PPG Constitution

NAME: THE BUDLEIGH SALTERTON MEDICAL CENTRE PATIENT GROUP

ASSOCIATION: The Group will maintain regular communications with both local and national organisations as appropriate

OBJECTIVES OF THE PATIENT GROUP

1. COMMUNICATION: Members of The Group should act as a two-way communication channel between the Practice and the community in order to help patients use facilities to the best advantage and the Practice to implement policies influenced by representative patient views. The Group is not a complaints processing organisation. 

a.    The Group may from time to time conduct surveys in conjunction with the Practice.

b.    The Group will produce a regular newsletter to keep patients informed and made aware of health news concerning patients and the Practice

c.    The Group will encourage patients to put ideas and questions to the Practice and for the Practice to respond in a reasonable manner

2. COMMUNITY ‘NEEDS’: 

a.    The Group will have a role in assisting in any assessment of community ‘needs’ to help the Practice improve its service.

b.    The Group will develop and promote ways for patients to help one another in times of medical need and to develop a community spirit amongst patients.

c.    The Group will actively assist the Practice and the Woodbury, Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton (WEB) locality commissioning group to assess patient needs in the community so as to ensure that appropriate resources may be applied locally to changing needs and requirements.

d.    The Group will be informed of the general practice policies relating to the Locality Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to which the Practice belongs. The Group will express opinions on these policies on behalf of the patients. The Practice will give appropriate consideration to these opinions within their CCG. 

3. HEALTH EDUCATION:

a.    The Group will work with the Practice to encourage health education needs in the community in order for the Practice to provide appropriate and useful community health education meetings.

b.    The Group will help patients become more informed and educated about their health and healthcare, by providing means for the effective dissemination of health and care information of all kinds.

4. MEMMBERSHIP and election to the group shall be open and free to all patients and staff of the Practice.

5. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM):

a.    A meeting open to all patients shall be held annually. Notice of the day, time and place will be given via notice boards and Practice Newsletter. At least fourteen days’ notice of the meeting and venue will be given.

b.    The Committee chair or his/her appropriate substitute shall present at each AGM a report on the activities of the Group and its own proceedings during the previous year with a statement of accounts (if applicable) and proposed future plans and developments and will conduct an election to fill the vacancies on the Group’s committee. If there are more than three nominations a paper ballot will be held for Practice patients in attendance.

CONSTITUTION & CONDUCT OF THE COMMITTEE 

1. The business of the Group will be conducted by a committee of elected and co-opted members and non-voting representatives of the practice including whenever possible a partnership doctor.
2. The committee will comprise nine members who shall be patients of the practice, at least two of whom shall be non-residents of Budleigh Salterton and shall be appointed by nomination to and election by the patients present at the annual meeting of the patients of the practice. In the event that not all nine members are appointed at the AGM, the Committee may co-opt additional members at the earliest convenience.
3. An elected member shall serve for three years and to ensure the continuity of the committee three of the members will be elected each year to the vacancies caused by the time limit.
4. The committee may co-opt additional members for specific purposes or to fill a vacancy.
5. A quorum for decisions at a meeting shall consist of four voting members plus one of the officers.
6. The Committee shall meet at least four times a year and be responsible for organising and calling the AGM of patients.
7. At the first meeting of the Committee after the patients’ AGM they may appoint a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and a Secretary for the ensuing year. The Secretary may or may not be an elected member of the committee.