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Patient Participation Group
Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) meets to provide a forum for discussion about the practice.
What are the aims of the PPG at The Caversham Group Practice and how do I get involved?
The Caversham Group Practice, Patient Participation Group (PPG) represent the patient view within the practice and in the wider health and social care arena. The PPG is very active, and meets 3 to 4 times a year.
In 2024 and 2025 the PPG successful campaigned to ensure The Peckwater Centre, a purpose-built primary care hub in Kentish Town, was retained as an important primary care facility rather than being developed as a secondary care site. Visit the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust website to read more about the development of the Peckwater Health Centre
The next meeting is Wednesday 29th July: PPG Meeting hybrid teams & in person proposing 5pm to 7pm
If you are interested in attending or getting involved in the PPG, please contact us via our PPG signup form and we will get in touch with you.
Proposed Future PPG Meeting Dates in 2026
- Wednesday 25th November: PPG Meeting hybrid teams & in person 2pm to 3:30pm
Primary LMC Care Awards
The Caversham Group PPG have achieved external recognition of their work, through the Primary LMC Care Awards.
Caversham Group Practice Patient Participation Group Co-Chairs Rod Allison and Kathy Elliott receiving the Londonwide Local Medical Committees PPG Highly Commended award from Dianne Barham CEO Local Voice (Feb 2025).Latest Meeting Minutes
5th May 2026
Present
Practice: Dr Steve Amiel (SA), Dawn Williams-Powell (Deputy Practice Manager - DWP).
Members: Kathy Elliott (Chair - KE), Roderick Allison(Note-Taker), Priscilla Giller (PG), Christine Guedalla (CG), Kate Harwood (KH), David Jockelson (DJ), Tim Kirkup (TK), Adrian Paterson (AP), Beth Shaw (BS).
Introduction
KE welcomed all those attending. She would take first those agenda items for which SA's presence was essential.
Triage and appointment system
SA said the practice had embarked on a major review of its triage and appointment system, in response to the Government's wish to improve patients' access to GP appointments. It is not practicable to guarantee a same-day appointment, as a request might arrive within a minute of closing time. The number of appointment slots per day is finite: the issue is, how best to fit into those slots the ever-increasing number of requests for an appointment. The practice is keenly conscious of the need for equity of access, i.e. not to disadvantage those who lack smartphones and PCs or who have difficulty in explaining their health concerns. In response to BS, he said it is not known how many patients lack digital access, but a quota of appointments is kept available for booking by other methods.
The practice is taking steps to improve access. More staff, both clinical and non clinical, are being employed. Reception staff were being trained in what is the essential information to obtain to enable a clinician to judge what sort of appointment is needed, supplemented, if necessary, by a phone call from a clinician to the patient. Some requests can be dealt with by the pharmacist or other practice staff, e.g. nurses, with no need to see a doctor. Phone lines are kept open all day.
The practice's approach is that its decisions on appointments must meet four criteria which can be summed up as 'SEEK': Safety; Effectiveness; Efficiency; and Kindness (i.e. patients must feel they are being treated as human beings, not given a 'computer says no' type of response).
In discussion members warmly welcomed the practice's approach and its efforts to improve patient access. PG said that as a new patient she had been very impressed by the practice's accessibility, and TK echoed this. There was a question raised about physician associates. SA said the practice had no plans to employ physician associates, but the practice does employ a paramedic and a trainee paramedic, both of whom work as part of our duty and urgent care clinical team
Actions - The PPG would welcome a continuing focus on digital exclusion/ inclusion.
Complaints procedure
SA described the practice's procedure, which is set out on the website, for investigating complaints. He presented slides, copies of which are attached to these minutes, summarising patients' positive and negative comments on this. The overall picture was positive, particularly as to trust in medical judgement, but the practice hoped to improve further. He emphasised that the practice took complaints very seriously; investigation, even of complaints which proved unjustified, could yield useful information. There was a question about confidentiality, and members welcomed improvements, such as the call back system.
In discussion KE welcomed this information about how patients feel. This was very useful for the PPG, and AP suggested that regular updates would be valuable. BS said the practice's approach was a welcome contrast to e.g. the Royal Free where she had found a complaint got nowhere.
Actions - The PPG would welcome a yearly update on feedback from patients, similar to the information presented, as well as new information at other PPG meetings.
Peckwater Centre
KE said an update on the Peckwater Centre had been given in the Newsletter. She described the information about Peckwater services which had been given at the March meeting of the Peckwater Advisory Group. This included information about the Camden Community Diabetes Service. The presentation slides were shared and are attached to the minutes. Members of the Advisory Group asked questions about referral criteria, weight loss treatments, and support with preventing Diabetes. SA said that the staff from the Diabetes Service had met with the Caversham staff. It was helpful to get to
know each other. There was good discussion about prevention and learning, for example about the availability of 1-1 counselling. The practice is waiting for the new guidance about weight loss treatments.
In discussion members said they would like to hear more about the Peckwater's Memory clinic (BS) and Dementia services (TK,DJ). TK felt the focus should be on the Peckwater Services. KH asked whether a contribution from Carers Camden would be helpful. They also felt that there should be another open day advertised more widely to patients.
Actions - KE said an item on the Peckwater Memory Service would be arranged for a future meeting.
Previous Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
Practice Update
DWP drew out the main points from the Practice Update, which is included in these minutes. Members welcomed in particular the practice's Newsletter.
Any Other Business
Falls - CG raised the issue of guidance to prevent injury from falls. KH said there had been a very good session on this, held at the James Wigg. More such sessions would be valuable.
Action - DWP said she would seek to include information about falls education sessions in the Newsletter.
Plant sale - a PPG member asked whether there would be another plant sale this year?
Action - DWP said she would follow up with the social prescribing team.
Garden event - Members suggested that another Garden event would be welcome.
Action: DWP will follow this up with GP Partners and Practice Manager
Date and Time of Future Meetings
The PPG's next meeting is on 29 July. It was agreed that this should start at 5.00 pm (not 5.30pm).
After that, the next meeting will be on 25 November, 2.00 - 3.30pm.
Practice Updates – May 2026
What’s New at the Practice
- New Toenail Cutting Service is now available across our Primary Care Network for adults aged 18+. This service is for patients unable to care for their own toenails and who are not eligible for NHS podiatry. The service is by referral only, so please speak to your GP if you think you may be eligible.
- Microsuction service (for earwax removal) is now available at The Caversham. To access the service, you need to be seen by a Clinician here and assessed as suitable and if so, you will be booked in with either Nurse Lavaughn or Nurse Olivia.
- Cryotherapy Service (warts removal). To access the service, you need to be seen by a Clinician here and assessed as suitable and if so, you will be booked in with Nurse Sheril.
- Travel Clinic - To access the service please ask at reception or contact the practice for more information.
New Doctors
Through our International Induction Programme, which helps internationally trained doctors adapt to the NHS system and clinical guidelines, we are pleased to welcome two new doctors: Dr Lucy Aitchison and Dr Abbi Linganathan.
We also have an additional GP starting in July: Dr Jenny Chia, who will be staying on following Dr Anoushka Seegobin’s maternity leave. Dr Anoushka Seegobin and Dr Ellis Basford are both due to return from maternity leave in June 2026.
We have also recruited a new full-time pharmacist, Zaneeta Nagji, who will officially start in July and is currently working with us one day a week.
Flood update
The work is well underway to refit the closed ground floor corridor. Once that is finished, we will begin the work on the rest of the ground floor and hope it should be finished by the summer
Practice Newsletter
The Spring edition of the Caversham Newsletter has been circulated via direct messaging and available in the waiting room, with paper copies posted to patients with specific needs.
Social Prescribing Activity
Volunteer Cream Tea
We are actively supported by several volunteers that led the following activities - Gardening, Helping Hands, Digital Inclusion, Cycle Ride, Walking and PPG.
At the end of February, we were delighted to be able to treat our volunteers to an afternoon of cream tea in recognition of their generous time and support that they give to the practice. As all the volunteers work separately on their own activities, they enjoyed making connections with each other and finding out about their work.
The River of Hope (ROH) festival
The ROH finished at the end of March. The practice was working in partnership with Camden Council; Kentish Town Connects and Camden ANCHOR on this project.
As part of the project a number of small grants to support Health & Wellbeing were given out to local organisations.
We collaborated with Parliament Hill Medical Centre and Kentish Town Community Centre (KTCC) using the ROH grant to set up a men’s group called Life of Riley. This is a weekly group run by KTCC. If you are interested in joining, please contact KTCC info@ktcc.org.uk
Also, as part of this year’s festival, we are created an embroidered version of the River of Hope Map. Stitching sessions were held every Tuesday in Kentish Town Library between November and March. Attendees were given a small square of calico and encouraged to embroidery what resonates with them about Kentish Town. These squares are currently being individually sewn onto the 1.5m River of Hope Map embroidery. When finished it will be on display at Kentish Town Library.
To get involved in future River of Hope events you can sign up for Newsletter updates via this site. Have Your Say Today - River of Hope - Commonplace
Kentish Town Pedals – the community bike ride from the practice on the first Saturday of the month run by Campaign Cycling Campaign, continues to go from strength to strength. If you would like to join please sign up for the ride here & if you do not have a bike, no problem we have some you can borrow.
Following the success of Kentish Town Pedals, a similar ride was established in Kilburn area since January, and it also run by Camden Cycling Campaign. Kilburn Pedals details of these rides can be found here.
Helping Hands & Digital Inclusion Sessions are back!
We are pleased to welcome back Helping Hands and the Digital Inclusion Sessions following a pause due to the flood damage.
Helping Hands runs every Wednesday from 10.30am-12.30pm and offers information on local services and activities, along with a cup of tea!
Digital Inclusion runs fortnightly on a Wednesday from 10.30am-12.30pm. They are bookable appointments lasting 40 minutes and also offer a drop-in service. The volunteers will support patients with the NHS App and other digital help. Contact the practice if you would like to book a session.
Providing NHS Services
The Caversham Group Practice
4 Peckwater Street
London
NW5 2UP
Telephone: 020 7428 5700