Patients get their say on Melton Hospital services

The People’s Council is made up of individuals who have a lived experience of local health services and will perform an important new function working alongside members of the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT).

It will provide scrutiny, help shape the trust’s approach to patient and carer engagement and improve patient experience and involvement.

Council members will be tasked with giving advice on the best methods of engaging and encouraging communities and individuals to feedback on service improvements and they will review the experience of those who use, or who are impacted by, services delivered by LPT.

Alison Kirk, head of LPT’s patient experience and involvement, commented: “We are really excited to launch our People’s Council, this is a unique approach for an NHS Trust to bring together the voices of our patients, carers and voluntary and community partners.

“Working alongside the trust board and our services, we will look to the council to provide advice, support and scrutiny in relation to improving patient experience and the involvement of patients and carers in making decisions with us.”

Mark Farmer, Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire board member and chair of The People’s Council, said: “This new initiative represents a commitment by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust to ensure that patients, carers, voluntary and charitable services have a leading role in the development and improvement of LPT services.

“The aim will be to make sure that all of Leicester’s, Leicestershire’s and Rutland’s diverse communities have a voice.”

Go to www.leicspart.nhs.uk/involving-you/involving-you to find out more about The People’s Council at LPT, which also manages services at Rutland Memorial Hospital, Loughborough Hospital and St Luke’s at Market Harborough, among others.