Consultation launched on Personal and Public Involvement strategy – your views matter

Do you want to have a say in your health and social services? Your views on how that should happen are important, so take this chance to reply to the new consultation on how the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) can improve the way they work with local people and groups to improve services.

Health and Social Care (HSC) organisations deliver services to people and communities that make a real difference to quality of life. People’s experiences and interactions with HSC are instrumental in shaping their health and social wellbeing.

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) is about service users, carers and the public influencing the planning, commissioning and delivery of HSC services in ways that are accessible and meaningful to them. PPI is also about involving local communities and the general population in issues of broad public interest, such as the location or nature of local services.

Explaining why everyone should respond to this consultation, Michelle Tennyson, Assistant Director of Allied Health Professions and Personal and Public Involvement, PHA, said: “The PHA and Health and Social Care Board think it is very important to listen to people who use our services and to find out what is important to them as this will help us improve and develop the health and social care services we deliver.

“This consultation is for everyone – people who use our services not only as patients, clients or carers, but also the public in general, and individuals and groups with a particular interest. Gathering everyone’s views on this plan will help us improve how we talk with and listen to you, so we can all work together to improve services.”

Fionnuala McAndrew, Director of Social Care with the Board added: “This joint PPI strategy will bring about a number of recognised benefits if fully embraced into our culture and practice including; use of service user knowledge and expertise; better priority setting and decision making; more responsive, appropriate, efficient and tailored services and increased levels of service satisfaction.

“The Board and Agency have already held a number of joint consultation workshops and will be holding further workshops over the next few months across Northern Ireland on the PPI Strategy. We are keen to receive feedback from you as your views are very important to us,” she said.  

This 12 week consultation on Valuing people, valuing their participation, a strategy for Personal and Public Involvement for the PHA and Health and Social Care Board runs until 15 September 2011. You can give us your views online, either on the PHA website (www.publichealth.hscni.net) or the HSCB website (www.hscboard.hscni.net).

If you would like further information or to request a paper copy, please contact:

Martin Quinn
PHA Regional PPI Lead
Public Health Agency (Western Office)
Gransha Park House
15 Gransha Park
Clooney Road
Derry BT47 6FN.

By telephone: (028) 7186 0086

Textphone: 18001 028 9031 1611
By email: siobhan.carlin@hscni.net

The above is also the address to send your completed reply.

The draft Valuing people, valuing their participation, a strategy for Personal and Public Involvement along with information on how you can respond can be found by clicking here.