Stoke-on-Trent LINk are undertaking a survey of patient experiences at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust since January 2009. Any Staffordshire LINk members who wish to participate can do so by clicking on the weblink below and completing the survey by clicking on Take the Survey.
http://www.communityvoicesonline.org/surveys/details.aspx?id=78
During the next 6 months the Community Council of Staffordshire will be undertaking, on behalf of, and in liaison with Staffordshire Local Involvement Network ( LINK ), a county wide community engagement and focused consultation programme with existing networks, groups and individuals in order to ascertain people’s views, concerns and experiences of health and social care services and how these might be improved or changed to benefit their communities.
In order to gather views and raise awareness of the local involvement network we are therefore keen to talk to as many groups or individuals as possible. Clearly it is a big task to contact all the voluntary and community groupings in Staffordshire but we shall be contacting a sample. If you are keen to give us your thoughts or experiences or invite us to some of your group meetings please contact me…
Alan Cooney, Project Development Officer, Community Council of Staffordshire, Friars Mill, Friars Terrace, Stafford, ST17 4DX
01785 242 525
Last September, the Secretary of State for Health announced the Government’s intention to abolish the current system of GP practice boundaries and highlighted action PCTs could take to better ensure patients can register at a GP practice of their choice. On 4th March 2010, a 12 week public consultation was launched seeking views from the public, patient groups and from those who work in primary care or wider health and care services on how we can put in place a system that enables patients to have a wider more meaningful choice of GP practice. If you would like to register your views, please click on the weblink - Link: www.gpchoice.dh.gov.uk
Staffordshire LINk is working in collaboration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who are undertaking a 12 month review of Stafford Hospital to determine what progress has been made since the original investigation published in March 2009. CQC would like to hear of people’s experiences, both positive and negative of using Stafford Hospital services from the 1st January 2010 to 31st March 2010. This relates to any service whether Inpatient, Outpatient, or Accident and Emergency. CQC will use the feedback from this survey to decide what they will focus on during their visit to the hospital. Anyone wanting to give feedback on their experience, can download a survey form here and email it to the LINk at enquiries@staffordshirelink.staffs.com Alternatively, please telephone the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990 to request a survey form and freepost envelope.
The first Staffordshire LINk Bulletin has now been produced and is available to download from the website here. The feedback form regarding your views and or/concerns on mental health services referred to in the Bulletin can be downloaded here. Alternatively, you can click on the comments box below this entry to give your feedback. If you would prefer a printed copy of the Bulletin, please contact the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990 and they will be able to post a copy to you.
Two free training events are being offered as follows:
Enter and View authorised visitor training taking place on 14th April 2010 at the Business Innovation Centre, Staffordshire Technology Park, Beaconside, Stafford from 10.00am to 4.00pm.
If you would like to book a place on any of the training sessions listed above or would like to register your interest in future training opportunities, please contact the LINk Support Team on 01785 887990.
The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Indendent Inquiry Chaired by Robert Francis QC has produced its final report. To access the press release and report published on 24th February 2010, please click on the weblink below:
Staffordshire LINk is seeking expressions of interest to undertake two short pieces of research to support the LINk to progress two of its identified priority areas - dementia and stroke services. If you or your organisation are interested in tendering for this work, the tender specifications and further details can be downloaded here dementia tender and here stroke tender. Please return your proposals by email to jackie.owen@staffordshirelink.staffs.com by Friday 26th February 2010.
Following the consultation event held on 26th January 2010, the feedback from group discussions on the day and views put forward in the market place activities have been typed up and can be downloaded here.
You may be aware that the CQC is currently running a consultation that looks at their proposals for assessing quality in 2010-11 and beyond. The Care Quality Commission will use many methods and tools to achieve its aim of ‘making care better for people’, including carrying out a programme of assessments of quality.
Their assessments of quality include their powers under the Health and Social Care Act to carry out periodic reviews, special reviews and studies and to publish information and reports about our findings.
For both commissioners and providers they will provide publicly available information for individuals using or choosing care services and for organisations delivering or commissioning those services.
This consultation details how they propose to assess the quality of:
It also outlines plans for how we will report our findings and the special reviews we propose to carry out in 2010/11. For more information about this consultation please follow the link below:
http://www.cqc.org.uk/getinvolved/consultations/assessmentsofquality.cfm
