PPI Forums

Patient and Public Involvement in Health Forums covering Penkridge
NOW "Local Involvement Networks (LINKs)

The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) was established in January 2003 to set up and support Patients' Forums. This independent, non-departmental public body (NDPB) was abolished on the 31st March 2008 when Patients' Forums were replaced by Local Involvement Networks (LINks).

Local involvement networks (LINks)

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) aim to give citizens a stronger voice in how their health and social care services are delivered. Run by local individuals and groups and independently supported - the role of LINks is to find out what people want, monitor local services and to use their powers to them account. LINks will be established in most areas between April 2008 and September 2008. Each local authority (that provides social services) has been given funding and is under a legal duty to make contractual arrangements that enable LINk activities to take place.

MORE INFORMATION SHORTLY

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All below is now out of date and left for historical interest.

A Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Forum has been set up for every NHS Trust and Primary Care Trust (PCT) in England. The four Forums covering Penkridge are:

South Western Staffordshire Primary Care Trust PPI Forum
South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Trust PPI Forum
Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust PPI Forum
Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust PPI Forum

In the Penkridge, Bednall and Acton Trussell area, we have the following person who is a PPI FORUM MEMBER:

Mrs Jane Lees (South Staffs. Healthcare NHS Trust PPI Forum) - Tel: 01785 715391

The Public can also contact the Secretariat of all the above Forums at: PPI Staffordshire, C/O Age Concern, 28 Salter Street, Stafford ST16 2JU - 01785 600 619 Email:jacqui.nothersmith@ppihstaffs.org.uk

PPI Forums are made up of groups of volunteers in communities who are enthusiastic about helping patients and members of the public influence the way that local healthcare is organised and delivered. Forum members come from a broad variety of backgrounds and have a range of experiences and skills.

PPI Forums are a key vehicle for raising awareness of the needs and views of patients and the public, and placing them at the centre of health services. They will have a number of primary roles.

PPI Forum members will:

Contact local communities to find out their views on local healthcare and present these views to the NHS Trust they work with. All Trusts are legally obliged to listen to the PPI Forum and provide a response

Independently monitor the quality of local health services through regular visits. Reports of these visits will be given to the Trust and made available to the general public

Look at the wider health implications of any issues in the local community. For example, those connected with social care, transport or housing.

For more information, click here to take you to the CPPIH Web Site

Health matters to us all, whoever we are. Whether we are young or old or from any section of the community - our views count