PPG Network Meeting Notes - East Sussex 

• Date:  14 July 2025
• Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm
• Location: Microsoft Teams

View the Sussex-wide PPG Event May 2025

Attendees

• Richard Hallett - Chair - Groombridge & Hartfield Medical Group
• Dawn Bamforth - NHS Sussex ICB
• Christine Marks        
• Julia Wells - Hastings and Rother Healthcare
• Martine Blaser-Smith - Robertsbridge 
• Julie Atwood        
• Andree Stevens - The Hill Surgery
• Merrill Plowman - Meads Medical Centre
• Tania Williams        
• Lindy Latreille - Sedlescombe and Westfield
• Claudette Neville        
• Heather Booth        
• Chris Cooper        
• Lesley Droney        
• John Curry - Little Common and Old Town
• Eleanor Le Patourel        
• Anneke Langford - Lighthouse Surgery
• Claudette Neville - Fairfield Surgery
• Martin Ensom         
• Alex Tait - Quayside, Newhaven
• Katherine Verrall - Little Common and Bexhill Old Town
• Tony Skinner - Little Common Old Town Surgery
• David David        
• Beverley Levett - Downlands Medical Centre
• Terry Steeples - Hastings and Rother Healthcare
• Lucy Venner        
• Lynn Bowman - Herstmonceux
• Chris         
• Duncan Cameron - Carisbrooke Surgery
• Kevin Katner - Sedlescombe and Westfield
• Roger Sweetman        
• Jennifer Hesmer - The Hill
• Jane Pye        
• Ann Paddick        
• Regan Delf - Quayside
• Gwladys Mabb        

Apologies

• Sue Smith - Seaford Medical Practice
• Jackie Wood - Wealden Ridge
• Liz Chown    
• Christa Wilson    
• Tony Howell - Groombridge and Hartfield
• Elizabeth Pearce - Collington

1. Agenda item 1

Include a brief overview on the item/ topic and summary/ bullet points of discussion.

Welcome, Introductions and apologies for absence

Quick update: 

• Changes at NHS Sussex ICB

Due to recent government announcements about the future of the NHS, NHS Sussex ICB will be merging with NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB at the end of the year. There will also be a reduction in costs – primarily of staffing costs – of 53%. Because of this, we cannot guarantee what support PPGs will receive in the future and it’s important to ensure PPGs are in as healthy a position as possible. DB to keep PPG members up to date with developments. 

• Healthwatch

It was recently announced that Healthwatch will be disbanded and its function moved to the Department of Health and Social Care. Timelines are currently unclear. Concerns were raised that this will dilute patient voices in the NHS. 

• NHS 10 year plan and how this affects Primary Care

Rhe government recently announced its 10-year plan. More details can be found here:

• 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future
• The Government's 10 Year Health Plan | The King's Fund
• Actions: 

PPG Members: if you would like to join other PPG members to write a letter to the Government about the disbanding of Healthwatch please contact them.

Dawn: To look into the possibility of putting on a special webinar for PPG Members about the 10-year plan and how this relates to Primary Care. 

2. April 2025 PPG Network pan-Sussex face to face event

April PPG Network face to face event

• Report

Dawn reminded everyone that a report of the pan-Sussex face to face PPG Network event has been circulated. There was positive feedback on the report and the event itself with attendees finding it ‘an excellent opportunity’, ‘informative, warm and caring’. 

• Reflections and learning – shall we do it again?

Due to the current situation with NHS Sussex ICB and uncertainty about the role it will undertake in the future, we can’t commit to holding a similar event in 2026. However, the intention is to do this if it is possible. 

• Recommendations and next steps 

We discussed the recommendations and next steps made in the event report. These will form the next projects or programmes for the PPG Networks to undertake. 

The top 3 most popular next steps were: 

• Audit of PPGs in Sussex
• Production of leaflet / poster explaining self-referral options for patients
• Production of posters / digital screens promoting membership of PPGs

Actions: 

Dawn: To speak to NHS Sussex ICB team to discuss their support with production of promotional materials and form a sub-group of PPG members to work on this. 

Dawn: To speak with East Sussex Healthwatch about their recent audit of PPGs, share their report and work with Network members to see how this could be extended to gain an understanding of PPGs throughout Sussex

3. PPG Network activities since the last meeting 

• National New Patient Registration Form – working with NHS England

Following two PPG members raising a query, we have been working with NHS England to try to add a question about joining PPGs to the New Patient Online Registration Form. Discussions are ongoing but it’s looking very positive. A great example of local PPGs affecting a national issue. Thank you to John and Ian for raising this initially. 

• PPG GDPR Guide has been finalised and now available

Following guidance we’ve been waiting for from the Information Commissioner’s Office, we are now able to circulate the PPG GDPR Guide that the Network has put together. This will be circulated with these notes and added to the PPG Portal

• PPG Stakeholder list clean-up

For GDPR reasons, and to make sure we’re communicating with the right people, PPG Members are asked to complete this FORM to make sure your contact details are up to date. Please forward this to any other members of your PPG. You can also find the form on the PPG Portal. 
This form will be open until the end of October after which time our stakeholder list will be deleted and only people who have completed the form will continue to hear from NHS Sussex about PPGs.

• Possibility of offering small grants to PPGs later in 2025

Dawn explained that there may be a possibility of NHS Sussex ICB offering small grants to PPGs before the end of the year, subject to approval. Individual grants of up to £1,000 would be offered (with a total pot of £20,000) for PPGs to expand their representation and hear from a more diverse cohort of patients. At the moment, this is for information only so that PPGs can start to think about how they might use these grants. Dawn to keep PPGs updated. 

4. PPG Activities

• PPG Activities 

PPG members shared a variety of activities since the last meeting. 

Claudette: PPG has produced a 2-sided information sheet with Parish Council funding and organised a prize-draw. 

Lesley Droney: over 100 people attended a public meeting and the PPG has recruited 6 new members from this. PPG was involved in recent CQC inspection. 

Gwladys Mabb: survey has been sent out to patients asking what they’d like to see at a health day. Many people asked for a MSK representative. No date set yet. 

Anneke Langford: following a patient survey it’s clear many are not using digital tools: the PPG is planning to run a training workshop for patients. 

Jane Pye: the practice has asked the PPG to endorse plans to put in a bid to change their current building. 

Kevin Katner: PPG have written to Rother District Council to endorse similar plans to improve the practice building.  

• Themes you’re hearing from patients

1. Blood tests: discrepancy between practices, with some offering blood tests to patients whose tests have been requested by secondary and community care and some not doing this, meaning patients have to travel to Community Diagnostic Centres, for instance. Patients reporting they’re not sure where they have to go and can be a difficulty with transportation.  
2. Patients not able to get a timely appointment. This can sometimes be perception, but at other practices patients are still struggling to get an appointment, often being asked to call again in 2 or 3 weeks. 

5. AOB

1.    Drinking water in practice waiting rooms – experiences

Some practices have plumbed-in water tanks or water fountains available for practices, while others have posters informing patients to ask at reception if they would like water.

There was a variety of experiences, with some patients complaining water tasted stale from the non-plumbed water tanks.  

2.    Benefits of meeting in smaller local groups of PPGs 

Richard Hallett spoke about the benefits of PPGs meeting together in smaller groups face to face (the example of High Weald, Lewes and Havens was given.) Richard and others in the group offered their support to other PPGs wishing to establish a smaller group. 

3.    PPGs working to reduce DNAs

Kevin Katner gave an example of a PPG member telephoning male patients at risk of high blood pressure to encourage them to attend screening. This is going very well. Questions were asked about GDPR concerns and KK informed that this was not an issue as the volunteer was not given medical or contact details outside of name and telephone number, and had been trained on the content of the conversation. 

Claudette: DNA numbers were published in the surgery and parish magazine but to little effect. DNAs are mainly for Nurse or blood appointments. 

Martine: DNA numbers published on Facebook. Feedback is that people forget their appointment, even though they are sent a reminder. 

PPG members sent their best wishes to Anj Hatcher, who is unwell and unable to attend this meeting. 

Please send items for AOB to the Chair in advance of the meeting

6. Date of next meeting

• 23 September 2025 at 2pm - at the surgery

Meeting close.