Have your say on Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals and how services can be improved

A patient panel is being launched across both Northampton General and Kettering General Hospitals to help ensure patients’ and carers’ voices are heard.

The patient experience teams at both hospitals have developed the panel idea - which will work to improve services across both hospitals - as a new way for patients, carers, and their families to get involved in the development of services.

The two hospitals – which together form the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group - are looking for members of the public interested in working with hospital staff to offer opinions on services and key documents such as strategies and policies.

The panel will be made-up of local people who volunteer their time, experience, and skills, to act as the voice for patients, carers and service users and their needs.

Christine Johnson head of patient experience and engagement at Northampton General Hospital said: “You, or your family, may have had a hospital experience that could have been improved, you may have a particular condition, or area of interest in health care that you want to explore.

“We want to hear your opinions and experiences to help us deliver the right kind of care that meets the needs of our local population.”

“We'd also like to hear from carers too, as their input is just as valuable in terms of the feedback on their experiences of our services are for them”.

Kettering General Hospital’s head of patient experience and engagement Lucy Jones added: “This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to get involved in working with us to improve care for patients and make sure that the care we provide is appropriate to their needs.

“We want to recruit members of the public from diverse backgrounds, from all sections of the community, so that their voices are heard and that we represent the views of our local communities.

“Some patient groups can be underrepresented, and some tend to have poorer health outcomes, and it is important for us to understand what we can do to change this.”

To be involved in the patient panel, people who are interested can fill out the online survey and indicate the areas that they are interested in.

The relevant hospital team will then be in contact to connect them with project managers who are working within those areas.

There are also options for people to make their interest known through email or by phone.

Confidentiality is paramount, all information provided will only be used for the project people are involved with and there is no link to medical records.

Areas that the panel might be involved in include equality and diversity initiatives, reviewing and approving patient information, co-designing services, and much more. This will be a safe space for patients and carers to share their experiences of services at both local hospitals.

To get involved at Northampton General Hospital:

• On-line application: https://feedback.kgh.nhs.uk/survey/clinical-strategy• Email: [email protected]• Call: 01604 544054 / 01604 544135• Website: https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Get-Involved/Patient-Engagement-Panel.aspx

To get involved at Kettering General Hospital:

• On-line application: https://feedback.kgh.nhs.uk/survey/clinical-strategy• Email: [email protected]• Call: 01536 49 2173• Website: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/the-patient-engagement-pool-