From your Patient Participation Group (PPG)
This week, 10-15 June, is the seventh National Patient Participation Awareness Week. Patient Participation Awareness Week aims to highlight the importance of patient participation in achieving excellence in care for all patients.
The Academy Medical Centre PPG has worked with the practice since 2010 to enhance the delivery of primary care services in a number of areas. Some of our achievements are:
- introduction of WiFi to the practice from grant monies received from ASDA
- created an information point in the foyer of the practice
- carrried out 3 surveys and actioned items as required
- raised funds through coffee mornings to help provide medical equipment for the practice e.g. the Surgery Pod, and for equipment to further the work of the PPG e.g. the poster board, laptop and printer
- creation of leaflets for and about the practice as well as self-help leaflets
- providing support to other practices in forming their own PPG
- raised awareness of certain conditions by providing speakers e.g. ageing, deaf awareness
The PPG is running a Cake & Candy stall in the practice on Thursday 13 June 2019, from 10:30am to 12 noon as part of Patient Participation Awareness Week. All funds raised will go towards improving patient services.
“Patients and carers are the smoke alarms for the frontline of the NHS. They are often first to spot poor care and also have great ideas about how to make care better. They need to be involved in decisions not just about their care, but in designing better care for others.
You can make a difference to the Practice too! To get involved or find out more about the work and how the PPG assists the practice and you, the patient, see the Academy Medical Centre PPG page. Notes of our meetings are also available there, to give you a real flavour of what we are doing.
Other June Campaigns
As well as Patient Participation Awareness Week, the following national health and wellbeing campaigns are running in June:
- Carers Week (10-16 June): An annual campaign to raise awareness of caring by highlighting the challenges that carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. The campaign encourages others to organise activities and events throughout the UK. Find out more on the Carers Week website.
- Men's Health Week (1-16 June): Led by the Men's Health Forum, the purpose of Men’s Health Week is to raise awareness of preventable health issues and encourage men and boys to seek professional advice for health-related problems. The focus this year is to know your numbers. Find out more on the Men's Health Forum website.
- Cervical Screening Awareness Week (10-16 June): Around 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year. About 2 out of every 100 cancers diagnosed in women (2%) are cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is more common in younger women. More than half of the cervical cancer cases in the UK each year are diagnosed in women aged 45 or under. Cervical screening is the most effective way of preventing cervical cancer yet across the UK. Find out more on the Jo's Trust website.
- MND Action Week (17-23 June): Every penny raised during MND Action Week will be used to fund cutting-edge research into Motor Neurone Disease. Find out more on the MND Scotland website.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Awareness Week (17-23 June): This is the 6th year of the biggest awareness campaign for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim is to challenge those misconceptions of ‘arthritis’ being a condition of the elderly or associated with ageing. With your help they want to highlight to the nation that rheumatoid arthritis really can affect anyone at any age. The hash tag for sharing is #AnyoneAnyAge. Find out more on the NRAS website.
You can get involved by talking about the campaigns, tweeting or sharing on social media, or by donating and pledging your support.