Start-up guide for General Practice

Start-up guide for General Practice

Our Start-up Guide for General Practice will help primary care staff to improve or widen their current involvement with the public and engagement with communities by establishing a Patient Participation Group in their local community.

The guide includes advice on:

  • how to ensure the group is properly representative
  • the key steps that should be followed in the early stages of establishing the group
  • holding meetings, and
  • practical tips for maintaining the momentum of the group.

It also includes templates and example documents to help groups to prepare terms of reference, agree roles and responsibilities and keep an accurate record of meetings.

Start-Up Guide for Patient Participation Groups
Download our guide

File type: pdf
File size: 916 KB
Publication date: December 2012

What people have said

"The Local Office couldn't have been more helpful in getting our group started, travelling long distances, providing written material, and teleconferencing. The guide was really useful when we were considering our Terms of Reference, and helped us let patients know what the PPG might be able to do."

- Dr. Kate Dawson, GP, Benbecula

"The Local Officer visited the Practice and left some information on Patient Participation Groups. From this we then began recruiting patients and used the tools to plan how best to manage and deliver the sessions. The Local Officer has attended all our meetings, and the patients and the Practice team have benefited from her input. We value her experience with community groups, and her support has ensured the success of our Group."

- Jan McCulloch, Management Partner, Barns Medical Practice, Ayr

"I'm glad and grateful to experience this workshop so soon after joining the PPG at Lossiemouth. Most beneficial to me are all aspects of the tool which encourage members of the group to take an active role and sense of responsibility to participate in ensuring optimum patient care in this practice."

- PPG member

"It helped us focus on what could be achieved and the purpose of the group."

- PPG Member

Last Updated: 29 March 2020