ROSSENDALE REVEALED

THIS week Barry Hyde, a member of the Promoting Rossendale Partnership Board, is looking at The Rossendale Patient Participation Group (PPG) Network. IN August 2016, The Rossendale PPG Network was officially formed.

Its purpose is to provide a forum to discuss local health issues and provide possible solutions to feed into the East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group’s (ELCCG) commissioning process.

The network consists of a chair, the ELCCG locality commissioning manager and representatives from all nine of Rossendale’s local PPGs, who are often carers. Through the PPG representatives, a patient perspective is provided on local health issues, giving the whole community a voice.

The issues raised are discussed with a view to offering possible solutions to the CCG Commission.

There are PPGs in Haslingden, Rawtenstall, Waterfoot, Bacup and Whitworth and through the PPG Network page, each PPG can post and share their latest newsletters and any other items of interest that might help to improve the health of all the community.

It is acknowledged that ●» A recent PPG workshop each PPG is different, there is no set way in which they work. The aims and work of each group entirely depends on local needs, but they all have the same objective of making sure that their doctor’s practice puts the patient, and improving health, at the heart of everything they do.

With this in mind, a PPG workshop is to be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 12 noon-3pm at Walshaw House in Nelson, which will enable participants to grow their Patient Participation Groups and learn about practical ways to make stronger the relationship between patients and their practices, which is critical to the provision of modern, high quality general practice.

For further information, please contact Angela Harlow at angelaharlow@ nhs.net or communication. eastlancsccg.nhs.net.