The PPG Committee comprises patient representatives from The Simpson Centre and Penn Surgery and includes people with skills in education, health work, medical research, communications, public affairs, and management. There are currently 10 members of the Committee including the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and supported by 2 Members of the Practice.
The Simpson Centre and The Penn Surgery operates across two sites and has a team of over 20 clinical and non-clinical supporting patient care.
The PPG team is progressive and is keen to work with the wider community in developing and offering new services that meet the changing needs of all registered patients.
To help them in this endeavour the Patient Participation Group was established in 2012. Its mission is to act as a two-way communication channel between patients and the Practice team.
The Patient Participation Group Committee is comprised of volunteer patient representatives drawn from across The Simpson Centre and The Penn Surgery. With varied backgrounds and skill sets current activities include networking development and gathering feedback from the community as well as supporting the communication of information from the practice to the community.
Gill Markham – Co-Chair
I bring over 35 years of pharmaceutical industry and teaching and youthwork experience, which is useful in managing the Committee work and leading activities to create interaction between the Practice and our patients. Susan and I share the work across the committee, and we all meet monthly to progress our plans.
Working with Susan, allows us to have time to travel and time with our families, but more importantly enables us to discuss the issues and work out how to solve the challenges.
Arranging Your Health events on subjects of relevance for many patients as well as issuing regular newsletters to keep patients informed on health issues, and how the practice will resolve them is critical to informing our 19000 patients. In addition, we keep abreast with general health issues and how the practice is working on them. For example, the recent Flu and Covid vaccination plans to run clinics not only for our Practice but for the 6 practices within the Primary Care Network and vaccinating over 21000 patients.
My family has lived in Penn for over 36 years, and we been patients at Penn surgery for all that time.
Susan Glenn – Co-Chair
My entire career was spent in the Pharmaceutical Industry, working in a variety of sales, marketing and management roles and then heading up Learning and Development departments, when I delivered numerous leadership and personal development programmes.
Before retiring, I wanted to make sure I could continue to use my experience, so I volunteered to become a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust, and I’ve now been doing this for over 12 years. I’ve always found volunteering an exceptionally rewarding experience and so I decided to contribute something else locally now that I’m fully retired.
Since I moved to Beaconsfield in 1985, my family have always had excellent treatment at The Simpson Centre, so I wanted to put something back into the practice. I also wanted to return to the healthcare environment and support all the wonderful work and selfless care that is given by people who work for the NHS.
I joined the PPG in 2018 and since then I’ve been involved in several projects where I’ve been able to use my experience to assist surgery initiatives, e.g. help to organise Your Health events for patients, contribute to the practice newsletter, and where appropriate, facilitate staff development meetings and participate as a patient voice on the new triage process. This has all been incredibly rewarding. Helping at the flu clinics is also great fun!
My passions outside work are tennis, travel and family (with 9 of my 10 grandchildren living within a 5-mile radius, childcare and school runs are still a big part of my life!)
Tony Jeffcock – Secretary
Tony has worked with the major oil companies on Domestic and international projects for the last 40 years. A contracts and procurement Specialist, He is a Director of a small consultancy company. He has lived in Beaconsfield since 1972 and been a patient of the Simpson Centre during that time. Married to Pat He has two children and two Grandchildren.
After a discussion with my GP which highlighted the Fundamental difference between the service provided by the Simpson centre and the interminable negative National Press narrative I offered my services to the PPG.
With the Multiplicity of options offered by the NHS it is imperative that patients are clearly informed and updated with all the information regarding the services available to them at the Centre and beyond.
My current focus with Cathy and Gill is the newsletter. This combines factual content with Topical information and Practice updates. The Newsletter is currently evolving, and we are trying hard to produce an offering which is available to the whole patient demographic.
The PPG is very much a team effort which is striving to assist the practice in achieving and exceptional level of service to its patients.
In my role as secretary, I assist the co-chair s in the smooth transmission of minutes of meetings and the recording of and implementation of actions derived from those minutes.
Emma McPhee – is responsible for IT and works closely with the surgery on the website.
I have a long history of growing up in a family practising medicine. My father was a GP, my mother a Nurse, and my elder brother is a Professor of General Practice at the University of Cambridge.
After graduating from Portsmouth University with a degree in Geography, I embarked on a career in IT and Marketing in the City before beginning the rewarding career of raising three children.
Having lived in Penn for over 15 years with my husband Martin, I decided it was time to become more active in the community. I am really enjoying my time on the PPG, where I can use my experience in Communications, Marketing, IT, and Motherhood to make an ongoing contribution. In my spare time, my hobbies include yoga, gardening, and long walks with my dog.
Gail Kemp
After graduating in English Literature, I spent 25 years in London as a print and broadcast journalist, specialising in the creative and media industries. But I always had a deep interest in health, nutrition and wellbeing, and while working as a journalist, I also ran my own PR consultancy with clients including the Royal Brompton Hospital and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
In 1998, I moved back to Buckinghamshire to care for my mother who had developed a serious long-term illness; and some ten years later, after my son left school, I began a new career, initially as a Registrar in Beaconsfield and, for the past decade, as an Independent Funeral Celebrant
It is a role that I love, one that combines the journalistic skills of listening, communicating, writing and presenting. I spend alarming amounts of time at local crematoria and cemeteries…but still manage to indulge my leisure activities – bridge, the theatre, keeping fit and socialising with friends. I live with my husband Martin (and three cats!) and we have been registered at Penn Surgery since we moved to Hazlemere in 2008.
Cath O’Leary
I moved to Penn in 1986 and have actively engaged in community matters since then. My family (myself, husband and 2 grown up sons) have all been patients at both Penn Surgery & The Simpson Centre.
In 2024 I joined the PPG and offer a broad range of skills and experience. I currently contribute to the production of the PPG newsletter.
My early career was developed in a variety of HR, Training & Development, Leadership and Change Management roles. Then, since 2000, I have worked as an Associate / Freelance Executive & Career Development Coach and Trainer, across a wide range of industries and sectors, including Executive Education, Undergraduate Education, Healthcare and Pharma.
Throughout my career I have contributed as a Charity Board Trustee in a number of roles including: Trustee: P&TG Residents Society (35 years+): Editor: Community Magazine (P&TG Village Voice) (18+ years): Trustee: Genetic Disorders UK (a National Charity) (2 Years): Trustee: Working Parents UK (a National Charity) (4 years) : Alumni Board Trustee: Ashridge Executive Education (3 years)
Sandra Price
After a long and varied career in the telecoms industry, I retired in 2022 and wanted to find new challenges which would use my experience in project management, systems and processes to give something back, particularly in health care which I’ve long been interested in. I have lived in Beaconsfield and been a patient at the Simpson Centre for the last 6 years. My motivation to join the PPG was to improve my understanding of how the practice works and hopefully to suggest improvements that will help patients and the medical team. I’m currently working on the communications plan which I hope will lead to a better experience in that area for all patients and stakeholders.
I have two grown up children and like to quiz, travel, garden and spend time with my partner Paul – often involving motorbiking – and my wider family and friends.
Linda MacMillan
I have a degree and PhD in Pharmacology. Deciding not to pursue a career in science I joined the world of commerce as a marketing trainee for Unilever and worked in several operating companies and countries. However, the love of science beckoned resulting in me joining Glaxo Pharmaceuticals. This led to a lifetime career in the industry at a UK, European and Global level covering Knowledge Management; Competitor Intelligence and Business Intelligence. This skill set has helped me to achieve my key personal goal of helping others do what they want to or need to do. In my PPG role this manifests itself by contributing to events and activities that support both patients and the staff of the Simpson Centre. When I am not volunteering, I have two Golden Retrievers and an allotment that keep me very busy.
Yogini Morarji
I am passionate about the NHS having worked for over 40 years in NHS hospitals, specifically in diagnostic imaging including diagnostic reporting. It is important that all patients have access to the best diagnostic services available to improve patient outcomes and for it to be available on the NHS. I firmly believe it is important to preserve the NHS and continue improving patient services.
By joining the PPG I bring my experience of working in NHS hospitals to bring a better understanding of NHS hospital provision in diagnostic imaging and the demands of GP services.
Joan Beanland
Following graduation and professional qualification as a Pharmacist, I have worked for the NHS in hospitals, Primary Care Trusts, and retail Pharmacy for over 30 years. I also worked in Canada for 5 years. During my last 10 years of employment, I worked with local GPs in their practices advising on patient treatment and drug prescribing. I feel I have gained an understanding of how the NHS works and I welcome the opportunity to bring my experience to the PPG and help to improve our local healthcare services. I am now retired and still living in Beaconsfield. My husband and I, my son and his family are all patients at the Simpson Centre.