The Willow Tree Patient Group has been running since 2011. All patients are members by default but there are often opportunities to join our small committee. Since the pandemic, we have not held committee meetings and the group is in need of a refresh, so if anyone wishes to come forward to reconvene this, we shall support you. In the meantime we’ll continue to hold open meetings online.
It is always an ‘interesting’ time in the NHS and patient power is very much at the centre of today’s NHS. The service has been under particular strain during the pandemic and continuing with the huge backlog and now we also have a reorganisation into the new NW London Integrated Care System. To help shape a more responsive and dynamic NHS and to redesign local services and shape priorities for the coming years, we need a strong patient voice. The Patient Group is your forum to help take forward your ideas and thoughts on what this practice should be doing for you. There is a national association to which our group is affiliated.
Patient groups form a useful resource for many practices and ours has been a valuable ‘critical friends’ group to help shape the way we look after our patients. We worked closely together on the development of our new building and our Patient Group has been fundamental in helping to get this past the many hurdles.
There is also the ‘commissioning’ agenda which needs the close involvement of patients in order for us to provide those services that best meet our patients’ needs.
There is a lot to do!
With the help of the group we conduct an Annual Patient Survey (see below for results). The answers received help us to set an agenda for improvements to our service.
If you would like to be involved there’s room – either on the committee or as an observer at any time. And if you know anyone who may be interested, please give them a nudge! As a committee member you don’t need any special skills or much time- just an interest and some opinions and ideas and some energy to make it function well.
We’ll continue to have open meetings as well and will keep you in touch with developments through this web site. If you would like to be put in touch with committee members please contact Emma, our Practice Administrator, tel: 0208 204 6464.
A light-hearted video history of the surgery and the development of the new building which we made this for the opening ceremony in 2016. Open here.
National Association for Patient Participation
The practice pays for membership of this umbrella organisation which acts as a national voice for patient participation groups in general practices. There is an annual conference, regular news and information to help empower these groups.
Healthwatch Brent
Healthwatch Brent represents the views of local people to help get the best out of their health and social care services. Staff attend the Brent Health and Wellbeing Board, Brent Clinical Commissioning Group Board, hospital committee meetings and Brent Council events as well as volunteers who will support this information. The website has a lot of useful information about local services, meetings and other activities.
North West London Intergrated Care System
Brent CCG has joined with the other 7 boroughs and all the local hospital, community and mental health trusts, care homes and other providers and voluntary groups, to form the new North West London Integrated Care System. This is an immensely complex reorganisation and we hope it brings about more cooperation between services and one day, perhaps, a seamless service with a unified budget and all the current wrinkles, gaps, crevices and cliff-edges sorted.
The NHS Long Term Plan
The plan for the NHS for the next 10 years (since publication in 2018). How will it cope with the rising demand from an ageing population, manpower shortage and chronic under-funding? The digital revolution may be one partial answer and a much more integrated service with social care crucial. Read all about it!