Patient Participation Group
The Aims of the Patient Participation Group
The PPG (Patient Participation Group) is a group of patients and practice staff who meet at regular intervals to decide ways of making a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by Spa Medical Centre, Melksham. The aim of the group is to strengthen the relationship between the patient and the practice, which is critical to the provision of modern, high quality general practice.
Our Patient Participation Group Members:
Gaynor Cole - Spa Representative
Gaynor is the Practice Manager for Spa Medical Centre.
Ali Robson - Spa Representative
Ali is the Operations Manager for Spa Medical Centre.
Nigel Warn - Chair
Nigel has been a member of PPG since 2014.
He has been a patient at Spa Medical Centre since 2003 when he moved to Shurnhold in Melksham.
Nigel was a Weapon System’s Engineer/Project Manager in the Ministry of Defence.
Nigel is committed to strengthening the relationship between the patients and the practice.
Carole Myer - Vice Chair
Carole has been a member of the PPG since its inception.
Carole has a BSC(Hons), BA(Hons), Dip. 3rd World Studies. Interests: Flower Arranging, Reading, Geriatric care. Chair of the PPG for 5 years, and a patient since the 1970s.
Carole is interested in improving the Dr./ Patient interface, helping with various special clinics, i.e. Flu & Covid vaccinations.
Eddie Myer - Secretary
Eddie has been a member of the PPG since its inception.
Eddie has a BSC. Interests: Amateur Radio, Computing, Cross Stitch.
Eddie has been a member of the surgery since the mid 1970s, he has assisted with Patient Information Evenings and special clinics.
“I think the P.P.G. is an important way of keeping abreast of what is going on in the surgery”.
Robert Shea-Simonds - Social Secretary
Robert has been a member of the PPG since 2022.
Robert has been a patient of the Melksham Primary Care Network for 25 years, since moving to Bowerhill from Salisbury.
He became a patient at Spa Medical Centre in 2021.
Robert serves as a Bowerhill Ward member on the Melksham Without Parish Council and is also a member of Friends of Melksham Hospital and Melksham Almshouses Charities. An interesting fact: Robert is actually 4 years older than the NHS, so he has a wide range of Primary and Secondary Health service provision in the UK!
Chris Hardy
Chris has been a member of PPG since 2023.
Chris has been a a patient at Spa Medical Centre since moving to Melksham in the 1990s.
Chris trained as a nurse and worked at Spa Medical Centre as a Practice nurse.
June Stevenson
June joined the PPG in 2023.
June has been a patient at Spa Medical Centre, since it opened. She is a Melksham lady and apart from a spell in the military has lived here all her life.
She was a Military Police Woman, then joined the Motor Trade, working for Vauxhall Motors in Bath and Bristol, as a HR manager.
June also works 2 days a week for D J Bewley, Funeral Directors.
Roger Hills
Roger has been a member of the PPG since 2022.
Roger moved from the south coast in 2022 where he was PPG chairman of his surgery in New Milton.
Co-established the Community Engagement Group which acted as an information conduit between the NHS and patients.
Having retired, embarked upon an academic life resulting in the award of an MPhil from Winchester University in 2023.
Tomasz Kubiak
Tomasz has been a member of the PPG since 2022.
Tomasz has been a patient at Spa Medical Centre since 2021, when he moved to Melksham from Bristol. Tomasz is a Software Engineer working from home, which allows him to participate in community initiatives.
Barb Lane
Barb has been a member of the PPG since joining the practice in 2022 when she moved to Melksham.
Barb obtained a Fine Art Degree and also qualified as an Art Therapist before also qualifying as a Legal and Medical Secretary.
Now retired, Barb’s last working experience was working for many years within the “Bath Chronicle” and its associated local newspapers in various departments.
Barb enjoys walking and reading, she is also a member of a local book club.
Purpose of the PPG
- To develop, foster and maintain a healthy, positive relationship between the Practice and you, the patient.
- To give patients and Practice staff the opportunity to discuss topics of mutual interest in their surgery.
- To provide the means for patients to make positive, constructive suggestions about their surgery and their own healthcare, generating interesting, innovative and realistic ideas.
- To encourage health education/promotion activities within the Practice.
- To develop self-help projects to meet the needs of fellow patients.
- To act as a representative group that can be called upon to influence the local provision of health and social care.
- To involve further patients from the wider population.
Main Areas Of Work
Improving services provided at the surgery by providing feedback through patient surveys
- Supporting patients with the use of technology in the surgery, through the patient information screen, online services, use of the patient self-check-in
- Improving patient information through open evenings, focusing on topical current health events at the Medical Centre.
- Providing information, for example, ensuring that patient information and advice is as user friendly as possible, offering handouts and support on special days and enabling an “expert patient” facility so that newly diagnosed patients meet with patients with long term illnesses
To involve further patients from the wider population - Supports the flu campaigns, FFT and other data collection exercises by offering their time to collect, collate and complete the information
How the PPG works
The running of PPG really depends upon the group of people involved. Full meetings are held quarterly with additional meetings held as and when required between these main meetings. The PPG Committee comprises of a number of key officers:
- Chair
- Vice Chair
- Secretary
- Committee member x 9
Joining the Group
The PPG welcomes new members, particularly representatives from the under 18 age group, parents with young children, disabled and ethnic minority patients.
Call into Reception to collect an application form or for further information.