PATIENT groups are being offered a slice of a �120,000 fund to improve health facilities and services.
Jointly provided by HealthEast and NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney, the funding aims to give patient participation groups (PPGs) more influence over the care which is provided locally, while developing a greater understanding of the health needs of local people.
HealthEast is now inviting local PPGs to bid for their share of the funding.
It is hoped the money will be used for a range of projects, including promoting healthy lifestyles, such as organising healthy cooking demonstrations; supporting self-care by, for example, helping patients with long term illnesses access grants to make their homes warmer.
Other examples include developing communication and engagement between patients and their GP practice by introducing newsletters or improving telephone systems and improving the environment by introducing new seating, display boards, fans or air-conditioning.
Dr John Stammers, chairman of HealthEast, said: “As the clinical commissioning consortium for Great Yarmouth and Waveney, we are absolutely committed to working with patients, their carers and the public as equal partners in designing our health system.”
Dr Stammers added: “We want to understand the needs and aspirations of our patient participation groups so that we can build them into the services we commission.”
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