Welcome to Halcyon Medical Centre's virtual Patient Participation Group!  

The vPPG 'Rules of Engagement' are as follows: 

• Complaints will not be addressed from these pages.  If you have a complaint, please select the Complaints option from the menu at the right.
• You must be a registered patient of Halcyon Medical Centre to post on this site.  If you would like to register, please use the 'New Patients' option from the menu on the left.
• By sending your comments, you agree to be contacted by the surgery and to allow your comments to be posted (see 'FAQs' tab).
• The purpose of the virtual group is to hear from our patients and to share conversations on topics of interest.  Your views and suggestions will help to inform future service improvements for all patients. 
• Comments sent to us by email via the 'Contact Us' tab may be posted on the 'Conversations' page as space permits and at the discretion of the Practice Manager.  (Your name and email address will not be shown). 
• Posts may occasionally be shortened or reworded for space and/or usage of 'Plain English'; but we will do our best not to change the essence of what has been said.
• Honesty is welcome, but we ask that your tone and language remain courteous and respectful at all times.

Conversations will be posted here by the Practice Manager.  Please see the 'Contact Us' tab for further details.

Pump priming questions that may give you some ideas for sharing your thoughts:

• What do you think of our expanded out of hours appointment options?
• What do you think of our new opening hours?
• Is it your view that the surgery has provided sufficient access via available appointment times when you need them?
• Has Halcyon provided a broad range of clinical information for patients both online and in surgery?
• If English is not your first language, had you noticed the 'Translate This Page' option in the menu on the right? 
• What do you think about the Virtual Patient Participation Group?
• Do you have any suggestions for ways to involve other patients who may not have access to a computer or other online services?
• Have you ever completed the 25-question Patient Survey via our website's home page?  If not, why not have a go! 
• How often would you be willing to complete a shorter, more focussed survey for us (no more than five questions at a time)?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q Why do you ask people for their contact details?

A We would like to be able to contact you occasionally to ask your views about the surgery and to identify areas for improvement.  Confirming your details will also allow us to verify that the contact details we have at the surgery are still current.

Q Will my doctor see this information?

A This information is purely to contact patients to ask them questions about the surgery, how well we are doing and to ensure changes that are being made are patient focused. If your doctor is responsible for making some of the changes in the surgery they might see general feedback from patients.

Q Will the questions you ask me be medical or personal?

A We will only ask general questions about the practice, or ask you to complete a short questionnaire if you want to participate.

Q Who else will be able to access my contact details?

A Your contact details will be kept safely and securely and will only be used for this purpose and will not be shared with anyone else.

Q How often will you contact me?

A Not very often, and you may choose whether or not to respond.

Q What is a patient group/patient participation group?

A This is a group of volunteer patients who are involved in making sure the surgery provides the services its patients need.

Q Do I have to leave my contact details?

A No, but if you change your mind, please let us know.

Q What if I no longer wish to be on the contact list or I leave the surgery?

A We will ask you to let us know by email if you do not wish to receive further messages, and your wishes will be honoured.