Patient and carer councils at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) help to ensure we gain a better understanding of the views, priorities and concerns of our patients and carers by involving them in our work, policy making and planning.
What is a patient and carer council?
There are three patient and carer councils at UHB, made up of members of the public, patients, carers and staff representatives. One council focuses on our wards, another on outpatients and the third is our Youth Champions Council which looks at the experience of young adults aged 16-24 who use our services.
Council members attend meetings, visit wards and departments and are involved at the planning stage of developments or changes in service delivery in our hospitals. They are also invited to take part in our annual PLACE assessments.
Patient and carer councils are not intended to be a forum for the resolution of complaints. This is the responsibility of our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
How often do the councils meet?
Patient and carer councils generally meet every six weeks or bi-monthly.
How do I join a council or find out more?
You are welcome to attend a patient carer council meeting to find out more and speak to council members before making the decision to join.
Patient and carer council members are volunteers and have to go through our volunteer recruitment process.
If you would like to join or find out more, please contact the Patient Experience team.
Last reviewed: 18 January 2024