Patient Participation Group - Rowley Regis

Healthwatch Sandwell carried out a survey of patients and visitors at ten GP practices across Rowley Regis between January and February 2018. The aim was to assess people's awareness, knowledge, and involvement in their practice's Patient Participation Group (PPG), which is the main mechanism through which GP practices engage with patients and gather feedback.

A total of 245 people completed the survey and a further 15 declined to take part. Respondents included both registered and non-registered patients, with a mix of working and non-working individuals. Around 27% of respondents were from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The survey found that awareness of PPGs was generally low. Only 47 respondents (19%) said they knew what a PPG was, while over 77% did not know what the term meant. Awareness varied between practices, with every practice except one having at least one respondent who understood what a PPG was, and one practice achieving awareness levels of more than 50% among participants.

Knowledge of whether practices had a PPG was also limited. Only 16% of respondents knew that their GP practice had a PPG, while 18% believed their practice did not have one and 65% were unsure. 

Few patients had received any information about their practice's PPG. Just 9% reported seeing information, such as posters, leaflets, or details on practice websites, while 82% said they had received no information and 9% were unsure. 

Patient involvement in PPGs was extremely low. Only two respondents said they were involved in their practice's PPG, one of whom was a deputy chair. The remaining 243 respondents reported no involvement.

Healthwatch Sandwell noted that PPGs are a contractual requirement for all GP practices in England and should provide a representative forum for patients to influence service improvements, offer feedback, and support communication between practices and their patient populations.

Overall, the survey concluded that awareness, knowledge, and participation in Patient Participation Groups across Rowley Regis were low. The findings suggested that GP practices could do more to promote their PPGs, improve communication about their role, and encourage greater patient engagement in shaping local primary care services.