People are central to everything we do in the South Eastern HSC Trust. As an organisation, we are committed to working in partnership with the people who use and deliver our services to ensure we continue to provide safe, high quality and effective care.
What does getting involved mean?
Since 2009, all Health and Social Care organisations (including the South Eastern HSC Trust) have a legal duty to involve the people who use their services (i.e. patients, carers, and the public) in the planning, monitoring, development and evaluation of health services.
Getting involved can take many forms including influencing your own care and treatment (or that of someone you care for), having a say in the way services are planned and run, and using your experiences and ideas to help bring about improvements to the way care is provided.
The process of getting involved is often described as ‘Personal and Public Involvement’, or PPI for short. PPI is a term used to describe the active and meaningful involvement of service users, carers and the public in the planning, commissioning, delivery and evaluation of Health and Social Care (HSC) services, in ways that are relevant to them. PPI can also be described as the process of empowering and enabling service users, carers and the public to make their voices heard, ensuring that their knowledge, expertise and views are listened to.
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Who can get involved?
Anyone who uses, or has used, the services provided by our Trust can get involved. This includes;
- Carers and families
- Healthcare professionals/Trust staff
- Members of the general public
- Organisations/community groups that represent users of our services
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Why get involved?
There are lots of benefits to getting involved in the South Eastern HSC Trust. By getting involved in shaping the services we provide, you can help to make sure services are tailored to best meet your own and other people’s needs. Your input can also help to improve the quality, effectiveness, innovativeness, safety and cost effectiveness of the healthcare we provide. Importantly, having a say in your care/treatment, or the way services are planned and run can also improve your experience of the care you receive.
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How to get involved?
There are many ways to get involved depending on your individual preferences and circumstances. If you decide to get involved, you can commit as much or as little time to it as you want. For example, you may wish to give feedback on our services by completing a quick one-off survey or speaking to a member of staff, or maybe you would like to invest more time by getting involved in designing, delivering or evaluating our services.
Some examples of ways to get involved are listed below;
- Join a group (e.g. committee, forum, service user group)
- Give your views on a public consultation
- Give your feedback on our services through patient surveys
- Help design/deliver/evaluate a new service or an existing service
- Attending engagement events
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Frequently Asked Questions
I want to get involved but am not sure I have the time
You can decide how you would like to get involved to make sure it suits your personal circumstances.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Some take less time (e.g. giving verbal feedback to Trust staff at appointments, completing a survey, attending a one-off meeting), while others will require more of your time (e.g. attending multiple meetings, re-designing or helping to deliver a service).
I would like to get involved but am not sure what I could contribute?
Every person’s contribution is valuable. Whether you are a member of staff, or someone who has used our services (or both), we all have unique experiences and ideas that can be used to improve our healthcare services.
Will I get reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses?
Yes, for effective involvement to take place people need to feel supported and that their contribution is valued.
Service users, carers and stakeholders who have agreed to become involved and participate in service development and improvement activity, such as meetings, discussion forums, focus groups, training events, interview panels or a defined task or work programme, can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. This will include travel costs and carers. Download the HSC guidance on reimbursement of out of pocket expenses here for further information.
I am a carer for a relative/friend. Can I get involved?
Yes absolutely! Carers bring a wealth of experience and we would love to hear from you too.
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Resources
Key things to consider when getting involved
Links to other websites
Engage – a central resource for involvement in Health and Social Care
Public Health Agency – Personal and Public Involvement
Health and Social Care Board – Personal and Public Involvement
Department of Health – Personal and Public Involvement
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Contact us
Tel: (028) 9056 4871