Patient and Public Involvement
Patients' Panel
The Trust has had a Patients’ Panel since 2003. Members are not representatives of other organisations but are just a small group of ordinary people living in West Hertfordshire who have been, and in several cases currently are, patients of the Trust. They have been invited by the Trust to join the Patients’ Panel as individuals because they have shown a positive interest in its work and a willingness to devote time to bringing a patient's point of view into improving what the Trust does.
The Panel has been described as being a ‘critical friend’ of the Trust – supporting the Trust in many ways but not hesitating to act when finding things to criticise, and then helping to put things right.
The Panel has access to all levels of the Trust’s management and can, as a group or individuals, visit any ward or clinic in the Trust’s three hospitals at Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans. Good relations have been established with nurses, doctors and administrative staff, building up mutual respect and valuing each other’s contribution to patients’ care and concerns.
At present the Panel has seven members: Jessie Winyard as Chair, Gwen Andrew, Gill Balen, Virginia Barber, John Blandford, Edward Lucas and Gerry Steel. All wear identification labels when on hospital duties. Their photographs are displayed on notice boards at all three hospital sites so that patients can express any concerns or suggestions to them.
Apart from taking part in many working groups such as those mentioned below, the Panel has recently influenced improvements made in the Discharge Lounge at Watford Hospital where newspapers and refreshments are now provided for patients in a comfortable area whilst they wait for transport home. The Panel has been critical of some aspects of the working of the Acute Admission Unit at Watford and has welcomed the noticeable improvements that have been made and the very appreciative comments from patients treated there that are now being received. A wheel-chair using disabled member of the Panel has played a large part in seeing that the Trust’s buildings and facilities (such as car parking) take into account the needs of disabled patients.
Amongst on-going concerns are the number of operations that are cancelled, site direction notices and improving patient information including how telephone calls are handled. It is a requirement of the Trust that all in-house produced leaflets and questionnaires are reviewed by the panel to be patient friendly. The Panel has to approve all of them before they are printed.
Patients' Panel members take part in regular site and inspection meetings at all the hospital sites checking up on such things as food quality, cleanliness, infection control, maintenance and the environment.
It is sometimes not appreciated just how big the Trust is and how much it has to do. That it has around 4500 staff illustrates this. To help manage an operation of this size working groups are set up. Patients’ Panel members are appointed to many of these. The list below mentions some of these working parties and groups on which Patients’ Panel members serve.
- Bereavement
- Privacy and Dignity Champions
- Equality & Diversity
- Patient Information
- Bowel Cancer Screening
- Radiology
- Drugs and Therapeutics
- Vulnerable Adults and Children
- Infection Control
- Making Things Work Better
- Maternity
- iPEATS
- Patient & Public Involvement
If you recognise a panel member from their photograph or identity label and have the time, do stop and take a while to talk to them as they would love to hear your views, as a patient or carer, on how the Trust is doing and how it might improve. You might consider being involved yourself in the Trust’s work as a volunteer.
For further information on the Patients' Panel or an opportunity to talk to the Patients' Panel Chair, Jessie Winyard, Please contact: Lesley Lopez, Head of Patient and Public Involvement on: 07881 623 836 or email:
lesley.lopez@whht.nhs.uk
Updated March 2012
