The Newsletter of the Patient and Client Council Issue 5 Autumn 2011

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1 The Newsletter of the Patient and Client Council Issue 5 Autumn 2011 Welcome to the Autumn edition of Voices. We are delighted to have presented the 1 st ever Patient and Client Council Making a Difference Award to the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, in recognition of their good work with patients and services users to make a real difference to services. Southern Health and Social Care Trust representatives, Ingrid Stewart, Betty Beamish, Lorna Stewart and Alan Leckey were congratulated by Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety on winning the Patient and Client Council Making a Difference award for their work on Trust mental health services. The judging panel was made up of local people from across all Trust areas and the awards were presented at the Institute of Healthcare Management dinner on Thursday 24 th November Congratulations to our finalists and our winners. We have reported to the Health and Social Care review team what over 15,000 people have told us about services. We are continuing our work to help inform the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on people s views on future target setting for Health and Social Care. South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust representatives Hilary Patterson and Aine and Adam Wallace were congratulated by Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety on winning the Patient and Client Council Making a Difference award for their work in developing the Forget-Me-Not bereaved parents liaison group. We are working with patients on services including rare diseases, domiciliary care and mental health and learning disability services. Our work in supporting people with complaints and concerns continues. For more information on anything in this newsletter, contact your local office on Maeve Hully, Chief Executive Your voice in health and social care 1

2 Making a Real Difference for Brain Injury Patients Following the Patient and Client Council and Headway - the brain injury association, highlighting the lack of consistency in information provided to patients with a head injury on their discharge from hospital, the Regional Health and Social Care Board has re-issued important guidance to the Health and Social Care Trusts throughout Northern Ireland to reinforce the need for a consistent response to this issue. The Patient and Client Council will continue working with the public and Health and Social Care organisations to make real change happen within health and social care services. Joint Royal College of General Practitioners and Patient and Client Council Conference held in Lisburn The Royal College of General Practitioners and the Patient and Client Council held a conference to promote the involvement of patients and the public with GPs. Representatives from practices across Northern Ireland attended the conference to discuss ways of involving patients more in local services provided by family doctors. Speakers at the Conference (from left to right): Alan Braiden, Chair, Patients in Practice Committee, Royal College of General Practitioners, Edwin Poots, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Brian Heading, Mayor of Lisburn and Maeve Hully, Chief Executive, Patient and Client Council. Groups from across Northern Ireland have been sharing their views on domiciliary care with the Patient and Client Council. A report will be presented to the Department of Health early next year. Your voice in health and social care 2

3 Informing the Minister: (L-R) Chief Executive of the Patient and Client Council, Maeve Hully, member of the Bamford Monitoring Group, Lisa-Jane Henry, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Edwin Poots and Bamford Monitoring Group member, Joanne McDonald. Change is happening slowly for mental health and learning disability service users, says Bamford Monitoring Group The Bamford Monitoring Group has informed the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety that change is beginning to take effect as a result of the implementation of the Bamford Review for Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, however at times the pace is slow and frustrating. Maeve Hully, Chief Executive of the Patient and Client Council said People have told us that they are experiencing changes in services as a result of the Bamford Review, however they are concerned that any potential cuts will impact on future progress and rate of change. The Bamford Monitoring Group is working with Government Departments and Health and Social Care organisations to ensure that people s views are reflected in future improvements to services. Apprentice Ace encourages young people to have their voice heard on the Health and Social Care services which matter to them. The Apprentice finalist, Jim Eastwood has competed at a national level to have his voice heard. Jim encourages Lauren Forsythe, Catherine McDowell and all young people aged across Northern Ireland to share their views with the Patient and Client Council on what they think the future health and social care priorities should be. Also pictured are Trevor Wilson, Board member and Maeve Hully, Chief Executive. Share your views on the Patient and Client Council Facebook page, complete the Priorities survey on-line by clicking here or call for more information. Your voice in health and social care 3

4 Malone Rugby Player becomes 3000 th Patient and Client Council Membership Scheme Member Christopher Allen (front row, 2 nd left) becomes the 3000 th member of the Patient and Client Council Membership Scheme. Team mates from Malone Rugby team also joined up when the Patient and Client Council visited the club recently. Although only launched in January, the Patient and Client Council Membership Scheme now has over 3500 people sharing their views on Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. The Scheme is free to join and you decide how much or how little you want to be involved. For more information visit our website or call the membership team on Driving Health and Social Care in the Wright direction. Over 700 employees at Wrightbus shared their views with the Patient and Client Council on the Health and Social Care services which matter most to them. The Patient and Client Council will inform key decision makers on what people have said to ensure that future Health and Social Care services reflect what people want and need. Pictured are Jackie McNeill and Deepak Samson from the Patient and Client Council along with Mandy Knowles, HR & Welfare Director, The Wright Group. Your voice in health and social care 4

5 Sharing views on Healthcare Associated Infection information for patients The Patient and Client Council s Southern Local Advisory Committee, which is made up of local people from the Southern area, met recently with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to discuss ways the Trust can communicate and provide information on Healthcare Associated Infection for patients and visitors to hospitals. Back row (L-R) Colin Clarke, Lead Nurse Infection Control, Southern Trust, Dermot Mooney, Southern Local Advisory Committee member, Eileen Wright, Southern Local Advisory Committee member. Front row (LR) Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive, Southern Trust, Dr Nazirn Damani, Infection Prevention and Control, Southern Trust and Stella Cunningham, Local Area Manager, Patient and Client Council. People s Priorities for Health and Social Care The Patient and Client Council is publishing the People s Priorities at the beginning of December The report reflects the top health and social care priorities for over 3,400 people in Northern Ireland. People support the setting of targets and welcome the improvements in service delivery which have come about as a result of these targets. However, they are concerned about issues such as access to and quality of hospital care, the care of the elderly, waiting times for hospital treatment and care, access to their GP, cancer services, and mental health and learning disability services. Keep a look out on the publications section of our website to download a copy. If you would like to request a hard copy of the People s Priorities, please call Your voice in health and social care 5

6 Join the Patient and Client Council Local Advisory Committee in your area The Patient and Client Council makes sure the voices of patients, clients, carers and communities are heard in Health and Social Care. We have set up Committees in each local Health and Social Care Trust area to understand what is important to patients, clients and carers in health and social care services, such as hospitals, GPs, Social Services and Community Care. If you live in the Northern or South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust areas of Northern Ireland, we want to hear from you. Please contact us for an application form on or Patient and Client Council host Roadshows across Northern Ireland In September and October this year, the Patient and Client Council hosted a series of 6 roadshows across Northern Ireland. Over 300 people attended the events and put questions and comments to panels, which were made up of key decision makers and leaders in Health and Social Care. Pictured are panel members and the Patient and Client Council with guests at the Belfast area roadshow, in September, where members of the public put questions and comments to leaders and decision makers about Health and Social Care services in their area. Your voice in health and social care 6