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Paxton Green Group Practice
News from the Patient Participation Group - September 2026
July 2026 meeting
The PPG meeting in July opened with the 2026 AGM, with the Chair’s 'annual' report unusually covering 2021 to 2026. This was because during the COVID-19 pandemic the PPG met online only and paused its steering group elections and future planning discussions.
In 2022 members were surveyed about future meetings and from April 2023 the PPG changed to having four hybrid (face-to-face and online) meetings a year with similar content as before. When Dr Miller retired last year, Dr Wendy Firman and Dr Latha Pathmanathan succeeded him as the Partners’ PPG representatives and the steering group elections are being re-introduced in October.
GP Patient survey 2026
In her report, the PPG Chair congratulated the Practice on its rating in the Care Quality Commission’s 2023 review with 'Outstanding' for responsiveness. This has been borne out by the results of the GP Patient Survey for this year in which Paxton Green Group Practice was rated above average both at national and local level across the board.
The GP Patient Survey is an independent survey run by Ipsos MORI on behalf of NHS England sent out to over two million people. Read the GP Patient Survey 2026 results in more detail. In addition, Google reviews currently give Paxton Green Group Practice 4.7 stars out of a possible 5.
Help with the NHS App
The Practice IT team will be running drop-in sessions on the first Friday of every month between 12pm and 1pm starting 4 September where they will be happy to answer any queries about the NHS App from Paxton Green Group Practice patients.
Please be aware that the team is unable to deal with MyChart queries.
The NHS flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme 2026
This will begin in September for children and pregnant women, and in October for others who are eligible. The Practice will be running vaccination clinics in October and will send invitations to eligible patients. Community pharmacies will also be offering vaccinations.
The COVID-19 vaccination will be available to people aged 75 and over and those who are immunosuppressed. The flu vaccination will be available to people aged 65 and over, children, those who are clinically at risk and frontline care workers. School age children will be vaccinated at school.
First-time students and the MenB vaccination
Students heading to university for the first time are being urged to get the MenB vaccination which protects against meningitis and septicaemia. It is available at pharmacies. Find a pharmacy that offers MenB vaccinations for young people.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy. From about late March or early April to the end of September, most people should be able to make all the vitamin D they need from sunlight on their skin. But between October and early March we do not make enough vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D is found in oily fish, red meat, egg yolk, some fat spreads and breakfast cereals and liver (avoid liver if you’re pregnant). But since it’s difficult for people to get enough Vitamin D from food alone, everyone should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during the autumn and winter.
Sun beds and lamps are not an efficient source of vitamin D. Cancer Research UK advises strongly against their use as, since they use a concentrated form of UV radiation, they can be more dangerous than natural sunlight.
Even in the summer, some people will not make enough vitamin D from sunlight because they have very little or no sunshine exposure, for example those who do not go out much or those who wear clothes that cover most of their skin. So, they should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. The same applies to people from an African, Afro-Caribbean or South Asian background who may also not get enough vitamin D from sunlight.
Unless advised otherwise by a doctor, do not exceed the dose of 10 micrograms a day.
For children aged between one and four, the Department of Health recommends a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year and for babies up to one year of age, who are breast fed or having less than 500ml of formula a day, between 8.5 and 10 micrograms.
Vitamin D supplements (and drops for under 5s) can be bought at most pharmacies and supermarkets. Read more about vitamin D.
The NHS Healthy Start Scheme
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 years old you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food, milk and vitamins. You can apply if your family’s take-home pay is less than £408 a month and you get Universal Credit. Find out more about the NHS Healthy Start scheme.
Type 2 diabetes
A major study by Imperial College London has found that England is seeing a worrying increase in young people, especially women, developing type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity. It is serious and can lead to severe complications such as heart attacks and strokes. Diabetes UK says that it is vital that those at risk are diagnosed early to prevent long term organ damage.
A combination of healthy eating, losing weight and exercise are proven to help prevent Type 2 diabetes. Calculate your risk of developing the disease.
Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be put into remission by eating a healthy diet.
Healthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes is a free NHS online programme that supports people to live well with the condition. It includes information and advice on diet, keeping active and looking after your body and mind. Register for the Healthy Living programme.
Support for unpaid carers
The Mobilise Hub is a free all-in-one support app for people caring for a family member or friend. Its services differ slightly between Lambeth and Southwark because it has a contract with Southwark Council and not with Lambeth. Learn more about the Mobilise Hub.
Southwark residents can access one-to-one support calls, all its online events including virtual get-togethers, a weekly email as well as the full range of areas on the hub. Lambeth residents can access weekly emails and the main pages of the hub. Mobilise emails are packed with tips and tricks from the community and the latest government advice on caring.
Award for Dr Tyrrell Evans
Many of you will remember Dr Evans when he was lead partner at the Practice. Our congratulations go to him for his British Empire medal awarded in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to palliative care and the community.
Next PPG meeting
The next meeting of the PPG will be on Monday 26 October at 3:30pm. To enrol as a member, complete the PPG signup form or speak to Reception.
Published: Sep 7, 2026