Patient Participation Groups in Oxfordshire

In January and February 2024 Healthwatch Oxfordshire carried out a survey to hear from people involved with Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) in Oxfordshire. They wanted to hear about how PPGs are running, what is going well, what challenges PPGs are facing and what support they need.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire wanted to help identify where that support can be provided and by whom.

They heard from 78 people representing 35 Patient Participation Groups and GP practices across Oxfordshire.

While Healthwatch Oxfordshire heard that there is a wide variety in the experiences of PPGs in Oxfordshire, four clear interweaving themes emerged:

• A need for greater clarity and guidance around the role and remit of PPGs, and clearer identification of different responsibilities of practices, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) to support them.
• PPGs are keen to learn ways to recruit and engage with a diverse set of patients.
• PPGs can support communication between practices and patients, but they do this best when they are supported by effective communication from the health system and supported to connect with other PPGs.
• PPGs can be a valuable asset to their practices. In the emerging integrated health and care landscape, patient participation has considerable potential to build wider patient engagement, and support work on prevention and tackling health inequalities. There is scope for thinking as to how PPGs can be part of initiatives and wider patient engagement linking in with local communities and voluntary sector and emerging Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.

Based on what Healthwatch Oxfordshire heard, they made a series of recommendations setting out how BOB ICB, PCNs, GP practices, PPGs and Healthwatch Oxfordshire can help address the themes identified.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has shared the report and recommendations with BOB ICB, as commissioner, and Oxfordshire Place Based Partnership. It was also shared with the Oxfordshire Clinical Directors Committee (OCDC) and with Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Local Medical Council, and will be shared with all PPGs in Oxfordshire.