by email and agree to complete a Virtual PPP member information sheet and the usual AMG confidentiality agreement.

If anyone is interested in joining the AMG Virtual Patient Participation Partnership, please follow the PPP link on [email protected]

Kelvin Rushworth,

Chairman Patient Participation Partnership,

Alnwick Medical Group