Text Only Version of WHSSC Website - Annual Report Year Ending 31st March 2006
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Annual Report Year Ending
31st March 2005
Annual Report Year Ending 31st March 2006
Annual Report Year Ending 31st March 2006
Contents:
Role of the Council
A Message from the Chairman
Members attendance at meetings
Report from Chief Officer
Joint Council Conference Limavady
January 2006
Members representation on groups and committees
Complaints
Let's Talk Leaflet
Bugwatch
Financial Statement
The role of the Council is to:
- Act on behalf
of the public to improve the range, type and quality of services
- Continually monitor the quality of local
services
- Represent public opininon about changes
to existing services and the introduction of new services
- Find out what people think about services
- Provide sources of information on health
and social care issues
- Offer
advice and help if someone wishes to complain
How to contact the Council:
Freephone Telephone Number: 0800
917 0222
Telephone: 028 8225 2555
E-mail: info@whssc.n-i.nhs.uk
Website: www.whssc.org
This has been another very busy year and I would like to thank the members and staff of the Council for their continuing hard work and dedication in providing a voice for individuals and communities in the Western Board area.
This report will outline some of the work that staff and members of the Council have undertaken throughout the year.
In November 2005 the Minister announced plans for the four Health Councils to be replaced by "one powerful single health and social care users' body" which will be called the Patient Client Council (PCC). The new PCC will come into effect on 1st April 2008. The Council welcomes the Minister's proposals and hopes that the new body will strengthen the voice of the public, patients and clients. In the interim the Western Health and Social Servies Council will continue to work to represent the public in health and social care.
Finally, staff and Members of the Council were very saddened to learn of the death of Councillor Barney McAleer and Mr Patrick Bogan, both of whom were highly respected and dedicated members of the Health Council for a number of years. On behalf of the Council I would like to extend our condolences to their wives and families.
Mr Paddy McGowan
Chairman
| Name | Scheduled
Meetings |
Actual
Meetings |
Other
Meetings / Events |
| Mr P McGowan Chair |
10 |
5 |
60 |
| Cllr H Andrews Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
1 |
- |
| Cllr A Bell Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
1 |
- |
| Mrs V Brown . |
10 |
6 |
16 |
| Miss M Burke . |
10 |
2 |
1 |
| Mr J Campbell . |
10 |
7 |
21 |
| Cllr M Carten . |
10 |
4 |
1 |
| Mrs M Devlin Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
2 |
- |
| Cllr Mark H Durkan . |
5 |
3 |
3 |
| Cllr G Foley Appointed 15/0/05 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
| Mr E Friel Term ended 2/6/05 |
2 |
2 |
- |
| Cllr P Gilgunn Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
2 |
- |
| Cllr M Hamilton . |
10 |
5 |
5 |
| Mrs S Hogg Appointed 6/9/05 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
| Cllr S Hume Appointed 6/9/05 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
| Cllr R Hussey Appointed 8/7/05 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
| Cllr B Johnston Appointed 6/9/05 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
| Cllr J Kerr Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
- |
- |
| Cllr R Lynch Appointed 6/9/05 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
| Mr I Maguire . |
10 |
9 |
12 |
| Cllr B McAleer Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
- |
- |
| Mr E McGrade Appointed 17/6/05 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
| Mr R McIntyre Appointed 17/6/05 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
| Mr M McIvor . |
10 |
2 |
2 |
| Mrs M McKeague Appointed 17/6/05 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
| Cllr R McKelvey Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
- |
- |
| Mr V McKelvey . |
10 |
9 |
14 |
| Cllr S O'Brien Appointed 8/7/05 |
7 |
2 |
- |
| Cllr B Page . |
10 |
3 |
4 |
| Cllr H Quigley Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
- |
- |
| Ms F Robson Vice Chair |
10 |
6 |
24 |
| Mr R Rogan Term ended 31/5/05 |
3 |
- |
- |
| Mr D Sutherland . |
10 |
6 |
3 |
| Ms M Trimble . |
10 |
5 |
7 |
The Council holds monthly meetings, which are open to the public, where members can raise local concerns.
The four Health and Social Services Councils agreed a three year strategic work programme for 2005-2007 and the Western Health Council has worked towards taking this work forward in 2005/06.
Some of the areas of work which the Council has been involved in are:
Autism subgroup – a subgroup
of Council members and staff met with parents of children with autism in the
Sperrin Lakeland area and facilitated meetings with officers of the Trust and
Board to highlight the lack of services for children with autism.
Waiting list monitoring subgroup – the subgroup met quarterly
with officers from the Trusts and Board to highlight areas of concern regarding
lengthy waiting times. This year the focus has been on monitoring waiting times
in Occupational Therapy; Breast clinics; Orthopaedic and
Ophthalmology.
Local Ambulance Liaison Group – the Chief Officer attended
quarterly meetings of the Local Ambulance Liaison Group to monitor ambulance
services in the Western Board area and to highlight areas of concern raised
by Council members.
Supporting complainants and providing advocacy services –
the Council staff continue to support people wishing to make a complaint about
the service they have received and also to advocate for people who may be having
difficulty accessing services in health and social care.
Equality and human rights – a member of the Council staff
attends monthly meetings and contributes to the work of the Western Equality
and Human Rights Forum to ensure a partnership approach to equality and
human rights in the Western Board area.
Proposed new Patient Client Council (PCC) - the WHSSC continued
to work closely with our colleagues in the other three Councils. The Joint Councils
contributed to the Department’s Working Group on the new Patient Client
Council and have presented papers on the functions and a Structure for the new
PCC.
Maggie Reilly
Chief Officer
Joint Council Conference Limavady January 2006
In January 2006 the four Councils participated in a Joint Council Conference to discuss the proposals outlined in the Review of Public Administration in relation to the Councils.
The Minister proposed that the four Health Councils be replaced by "one powerful single health and social care users' body". This will be called the Patient Client Council (PCC). The new PCC will have a critical role in engaging with patients, clients and the public in promoting their health and well-being.
Members Representation On Groups and Committees
| Name of Group or Committee | Nominated | Frequency |
| PHARMACY | ||
| WHSSB Pharmacy Practices Committee | Mrs V Brown Mr P McGowan Mr V McKelvey Ms F Robson |
As required |
| ORAL HEALTH | ||
| WHSSB Oral Health Planning Team | Mr H Andrews Mr J Campbell Mr B Page Mr M McIvor Mr V McKelvey |
Approx every 4-6 weeks |
| CANCER SERVICES | ||
| WHSSB Cervical Screening Group | Ms F Robson | Bi-annually |
| WHSSB Palliative Care Forum | Ms F Robson | Quarterly |
| NI Screening Programme - Primary Care Advisory Group | Ms F Robson | Quarterly |
| Regional Advisory Committee on Cancer | Ms F Robson | Bi-annually |
| OLDER PEOPLE | ||
| Omagh Inter-Agency Group for Older People | Mr R McKelvey | Quarterly |
| Fermanagh Inter-Agency Group for Older People | Miss M Burke | Quarterly |
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||
| Sperrin Lakeland Trust Users' Association | Miss M Burke | Quarterly |
| Sperrin Lakeland PIP Group (Learning Disability) | Mr J Campbell | Three times per year |
| Sperrin Lakeland PIP Group (Physical Disability) | Mr P Gilgunn | Quarterly |
| WHSSB Allied Health Professionals Project Team | Mr I Maguire | Quarterly |
| WHSSB Area Programme Board | Mr P McGowan | As required |
| WHSSB Monthly Board Meeting | Mr P McGowan | Monthly |
| WHSSB Local GO Appraisal Group | Ms F Robson | Bi-annually |
Health and Social Services Councils are independent bodies who seek to represent the views of the public in all areas of health and social services.
We provide information about health and social services to members of the public. We can also assist you to make a complaint.
The Council cannot investigate complaints but can provide support to complainants at each step of the complaints process.
This year the Council provided telephone support to approximately 160 callers wishing to make a complaint about health and social care in the Western Board area. These cases are regarded as "one-off" where advice or information is given and no further contact is required.
The Council also carries a caseload of ongoing complaints most of which are complex and require ongoing support throughout the year. The cases vary in complexity and require varying levels of support from providing assistance with writing letters, to providing a full advocacy service and representing the clients at meetings etc. This year the Council had a caseload of 61 cases, 6 of which were referred for Independent Review. In many cases the Council continues to support complainants after the initial resolution stage by monitoring agreed service provision to ensure they get the service promised to them.
If you would like more information about any aspect of the complaints service please contact the Council Offices.
This booklet was produced in a partnership between the NI Clinical and Social
Care Governance Support Team and the four Health Councils. It is to be used
as a guide to becoming more actively involved in your health and social care.
Copies of the booklet are available on request from your local Council office.
You can also click here to read
The Council was involved in a four-Council project which coincided with the consultation on the Northern Ireland Strategy on the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infection.
As part of the Bugwatch project the Western Council staff and members were part of a team which undertook surveys at Altnagelvin Hospital and the Royal Group of Hospitals in September 2005.
Bugwatch is a toolkit developed in England to raise public awareness about healthcare associated infections and to highlight how the public can play their part in prevention and control of infection.
|
Western Health and Social Services Council Financial Statement Year ended 31 March 2006 |
||
|
INCOME |
05/06 |
04/05 |
| Allocation: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | £154,000 |
£122,000 |
| ------------ |
------------ |
|
| Total Income | £154,000 |
£122,000 |
| ------------ |
------------ |
|
| EXPENDITURE | ||
| Salaries and Wages | £97,190 |
£75,202 |
| Members' Expenses | £8,599 |
£5,514 |
| Establishment Expenses | £1,365 |
£2,578 |
| General Administration | £23,797 |
£27,992 |
| ------------ |
------------ |
|
| £130,951 |
£111,286 |
|
| ------------ |
------------ |
|
| Total income less total expenditure | £23,049* |
£10,714 |
*The underspend for 05/06 includes £12,240 Salaries and Wages of a funded post which was vacant until August 2005 |
||
Western Health and Social Services Council
‘Hilltop’
Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital
Omagh
Co Tyrone
BT79 0NS
Freephone: 0800 917 0222
Tel: 028 8225 2555
Fax: 028 8225 2544
Minicom: 028 8224 8389
Email: info@whssc.n-i.nhs.uk
Website:
www.whssc.org
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