REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC IN THE HEALTH SERVICE Mr Alan Brown CHC Vice Chair

What are we? Independent bodies established by parliament since 1974 following abuse at Ely Hospital Cardiff in the late 1960’s To represent the interests of the public in the health service This included the secondary care, primary care sectors, care homes and private hospitals taking NHS patients since 2004 Sir Keith Jospeh QC made 44 recommendations one of which to establish an independent lay inspectorate to help assure the public of the delivery of good care following the abuse identified at Ely Hospital

Who are we? CHCs are the only statutory lay NHS Watchdog who are independent bodies in Wales A Board of Community Health Councils in Wales There are 7 CHCs in Wales co-terminus with the 7 Health Boards in Wales Each CHC has Local Committees based on the Local Authority boundaries

CHC Membership Each CHC has 12 members per Local Authority area: ¼ (3) from local authority ¼ (3) from voluntary organisations ½ (6) appointed by the Minister for Health and Social Services in Wales via the public appointments process Community Health Councils can also co-opt extra non-voting members for specific tasks as necessary

Our statutory responsibilities are To provide: a way for the public / patients to have your say about NHS services by systematic continuous engagement free independent advice about local health services provision of the complaints advocacy service – a free, independent and confidential service to keep under review the health service within its area

What powers do we have? We have the right to be consulted by the Health Boards on changes to health services CHCs shall meet regularly on a formal basis with the Health Boards at least quarterly Each CHC has the right to enter and inspect the premises of: NHS providers General Practices Hospitals Nursing / Residential Homes Ambulance Services We are entitled to received from the Health Boards the information needed to carry out our duties

Advocacy Service ? The advocacy service is based in each CHC area The advocates can deal with concerns from any service which is funded by the NHS. We have two advocates who are qualified to City & Guilds standard for advocacy. Current caseload is approximately 159 live cases

We engage with the public We hold regular CHC Local Committee, Executive Committee and Full Council meetings some of which are open to the public We engage with the public through formal and informal engagement and consultation CHCs visit health premises providing NHS services and talk to patients We arrange Healthwatch meetings and user surveys CHCs work closely with the voluntary sector, carer and user groups, local MPs, AMs and councillors Write regular press releases

Why we visit NHS premises Gather information from patients / public Observe standards of care in particular dignity and respect Evaluate quality of the services from a patient / public view Check the level of patient / public satisfaction Undertake Focused visits Make announced or unannounced visits Encourage the spread of “best practices” through publication of our reports All our visit reports and information are available on line 7 days before our meetings we routinely share all visit reports and responses with Health Care Inspectorate Wales

Key Themes past 12 months: Day Room provision Maintenance issues Provision and usage of Hearing Loops Support Services - Therapies etc. Discharge and repatriation Facility Closures Infection and Control issues Accessibility – pull cords, signage etc. Bare below the elbow Staff on Wards Patient Needs

Third Sector and CHC: How can the CHC ensure we routinely hear the voice of service users? How can we ensure during service changes the voice of service users? How can we publicise the role of the CHC across the area? How can we strengthen the links between the Third Sector and the CHC over the next 12 months?

How to find and contact us Mr Stephen Allen Chief Officer Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan CHC Unit 3 Pro Copy Business Centre Parc Ty Glas Llanishen Cardiff CF14 5DU Email: CAVOG.chiefofficer@waleschc.org.uk Website: communityhealthcouncils.org.uk/cardiffandvale www.facebook.com/cavog.chc www.twitter.com/cavogchc

Thank you for listening Any questions?