Listening to patients is at the heart of our work as we know that a strong patient voice helps us make better decisions and improve local services.
We listen to patients in lots of different ways, from surveys and events to forums and patient groups. To help us do this, we have an involvement team, who work with patients and local groups all year round.
You can get involved in lots of different ways – why not join our mailing list? Just email us or call 0191 217 2522.
You can use Next Generation Text (NGT), which helps people with hearing and speech difficulties communicate by phone. If you need an interpreter (including BSL) to attend our events, let us know and we will arrange that for you.
Patient, public and carer forum
At this forum we listen to patients and carers – it’s a chance for everyone to share ideas and opinions with NHS decision makers. It’s a great opportunity to influence decisions about local services.
Find out more on the patient, public and carer engagement forum page.
Community forum
Our Community Forum is for people (paid or voluntary) who work with local communities or disadvantaged groups locally.
The forum helps us identify important issues affecting our communities, and has a real influence on our commissioning and service development decisions. You can find the papers from our meetings in the documents section of this website.
To find out more about the forum, contact our involvement team.
Your GP patient participation group
Your GP practice patient participation group is a chance to help shape the health services that you and your family rely on.
Members are patients from your practice who share their experiences, needs and views about local services. To find out more, contact your practice.
Visits to NHS services
Each year, we carry out visits to check that the quality of services is high, that services are provided safely and that patients have a good experience.
Patient representatives are part of our visit team, alongside a nurse, medical representative and other colleagues.
Having a patient as a key part of our team gives us a better insight as we listen to the views of patients and families about the care they are receiving. Find out more on the visits to NHS services page.
Join ‘My NHS’
By joining My NHS you can receive updates about our work, and hear about events or other opportunities to give your views. You can choose which areas of healthcare you’d like to hear about, and take part as much or as little as you like. Register for My NHS here.