NCH&C launches new Patient Advisory Group to improve patient & carer experience
Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) is proud to launch its new Patient, Carers, and Partners Advisory Group (PAG) to ensure the interests of our patients are heard on the issues that matter most to them.
The aim of the group is to improve patient experience at NCH&C by giving our patients and carers a forum to share their voice so that we can learn from their lived experiences. Incorporating the feedback of our patients, service users, and carers is a vital part of our Patient & Carer Experience and Involvement Strategy.
The first PAG meeting will occur next week:
Wednesday 31 July, 1 - 2pm
Microsoft Teams
All NCH&C patients, carers, and family members are welcome to attend and will be given the opportunity to share their views. If you would like to attend, please email patientexperience@nchc.nhs.uk to RSVP.
Once established, the group will:
- Discuss proposed national and local policies to ensure they reflect and include the needs of our patients and carers.
- Involve and consult with patient and carers on any upcoming changes at NCH&C.
- Collect feedback from patients and carers to positively improve our services at NCH&C.
- Encourage collaboration and communication between NCH&C colleagues and our patients and carers.
- Design and deliver supportive events for patients and carers.
Stephen Heard, Patient Safety Partner at NCH&C, said:
“Our patients are at the heart of everything we do here at NCH&C, from consulting with them on service design, to the inspirational patient stories at our bimonthly trust board meetings. The launch of our new Patient Advisory Group ensures our patients will have a more regular forum for sharing their lived experiences. The group will provide a vital sounding board to ensure any changes to NCH&C benefit and include our whole patient community.
“We warmly invite anyone with experience of our services and care to join the new Patient Advisory Group, whether as a one-off guest or a regular attendee. We hope to attract a diverse group of individuals, including those managing long-term health conditions, and those who received short-term care from NCH&C. We look forward to meeting with you.”
Alongside NCH&C and our patients, several of our local healthcare partners are also represented at the group, such as Healthwatch, Voluntary Norfolk, Family Voice, Norfolk and Suffolk Care Support, and Carers Matter.
The Patient Advisory Group is keen to hear from individuals from all genders, ethnicities, ages, and abilities to learn from their unique challenges and circumstances. The group is also open to NCH&C colleagues, as we recognise that they too may have valuable experience as patients and carers.
The PAG is a subgroup of the Patient and Carer Experience and Involvement Steering Group which in turn reports to the Quality Committee, a formal subgroup of the NCH&C trust board. The group will meet on a bi-monthly basis; patients and carers are welcome to attend as many or as few meetings as they wish.
Contact patientexperience@nchc.nhs.uk for more information about the group.