About the Patient Participation Group

 

We would like to know how we can improve our service to you and how you perceive our surgery and staff.

To help us with this, we are setting up a virtual patient representation group so that you can have your say. We will consult you on which areas of our service you would like to focus and and ask you to complete a survey based on these areas. We will contact you via email and keep our surveys succinct so it shouldn’t take too much of your time.

We aim to gather around a hundred patients from as broad a spectrum as possible to get a truly representative sample. We need young people, workers, retirees, people with long term conditions and people from non-British ethnic groups.

 

Interested in joining?

If you are interested in joining our Patient Reference Group, please complete our secure online form below and an Officer of the Group will get back to you as soon as possible. If we have reach capacity for the PPG group your interested will be recorded for the future.

Group meeting

PPG Minutes 24th September 2025

Apologies for Absence TS

  • CG and LL

Attendees

  • TD,JK,LM,MB,GA,KK,MD,TS,JH

Minutes of the last meeting

  • The minutes were accepted as a true reflection of the meeting on 29th April 2025

Discussion Items

1. New Members

  • There is very little diversity on the committee. A potential new member, initially to observe, is a special needs lady accompanied by her mother has shown an interest.
  • Tonbridge and TMG has a large number of Nepalese nationals and a representative on PPG could be useful

Action:

  • TS to contact potential new member. LM and GA to canvas Nepalese community to identify potential patient committee members

2. eConsult replacement

  • There is to be a soft launch of Anima to replace eConsult
  • Very little change and it is not a triage tool
  • The usual avenues to meet the medical staff face to face will still be available (Phone, walk in etc)The initial questionnaire and photos provided by patients assist the medical staff assess the condition
  • There will be some patient education

Action:

  • JK to investigate screen education/information

3. Meetings

  • In future meetings will be every three months and where possible will be later in the afternoon. If there are lots of items for discussion interim meetings with a quorum of members can be called

Action:

  • TS to consider dial in capabilities
  • JH to canvass the committee for timing and availability of the next meeting

4. On hold music

  • There are only four different options but will now be rotated

5. Appointment attendance

  • Non attendance of appointments with GP’s has fallen to 189 over the last 3 months
  • Publication of the 3 month data should be accessible to patients on the website
  • Appointment reminders continue to be sent and all contact details are updated regularly by all staff. Also, consent to receive SMS and e mail is also sought by all support staff.
  • Appointments can be cancelled through a link on the text message, via the website or the App
  • Surgery staff are all vulnerable to intimidation so only low level of chasing can be undertaken

6. Website 

  • The most recent minutes of the PPG meetings will in future be posted on the TMG website with all names anonymised 
  • Patients will be invited to contribute questions, compliments, feedback, complaints and suggestions
  • A PPG specific email address as well as the new suggestion box will hopefully raise the committees profile and wider patient participation
  • Any information received will be policed for sensitivity
  • The notice board is to be moved and a ‘You said We did’ area will be created
  • Members of the committee will attend the Flu Clinics to connect with patients and promote PPG purpose

Action:

  • JK,TS,JH to follow up 

7. AOB

  • The information on the reception area screens is intense and overwhelming
  • Could the font on the calling screens be increased
  • The lack of WiFi in the waiting room is part of a wider Tonbridge issue
  • The free 30 minute parking will be highlighted on the TMG website

Next Meeting

  • Thursday 8th January 2026 at 4.30pm
Veteran Friendly Armed Forces veteran
friendly accredited
GP practice