Patient Participation Group

 

Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) meets to provide a forum for discussion about the practice.

About the Patient Participation Group

A PPG is a group of patient interested in health and healthcare issues, who want to get involved with and support the running of their practice.

The aim of The Wells Medical Practice PPG is to give patients at our surgery an opportunity to become actively involved with the doctors and staff in planning and developing new services and to take an active interest in their own healthcare.

Meetings are held remotely on a bi-monthly basis.

Due to personal reasons, Mike and Nancy have recently stepped down from membership of the PPG, and we would like to thank them for all the support and encouragement they have given us in the past.

Interested in joining?

If you’re interested please complete the following form.

Join the PPG

The information you supply us will be used lawfully, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to know what information is held about you and sets out rules to make sure that this information is handled properly.

Minutes of The Wells Medical Practice (TWMP) PPG Committee Meeting

To request minutes of previous meetings, please contact the practice

 

Date

4th June 2026

 

Present

  • Louise Handford (Practice Manager)
  • Dr Myers-Lamptey (GP Partner)
  • Louise Simmons
  • Lucinda Curtis
  • Elaine Lowe
  • Deana Leadbeter
  • Inger Siegstad
  • Sue Taylor
  • Susan Eccles
 

Apologies

  • Roderic Macmillan
  • Harriet Clare
  • Fiona Taylor
  • Diane Morgan
  • George Skomorowski
  • Pam Royle
  • Doreen Williams
  • Jill Ruddock
 

Discussion Points

We recently held our Patient Participation Group (PPG) meeting, where patients and staff come together to discuss ways to improve services and support our community. Here’s a summary of what was discussed:

Community Wellbeing: “Flourish”

Some of our members visited Flourish, a local community project in Rusthall. It provides a welcoming and supportive space for people with mental health needs, including those who are neurodiverse.
Activities include:

  • Gardening and plant care
  • Arts and crafts
  • Social spaces and quiet areas

People can be referred by the practice or refer themselves. It’s a positive environment where individuals can build confidence, develop skills, and connect with others.

Practice Newsletter (Coming July)

Our next newsletter will be available before the summer holidays and will include:

  • A feature on the Flourish project
  • Advice on staying safe during heatwaves
  • Travel health tips and vaccination reminders
  • Updates from our Instagram page
  • Important notices, including car park use

Local Developments & Water Concerns

We discussed new housing developments in the area and concerns about water supply and infrastructure.

Key points:

  • Increased demand on water services
  • Impact on older residents during outages
  • Need for better planning alongside new housing

A letter will be sent to raise these concerns with local decision-makers.

Future of Health Records

There are plans nationally to introduce a single shared health record across services. This could help improve communication between healthcare providers and make care more joined-up.

Staying Active – Guest Speaker

We welcomed Sarah, a fitness specialist who works with older adults and community groups.

Her top tips for staying healthy:

  1. Have a healthy diet.
  2. Stay active and take exercise regularly:
    • For example
      • Walking
      • Home workouts
      • Swimming
      • Dancing
      • Joining a fitness group
  3. Keep up with hobbies and interests
  4. Stay socially active by meeting up with friends and joining group activities
  5. Good sleep patterns are also important for physical and mental well-being
  6. Have regular health checks, including for hearing and vision.

We hope to share some of Sarah’s exercise videos on our website and social media soon.

Medical Students at the Practice

They are working on projects to improve awareness of:

  • Bowel cancer screening
  • Cervical screening

You may see their information displayed in the waiting room.

 

Next Meeting

  • Date: 23 July 2026
  • Time: 12:30pm

We hope to welcome a speaker from the Kent and Medway Recovery and Wellbeing College.

 

Get Involved

We always welcome patient ideas and feedback. If you have suggestions for the newsletter or topics you’d like us to discuss, please let us know.