PARK END SURGERY PATIENTS’ GROUP
COMMITTEE - TERMS OF REFERENCE
1 Aims
Park End Surgery Patients Group (PESPG) is an advisory body that aims to:
Promote patient engagement in the development, provision and monitoring of the Park End Surgery services
Advise Park End Surgery Partners to ensure that patients’ views influence the development of Park End Surgery services
Ensure that the Park End Surgery Partners have opportunities to access patients’ perspectives to inform their services and activities
2 Objectives
In order to pursue these aims Park End Surgery Patients’ Group will:
Establish a Committee to create clear and effective communication between the Surgery and its Patient Group
Establish a Patients’ Reference Group that welcomes engagement from any Park End patient with an interest in patient involvement.
The Committee will regularly meet with the Reference Group to ensure an active dialogue between the two groups and involvement by a wider spread of patients
Promote active involvement in the Patients’ Group Committee and Reference Group by Park End patients
Seek to ensure that patient representatives on the Patients Group Committee reflect the population of Park End patients
Hold regular meetings of Park End Surgery Patients’ Group Committee
Arrange regular meetings of the Park End Patients Reference Group
Provide learning opportunities for its members to ensure they are kept fully informed and up to date with developments in the local and national health care environments
Circulate agendas and notes from each meeting to the Park End Surgery Partners and Patients’ Reference Group
Promote the Patients’ Group and Park End Surgery at all opportunities
Secure resources and funding in order to address these aims and objectives 3 Ratification of Terms of Reference
Draft terms of reference must be approved by the Park End Surgery Patients Group Committee and endorsed by the Patients’ Reference Group and Park End Partners
4 Membership of Park End Surgery Patients Group - Committee
(i) Membership
Membership will be open to patients registered at Park End
The Committee will have a maximum of 15 members
Members of Park End Surgery Patients Group may be co-opted when necessary eg when specific experience or skills are required
Committee members may elect a Chair, Vice Chair Secretary and other officers as required from its members. These officers may hold office for a period of one year. At the end of the year re-elections will be held; new candidates may stand and/or existing officers may stand again.
(ii) Committee meetings
The Committee will meet regularly at times of members’ choosing
Agenda items for each meeting will be sought from members in advance of each meeting
Reasonable advance notice of meetings will be given to all members including the agenda and notes from the previous meeting
If at any meeting the Chair is not present within 15 minutes after the appointed starting time, committee members present may choose one of their number to chair the meeting.
Decisions at Committee meetings will be decided by a majority of votes of the members present. In the event of a tied decision the Chair will have a second, casting vote
The committee will keep minutes of meetings and record decisions taken. Copies of these minutes will be circulated to the Reference Group and to Park End Partners. All minutes of meetings will be posted onto the Park End website on the Patients’ Group page.
The Committee may establish working groups from time to time to focus on specific issues. Members of these groups may be drawn from either the Committee and/or Reference Group
(iii) Quorum
A quorum for Park End Surgery Patients Group meetings is six (6) members.
The Chair will verify at the beginning of each meeting that the minimum number of members is present. If, at a meeting, a quorum is not achieved, the meeting will go ahead with those members present but decisions taken will be subject to ratification at the next quorate meeting.
(iv) Conduct at meetings
Meetings will be conducted in a collaborative and constructive manner and members are expected to contribute towards that end. Members should:
Act with honesty, integrity and respect: eg no use of mobile phones, one speaker at a time Actively contribute to the work of the Group Respect the confidentiality of committee discussions Enhance the Group’s reputation Create and maintain constructive relationships with colleagues within the Patients Group, in Park End Surgery and external organisations Avoid using committee meetings to raise personal issues
(v) Conflicts of interest
Members are required to declare any conflicts of interest – or potential conflict - that may arise from their involvement elsewhere. In this event, the conflict should be declared at the start of the meeting and the member concerned may be asked to withdraw from the meeting or a specific agenda item.
(vi) Removal of members from Committee
The committee may remove any member if it is considered that the member no longer supports the aims of the Park End Surgery Patients Group or acts against its interests
The committee will notify the member concerned in writing 21 days prior to the proposed removal. The member concerned may appeal the decision within the 21 day period. Members will vote on a proposed removal, which may be decided by a show of hands or secret ballot. Where there is a split vote, the chairperson has the casting vote. The outcome is final and binding.
5 Membership of Park End Surgery Patients Group – Reference Group
(i) Membership
Membership will be open to patients registered at Park End
There is no maximum number of members
Members may volunteer, or be invited by the Committee, to join working groups to focus on specific issues
(ii) Meetings
Meetings will be held regularly in accordance with the wishes of the Committee or the Reference Group itself
Meetings will normally be chaired by a Committee member Meetings will provide an opportunity for Reference Group members to meet with the Committee in order to (i) receive an update on their work and (ii) give comments and raise new issues for the Committee’s attention
Agenda items for each Reference Group meeting will be sought from members in advance of each meeting
Reasonable advance notice of meetings will be given to all members including the agenda and notes from the previous meeting
Decisions at Reference Group meetings will be decided by a majority of votes of the those present. In the event of a tied decision the Chair will have a second, casting vote
The committee will keep minutes of Reference Group meetings and record decisions taken. Copies of these minutes will be circulated to the Reference Group and to Park End Partners. All minutes of meetings will be posted onto the Park End website on the Patients’ Group page.
6 Park End Surgery Patients Group funds and resources
The Partners of Park End Surgery will be requested to create a budget heading in their accounts to receive and dispense money raised by Park End Surgery Patients Group
Park End Surgery Patients Group will determine how money in that budget will be used
Signatories for expenditure from this budget will be the existing signatories for Park End Surgery ie Partners
Other resources acquired to further the work of Park End Surgery Patients Group - secondment of staff, in-kind resources – will be managed by Park End Surgery Patients Group
7 Dissolution
If Park End Surgery Patients Group decides, by a simple majority, at any time, for any reason, that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Committee, the Reference Group and/or other working groups, it will inform the full membership and the Park End Surgery Partners.
Any assets remaining after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities will be transferred to local/national organisations that promote and support patient participation.