Group Constitution

Name of the group.

            Poundbury Patients Group.

Aims of the group.

To encourage communication and co-operation between the practice and its patients so that both benefit.

To support the NHS Patients Constitution for England which sets benchmarks for the treatment and relations between the NHS and its patients.

Focus of the group.

The overall focus of the group is to support service improvement as follows:

• To encourage membership interactions which reflect the diversity of the patient population, and to ensure, where it can, that the interaction is also inclusive irrespective of background, mindset, or way of thinking, in order to provide the best feedback, and discussions to inform future decisions.
• To encourage discussions between patients and all the parties involved in caring for patient’s health and invite feedback and support in both directions.
• To increase patient involvement and input creating a mechanism which will promote feedback about patient needs, concerns and suggestions, current service within the practice and how it can be supported and enhanced.
• To continually improve communication with patients so that they feel valued, accepted, and supported by the Practice and Practice staff feel valued, accepted, and supported by the patients.
• To support patients to become better informed about healthcare options so that they can make better use of the professionalism provided by the Practice.
• To support the practice to communicate health promotions, e.g., Stay Well this Winter, and any other project initiative that will ease the burden on Practice staff.
• Where relevant, to feed discussion up to the local district patient group, local practice fora, the Patient’s Association, and the local CCG, to ensure health needs and issues are raised with policy makers and funding bodies in the wider NHS.
• To work together on other areas as required.

Membership structure.

All patients of the Poundbury Doctors Practice are automatically free members of the Poundbury Patients Group.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

      Membership types.

Core Group Organizing Committee members are those members who agree to serve on the organizing committee on a regular basis. The number on the committee will be reviewed each year and initially will not exceed 15 in number.

• Chair of the core group will be nominated and elected by core group members in March of each year. Term of office will be three years.
• Secretary of the core group will be nominated and elected by core group members in March of each year. Term of office will be three years.
• Core members will be nominated and elected and may resign at any time of their choosing. After three years-service they will be asked what their preference is for continuing and may be renominated and re-elected.
• The work of the group will be managed by a series of portfolio holders. Each portfolio holder will be a member of the core committee.
• Each person with a portfolio role should be responsible for developing their role description, contributing to the development of the rolling action planning process and co-operating with others when asked for assistance.
• Portfolio roles will evolve as they are developed and may include the following;
• Chairman
• Secretary
• Legal Brief
• Financial Portfolio/treasurer
• IT Portfolio
• Patient Views Portfolio
• Patient Support
• Volunteers Portfolio
• Marketing and Communications Portfolio
• Project research and strategic planning portfolio.
• Community Portfolio
• Culture Portfolio
• Training Portfolio

Volunteer members or friends are those members who agree to volunteer to support the practice in practical ways, organizing events, marshalling, stewarding, setting up patient groups, organizing any of the bottom up activities or events discussed below or doing work for the organizing committee without necessarily being required to sit on the committee.

Grapevine members are those who agree to maintain contact with the group through its grapevine. They will be kept informed of meetings, news, activities, and events of the group.

Database Privacy and confidentiality.

A database of members contact information will be maintained in accordance with the full provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations. The Group will make sure that member’s data and information is used fairly, lawfully, and responsibly in accordance with member’s wishes as expressed in a confidentiality agreement. It will only be used for the purposes specified on the Data Protection Form/Confidentiality Agreement. The Group will ensure that it is accurate and where necessary kept up to date.

Meetings of the organising committee.

Each year the committee members (core members) will review and agree the format for meetings and aim to keep to these for subsequent regular meetings:

• At the present time attempts will be made to hold meetings with all core group members but in extremis a quorum would be four members plus the practice manager or nominated representative.
• If differing views are held it may be necessary, from time to time, to vote on these matters. Within the committee a simple majority will decide the issue with the Chairman having an extra casting vote. On issues of broader import those in the wider membership having a vote will be entitled to help decide the issue.

Discussion principles.

• All views are valid and will be listened to with respect and understanding.
• Members should be open and honest and provide proactive feedback to encourage constructive discussions and challenge in a safe and respectful environment.
• The group should be used to represent the patient voice and not for individual issues or complaints.
• Any confidential issues to be discussed will be discussed off the record. Members can request specific matters to be kept to the group alone.

Attendance.

Members who commit to the group need to attend meetings on a regular basis.

A minimum non-attendance of three consecutive meetings is permissible at which point the membership of an individual will be reviewed and a decision made on them staying with the group.

Action Plan.

The group will develop a rolling action planning process to guide its work, and to set and monitor targets.