LOWER GORNAL MEDICAL PRACTICE
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP MINUTES – MONDAY 18TH MAY 2015
1. Welcome. Present:- David Gill (Chair) Geoff Davies, Margaret Sargeant, Helen Newton,
Donella Bullas and Gill Brown who was introduced and welcomed by the chair as a new
member.
2. Apologies. Gerald Wood, Lorna Stevens, Elaine Lloyd, Lynn Britton Practice Manager),
Gaynor Ormerod, Christine Bate, Elizabeth Carrier and Dr Suleman.
3. Minutes from previous meeting. Lorna Stevens had given apologies for previous meeting
but these had not been recorded. Otherwise the minutes were agreed.
4. Matters Arising.
 The Stroke awareness talk that was planned had unfortunately been cancelled at the last
minute by the speaker who was unwell.
 HN required confirmation of whether staff changes at the practice were medical or
administrative and this was confirmed as administrative.
5. Membership. Standard item discussed as the group needs to attempt to be more
representative of the demographic of the patients. The need to enlist members from
other ethnic backgrounds was discussed.
6. Reports.
 POPS Meeting. Notes from the recent POPS meeting on 16th April 2015 were
circulated. DG explained for the benefit of our new member that the Patients
Opportunity Panel was a chance for representatives from several PPG’s to get
together along with liaison staff from the CCG to discuss relevant healthcare issues.
Most of the meeting was devoted to the progress of the urgent care facility at
Russells Hall Hospital and a presentation was given by the company responsible for
triaging patients. The feedback from the POPS group members was positive and
reassuring. Also Claire Hamilton, who is the liason officer for the CCG, said that they
were going to run workshops in order to utilise social media within PPG’s.

We were informed that the next Healthcare Forum was to be held on Thursday 18th
June at Brierley Hill Civic Hall from 2.30 until 4.30 and the theme is “The Future is
Bright”.
With the absence of Lynn the Practice Managers Report is to be delayed until next meeting,
likewise Dr Suleman.
7. Ideas for a possible bid for PPG Grant from Dudley CCG. A brief discussion about a bid to
fund health talks for the local community which would have dual benefit to both patients
and to promote awareness of the PPG.
8. AOB: GB questioned the purpose of the PPG. It was explained by DG to be a channel of
information from patients up and also from the CCG down to patients.
9. Date of next meeting is Monday 13th July 2015 at 6.30pm