Request to help vulnerable neighbours better contact their GP Practice by supporting your Patient Participation Group

Helping look after vulnerable neighbours via the patient participation group of your GP practice

One of the main functions of the Neighbourhood Watch movement since Covid has been to help health and welfare services contact those who do not respond to phone calls, texts and e-mails for fear of being scammed. 

Met Engage builds on this role but, as yet, the Neighbourhood Alert service does not include processes for direct contact with Health and Welfare Services for patient alerts. . 

It is not easy for GP practices to agree common processes but all are seeking to improve those for contact with vulnerable patients who cannot use on-line services and do not respond to texts or phone calls. 

The least difficult way for them to make progress is in co-operation with their own patient participation groups.    

I have therefore agreed to ask NHW participants covered by our local GP practice to consider joining the Patient Participation Group of the GP practice with which they are registered and offer to help inform their processes and/or organise local contact networks.

Details for those of you registered with the Northwood GP Practice (centres in Tulse Hill and Crowndale) are here:   https://www.northwoodgrouppractice.co.uk/about-the-ppg

Details for those of you registered with the Herne Hill GP Practice  are here:  https://www.hernehillgp.nhs.uk/about-the-ppg

Details for those of you registered with the Paxton Green (Gipsy Hill) Practice are here https://www.paxtongreen.nhs.uk/about-the-ppg

Details for those of you registered with the Old Dairy (West Dulwich) Practice are here:i https://theodhc.co.uk/surgery-information/patient-group/

Please reply to this e-mail if you are interested in joining a working group to share experience in this area and work with relevant professionals to find practical ways forward while identifying who else is working on the issues and what we can learn from them. 

It is also to work with and through the local GP practices (without taking time and resource they have not got) and relevant regional/national organisations. It is NOT to create a new group.