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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
Next PPG Meeting: Wednesday 25 Nov 2026, 2pm to 3:30pm
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 24th February 2027 5pm to 6.30pm
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
Wednesday 29th July 2026
Present
- Representing the Practice: Kevin Clarkson(Dr), Fay Saunders (Practice Manager - FS), Dawn Williams-Powell (Deputy Practice Manager - DWP)
- PPG Members(In person): Kathy Elliott (Chair - KE), Roderick Allison (Note-taker), Ruth Appleton, Mick Farrant, Kate Harwood, David Jockelson, Bernard Miller, Diane Pearson, Simon Pearson, Beth Shaw, Alice Jones, Jill Norman
- Via MS Teams: Judith Philo
- Apologies: Tim Kirkup
- Camden Memory Service Team: Christopher Denney, Corinne Morgan
Introduction
KE welcomed all those attending.
Practice Updates
What’s New at the Practice
New Doctors and Team Updates
- Dr Thomas Marr – Joined the practice as a Return to Practice GP.
- Dr Ellis Basford – Has returned from maternity leave.
- Dr Anouskha Seegobin – Has returned from maternity leave.
- Dr Jenny Chia – Has return to the practice on 28 July as a permanent GP
- Dr Zaneeta – Joined the team as a permanent pharmacist in late June.
Flood update
Flood update is phase 1 and 2 of works should be completed and area back in use from 3rd Aug this will see the end of the main day to day operational disturbance and room closures we have been working with.
Phase 3 will then commence in next few weeks that is staircase and reception we estimate this will be completed by October Making a year since flood disruption struck
Staff Training Day & BBQ
The practice holds a Staff Training Day once every quarter, with each session focusing on a different topic to support continuous learning and service improvement.
This quarter's training was led by Dr Amiel and Dr Blackmore and centred on the S.E.E.K. principles – Safe, Effective, Efficient and Kind. Dr Amiel had previously introduced these principles during a PPG meeting.
The session explored how the S.E.E.K. pillars can be applied across all aspects of the practice, including patient care, teamwork, day-to-day operations, and identifying opportunities to improve both patient experience and practice systems.
Staff then split into small groups to discuss each of the four pillars, using recent real-life examples from within the practice to reflect on what had worked well and where further improvements could be made. The discussions encouraged shared learning and reinforced the practice's commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care.
Practice Newsletter
The Summer edition of the Caversham Newsletter will be circulated via direct messaging and available in the waiting room, with paper copies posted to patients with specific needs from mid-August.
Social Prescribing Activity
Plant and Cake Sale The annual Plant and Cake Sale was held on 2 July, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
The event was facilitated by the Social Prescribing Team along with our patient volunteer gardener and raised £323.10 through plant and cake sales.
The funds will support the continued growth and maintenance of the Listening Space garden.
Introduction to Dance and Movement for Health and Wellbeing:
This practical course is open to anyone who wants to explore dance as a way to improve their health and wellbeing, express themselves creatively, and build confidence in moving.
- Dates and Time: Thursdays, 27 Aug - 24 Sep, 12.30-1.30pm
- Venue: Talacre Community Sports Centre, Dalby St, London NW5 3LN
- Cost: Enrolment £15 (5 weeks)
- This course is free for those who are referred by The Caversham Group Practice.
- Please ask your GP for a code to book your free place. The code to book a free place is: FREECOURSE.
Details sent to PPG members last week
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.
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 to 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 to 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.
Helping Hands and Digital Inclusion will take a summer break for the month of August.
Back in September
Connect to Work
Since June, an Employment Specialist from Connect to Work joins us on the 1st Wednesday of every month as a drop-in service for patients. Connect to Work support people with disabilities, health conditions or people who face other challenges, to find suitable employment and progress into work.
Learn more about connect to Work London
Camden Memory Service
KE welcomed Christopher Denney (CD) and Christalla Antonia (CA) from the Camden Memory Service. CD said the Service, based at the Peckwater, provides assessments of anyone over 65 who has concerns about their memory. Referrals were made by GPs, who should be the first port of call, and from hospitals etc. Assessments take place in your home or at the clinic, taking about an hour. Questions about health, and 'test questions' to test the brain, would be asked. There might be further referrals e.g. for a brain scan. If Dementia were found, advice and information would be given, a care plan agreed, treatment options discussed, and a named team worker allocated. Support from - and for - family and friends would also be discussed. The team was multidisciplinary, including consultant psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, psychologists and an occupational therapist. A leaflet describing the service was distributed.
Questions raised by the Group's members were:
- What if one suspected a person had dementia, but the person refused to be referred for help - or even if one suspected the person was being abused and had, for example, given others details of their bank account? CD said such cases should be referred to Camden's adult care social team as a safeguarding issue, or to the police. Members commented that the adult social care team was underfunded and did not always manage to deal with issues. CD agreed to discuss two particular cases with members outside the meeting
- What can be done to stimulate memory? CD said that talking to sympathetic and supportive hearers was a great help to those suffering from dementia. Talking is itself a memory exercise. The service ran a group, Connected Conversations in Camden, for this purpose. When talking in a friendly atmosphere people felt free to ask 'silly questions' that they didn't like to ask a professional, and this could allay anxiety which also helped • What is the waiting time for assessments by the Service? - 3-4 month
- Is proximity to the Caversham helpful? Representatives of both Memory Service and Caversham felt that it certainly is. Access to the Listening Space garden is particularly welcome.
- One PPG member who had to give their apologies was interested in how the Connected Conversations could be advertised most effectively and if the service or the practice would benefit from any voluntary support. KE thanked the Memory Service representatives for their very helpful presentation.
Issues that have been raised by members
KE said the following issues had been raised by members (who were welcome to contact DWP about issues they wished to raise at a meeting):
- Feedback and complaints: the practice website had a section on this, which could perhaps be highlighted in the Newsletter. Feedback can be given verbally, at Reception or by phone; in writing, and feedback slips are available at Reception; or by email. The website also sets out in full the complaints procedure
- Earwax removal: this can be done at the practice, but patients on blood thinners had to be referred for more specialist help
- Medicine shortages: these occasionally made it necessary to shop around different pharmacies, but it was pointed out that for some patients this is difficult.
Chair's reflections after one year, and future vision
KE said :
- On the digital issue, she felt progress had been made but more remained to be done. The value of text messages was pointed out
- As agreed, we were bringing to each meeting a presentation from one of the Peck water’s services
- She would like at the next meeting to review the Group's terms of reference and whether they needed refreshing
- It was important to try to be sure that all patients were getting the services they needed
- We should think about how to attract new members, and how to connect with other groups such as Helping Hands and the Gardening group.
Patient Survey
FS circulated details of the latest survey of Caversham patients' experience at their last appointment. Of 541 surveys sent out 112 had been sent back, a completion rate of 21%.The results were very satisfactory, with 97% reporting a good overall experience. Results for particular aspects were also very satisfactory, with most approval percentages in the high 90s - with the exception of ease of contacting the practice through its website, 46%. This might in part be a hangover from when the practice had been constrained to change Its website, but it underlined the importance already noted of the digital issue.
Future Meetings
The Group's next meetings will be on:
- Wednesday 25 November at 2pm
- Wednesday 24 February 2027 at 5pm
Providing NHS Services
The Caversham Group Practice
4 Peckwater Street
London
NW5 2UP
Telephone: 020 7428 5700