48. Evidence submitted by the Kettering
General Hospital Patient and Public Involvement Forum (PPI 7)
This submission of evidence is on behalf of
the Kettering General Hospital Patient and Public Involvement
Forum of which I am the Chair. We realise that in answering the
points raised in your inquiry that some of our answers are repetitive.
However we feel that it is essential to reinforce our views.
We are not making a request to give oral evidence
but would be quite willing to do so if you should think it necessary.
SUMMARY OF
THE MAIN
POINTS
1. The purpose of patient and public involvement
is to involve as many people as possible in having a say in their
health and social care.
2. If membership is too large LINks will
be unwieldy and expensive and not good value for money.
3. People's opinions should be sought on
a wider basis but the organisation representing these views should
be more streamlined
4. The remit of LINks should be to monitor
the whole patient journey and care in the community. LINks must
be independent of local councils and must not be political.
5. Membership of LINks must not be too large
as this will make the organisation unwieldy; however it needs
to be large enough to allow for further sub-committees to continue
the already established work with Acute, Mental Health and Ambulance
Trusts.
There should be a manageable number of members
that consult with a wider public and voluntary organisations.
6. Funding for LINks must be ring fenced.
7. An area focus should be maintained through
locality based sub-committees; otherwise a local focus will be
lost.
8. It is essential that LINks have powers
of monitoring and audit.
9. It is important that existing relationships
with local health Trusts are maintained in the new system.
10. National co-ordination is important
however this does not need to be established immediately.
11. PPI Forums already have established
links with OSC's, Trust Boards, the Healthcare Commission and
PALS and local Voluntary Organisations. These links must be maintained.
The Forums work with local authorities through the OSC.
FACTUAL INFORMATION
We are particularly concerned to emphasize the
close links we have with Kettering Hospital and the co-operative
work that has been established. Forum members sit on several hospital
committees to represent the patient and public view, the Chair
and Vice-Chair attend Board Meetings, and the we have reinforced
the campaign for infection prevention and control by promoting
with presentations and visual displays what the public can do
to contribute to this important matter. We would like to think
that this could be maintained by us as a sub-committee of LINks.
We also feel that it is important to organise
the LINks set up in a way that will not dissipate Patient and
Public Involvement. This is why we consider a core membership
with wide reference to the general public is a good approach.
We would also emphasise our links with OSC's,
Trust Boards, the Healthcare Commission, PALS and local Voluntary
Organisations. It would be advantageous to maintain and build
on these as a part of the new LINks.
Sheila White
Chair, Kettering General Hospital Patient & Public
Involvement Forum
18 December 2006
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