Patient Participation Group

What is a PPG?

Simply put, a PPG (Patient Participation Group) is the primary patients’ representation within a GP Practice. From 2013 all GP Practices were required to establish a PPG to represent the patient voice and work with the Practice to improve the patient experience.

Most GP practices gain feedback from patients using suggestion boxes and satisfaction survey, however, a more direct and productive method is to have a PPG.

It is usually comprised of about a dozen Practice patients meeting periodically to discuss issues that have been raised by the wider Practice patient base.

The Practice Manager and members of staff often attend these meetings, providing an opportunity to discuss issues of concern to patients outside of their busy day-to-day schedules.

Clarendon Lodge PPG

The PPG was launched in 2012 after the Practice Manager requested that patients register their interest in forming a PPG. Meetings take place bi-monthly at the Practice and are usually joined by the Practice Manager and a GP.

A copy of our constitution can be downloaded using the following link PPG Constitution Jan 2024

The Clarendon Lodge PPG has supported the practice through various changes and the introduction of new services and ways of delivering its services to patients.

With the introduction of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) we are seeing another potential change to how care is delivered to patients and feel it is important that the patient voice is heard as these changes take root.

Since its inception the has been involved in a wide range of activities:

Met regularly with the Practice Manager and GPs.
Produced a regular email Newsletter for patients.
Analysed the Family and Friends information.
Supported the development of a several new Practice websites.
Assisted in setting up of a carers’ group.
Carried out tests of new practices and procedures (eg Access to records)
Conducted patient surveys for the Practice. (eg Website user reviews, pharmacy review, Patient experience reviews)
Initiated a Reminiscence Project for residential care homes.
Represented the practice on the CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) Patient’s forum.
Ensured the practice takes action on Patients’ concerns.
Met and talked with patients to gain their views and opinions.
Been involved in the QCC inspections of the practice.
Played a key role in the introduction of the Total Triage appointment system.
Advised and supported the Practice as required.
Undertaken a review of local Pharmacy services in relation to the patient experience.
Written and published a leaflet for patients on repeat medication
Written and published a leaflet for patients about the Total Triage system using Rapid Health
Been involved in interviews for new staff
Set up training sessions to enable users to access and use the NHS APP

If you are interested in joining the PPG, or wish to contact the chair (Martin Blows), you can email him at clmpppg@gmail.com

Please note that the PPG is not a complaints forum and cannot take up single issues on your behalf. Please contact the Practice directly with any complaints.

Current Members

The PPG consists of up to 15 members, 12 patient members and up to 3 Practice members. Membership is open to all registered patients of the Practice.

The current Patient membership comprises the following people

Martin Blows (joined 2014, PPG Chair from 2022)
Retired headteacher and school adviser working at local and national levels in school leadership and the use of IT for learning. Post retirement I re-trained as a Hanna Somatics Educator, which helps people relieve pain and restore posture and flexibility. Keen to use my lifetime skills and interests to benefit of the Practice and patients

Robin Verso (joined 2020)
Economist and Accountant has worked in private companies, in the voluntary sector and at director level in local government. Extensive experience in governance including NHS and Healthwatch. Key skills are in policy and financial planning, performance management and good governance and he is passionate about efficient and effective public services.

Sarah O’Malley (joined 2023)
I currently work in a local care home part-time. Previously I worked for the National Childminding Association as an IT Support/Admin Officer. I have been a volunteer for the last 40 years with the British Red Cross and recently as Treasurer for my son’s PTA. I enjoy cross stitching and Gardening.

Amy Miller (joined 2024)
Registered Occupational Therapist, working in Social Care Services with over 10 years experience. I hope as part of the PPG I can help patients views be heard. I look forward to supporting patients and the practice to build evidence for improvements, put forward ideas and act on these to achieve goals that bring benefits for patients and the practice alike.

Paulie Pears (joined 2024)
I have been a patient at CLMP since the mid 80s and am now a rather too regular user of its services. I am a semi retired gardening editor, writer, speaker and advisor. I’m very pleased to be able to help support this successful GP practice in its vital work, giving the patients’ viewpoint.

Carolyn Pickering (joined 2024)
My family and I have been patients at Clarendon Lodge since 1977 and I am pleased to be on the PPG to support both the practice and its patients. I am a retired solicitor, previously with an office in Leamington. I am presently a Governor of the local hospital Trust.

Jean Murphy (joined 2024)
Retired Occupational Therapist with very varied career. Worked around the UK for agencies and NHS. Also worked in the USA, Eire and in Africa. I try to keep up to date with health and science. I believe it is essential that patients are informed and enabled to take control of their health.

Peter Beard (joined 2024)

Nigel Fox (joined 2025)
I am a Chartered Engineer and Change Practitioner with many years’ experience in the energy industry managing projects, people and change. I have lived in Leamington Spa for 20 years, am a keen runner and cyclist and looking forward to lending any expertise I can in the running of the PPG.

Colin Davis (joined 2025)
Still active globally as a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology and a Mentor, I applied robotics & automation systems internationally in industry before becoming a UK Visiting Professor of Manufacturing and setting up my own consultancy practice. Now retired in Leamington, I am a past Director of Medilink West Midlands and have been active with a number of regional industry & University based health groups.

Stephanie Buckle (joined 2025)
Retired finance professional with 30 years experience in the social housing sector. I have been supported as a patient at Clarendon Lodge for over 35 years. I am an active member of a worldwide volunteer movement which works to empower and support women and girls. I welcome the opportunity to be part of the PPG working with the practice to improve the patient experience to support all phases of life. Kindness and nurture of others is important to me.

Veronica Nanton (joined 2025)
Health Sciences Researcher with over 30 years’ experience, 20 of those in the Department of Academic Primary Care at the University of Warwick. Much of my work has involved developing interventions to support people with cancer, chronic conditions and carers. These interventions increasingly involve the use of Digital Health Technology. It is a priority to make these as inclusive and accessible as possible so Patient and Public involvement is always the starting point for projects. I hope that my experience in these areas can be useful to the work of the PPG. I also have an interest in exercise and nutrition and volunteer as a Food Champion as part of the Warwickshire County Council Kind Food Kind Communities strategy.

Samantha Petrie (joined 2025)

PPG Membership

The PPG is currently has a full complement of members.

The PPG currently consists of 15 members who are patients registered with CLMP who represent patients’ views.

We try to recruit patients from as broad a spectrum as possible so that the PPG is representative of the patient body as a whole. When we have vacancies, we look for new members who are prepared to take an active part in the work of the PPG. We have recently run projects to:

Make more detailed ongoing analysis of the Friends and Family questionnaires
Continue to support patients getting online using the NHS App
Written patient leaflets about Medications and the Total Triage appointment system
Increase the readership of the Monthly newsletter and provide printed copies for the surgery waiting areas.
Seek patient views through surveys and questionnaires

We currently meet about every 6 weeks and our meetings take place at the surgery on Tuesdays from 5.00pm to 6.30pm. These times allow a doctor to join the meeting along with the Practice manager. Agendas are arranged and run to keep within the meeting times.

If you are interested in joining the PPG when vacancies arise, or if you want to have more information, please contact the Chair, Martin Blows, on 07779802896 or email him on clmpppg@gmail.com

You can download a PPG Application Form

PPG Reports and Surveys

From time to time the PPG undertake patient surveys on issues where we feel the patient voice needs to be heard. Links to surveys are published through the regular PPG newsletter.

Annual Report of the PPG

The following survey reports are available below. They contain the main findings and anonymised comments from the respondents:

If you would like to receive copies of the PPG Newsletter join the mailing list

PPG Newsletters

The Patient Participation Group (PPG) publishes a regular surgery newsletter which provides:

News about the practice, personnel and services offered;
The work of the PPG;
Topical issues about health and changes in the NHS which might affect the surgery and its patients.

The Newsletter is issued electronically to a mailing list with paper copies available at the surgery. Unfortunately we are unable to post or deliver paper copies

To receive a copy of the surgery newsletter straight to your inbox, please join our mailing list.

Please feel free to give us feedback about the newsletter or suggest topics for future issues

Copies of the most recent newsletter can be accessed below: (the list below comes from a third party website so there may be a slight pause whilst the list loads)

PPG Minutes

Minutes of the PPG meetings are published soon after the meeting takes place and can be accessed via the date of the meeting.