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Involving and engaging with the public and our partners

Total Health Excellence East and West Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are totally committed to having our partners, patients, their families, and members of the public involved in the decisions we make about the services we need to provide to a range of people in our areas.  

Our PCN Public, Patient, and Partner Engagement group has been operational since September 2020 and meets every three months as a group

It was agreed that it would replace the need for our member practices to have individual Practice Engagement Groups, saving duplication and valuable time spent within the practices.

Purpose of the group

The support group which involves our patients, members of the public and representatives from local partner organisations (statutory and non-statutory) to help us to achieve our aims which are to:

• Assess and address local needs
• Ensure services are provided appropriately
• Reduce Medication wastage
• Increase social prescribing
• Promote better Ill health prevention
• Increase personalised care
• Promote ways to achieve early cancer diagnosis
• Achieve shared networks

We have a membership which can represent patients, carers, and minority groups to enable the PCNs to understand local experience of using current services and gain an insight into the benefits of alternative and improved service provision within the Primary Care Networks’ area.

The aim is to encompass the views of people with needs including:

• Poor mental health
• Young people’s health and social needs
• The elderly
• Dementia/Alzheimer’s
• People who are lonely and isolated
• Homeless individuals
• People with a disability
• Minority and ethnic groups
• Gender identity issues
• People with long term conditions

Involving local people

Caring for people with Dementia

Our Public and Partner Engagement group continues to support Channel Health Alliance and two of our local Primary Care Networks, in any way that they can.

One of our group members asked a small group of ladies who are dedicated to helping local people, to produce some “twiddle blankets” for the Care Homes team to present to their patients with dementia. 

These lap blankets enable their owners to touch and feel the beautiful array of articles attached to them to help their minds to concentrate and even maybe to bring back memories.  The Ladies in this group love making these blankets for us – knowing how much pleasure they give.  We now have enough now to share with the Home Visiting team for them to give to any of their patients with dementia who they might care for in their own homes. 

Expanding the Group over the next 12 months

The group is still recruiting new members. If you are interested in joining this group, please enquire via your GP practice.

Our Engagement Lead, Isabel Woodroffe will then contact you with further details.

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