PPG Newsletter: May 2025

 

What is the Patient Participation Group (PPG)?

The PPG is a group of volunteer patients, carers and practice staff who meet regularly and work together in an effort to improve the experience of all people registered at the practice.

There is no set way in which a PPG has to work – what we aim to do and how we go about it depends on local need and current circumstances.

For example we can:

  • Maintain good communication with the practice;
  • Organise community events, to support health promotion;
  • Act as a critical friend by constructively challenging the practice and the service it provides; and
  • Discuss changes and be a sounding board for the practice.

We cannot:

  • Provide any medical advice or deal with personal or medical issues or individual complaints - these should be dealt with outside of our meetings and following the practice’s established procedures.
 

Thanks for all your hard work

Dr Mike Lewis takes time out of his busy schedule to present Helen Sampson with a thank you gift for all her hard work as Chairman of the Patient Participation Group. Helen chaired the Group for 5 years until her retirement in January 2025. Although she is no longer the chairman, she remains an active and much valued member of the Group.

 

Good news for our community

Members of the Lavant Road Surgery Patient Participation Group (PPG) have raised funds for an outdoor cabinet so that the Defibrillator owned by Chichester Community Development Trust could be installed on the outside wall of the Pavilion at Graylingwell. This will enable ease of access for our community. A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any time and, when it does, every second counts – use of a defibrillator is proven to increase the chances of survival by 75%.

Daniel from Swift Electricals very kindly gave of his time and expertise at no cost. We couldn’t have done this without him and we would like to thank him for stepping up when we needed him most!

 

Are you aware of Pharmacy First?

Pharmacy First is a walk-in service - there is no need to be assessed or book, you may just self-refer.

Services include:

  • Emergency supplies while waiting for a prescription or if on holiday
  • Contraception advice
  • Blood pressure advice
  • Advice on self-management and/or medication for 7 conditions, within specified age bands

Learn more about how pharmacies can help

a pharmacist and patient
 

Self-care fact sheets

Around 80% of all care in the UK is undertaken as ‘self-care’ and the majority of people feel comfortable managing every day minor ailments such as coughs and colds themselves.

Despite the willingness to initially selfcare, there are still 57 million GP consultations a year for minor ailments, at a total cost to the NHS of 2 billion, which takes up, on average, an hour a day for every GP.

People often abandon self-care too early, for a number of reasons:

  • Not understanding the progress of symptoms
  • Perceived severity and duration of symptoms
  • Lack of reassurance of the seriousness
  • Would like a prescription to ‘cure’ the illness

The Self-Care Forum has produced a number of leaflets to support self-care, ranging from low back pain, eczema, sprains, strains, sore throat and constipation.

Visit the Self Care Forum

 

Missed appointments

Over the past three months, 140 patients per month failed to keep their appointments. That’s enough to fill two double-decker buses per month and led to a waste of 30 appointment hours each month. So, please remember that if you have an appointment booked which you no longer need, do let us know. We can then offer the appointment to someone else. This will help us all keep waiting times down and help improve care for all.

Of course, we realise and completely understand that there are certain circumstances when it will be impossible for you to let us know that you cannot keep your appointment.

 
a patient receiving a vaccination

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine

RSV is a common virus that primarily affects the respiratory tract. In most people it causes only mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can be severe in infants and older people and can, in the most serious cases, lead to hospitalisation and potentially admission to Intensive Care.

So, who is entitled to the vaccine?

  • If you were between 75 and 79 by 1 September 2024
  • If you turned 80 after 1 September 2024, you are eligible until 31 August 2025

Please book an appointment, if you have not already had your vaccination.

Published: Aug 21, 2025