This group of volunteers provide feedback from their lived experience, share ideas and sit on groups and committees across the organisation to ensure the voice of patients and carers is heard.
They sit on recruitment panels for some staff roles, review the Trust’s quality priorities, involvement with the purchasing of new chairs, the design and delivery of visual awareness training, providing feedback on the design of the new Elective Centre and review information leaflets and web pages.
There are almost no bounds to the projects and services our incredible Partners have provided input for.
We currently have 14 Patient and Carers Partners, with several more due to start by the end of the year. Over the 20 years, 40 people have given their time to support the Trust in this way, and we still have two of the original volunteers involved today.
One Patient and Carer Partner has even continued to provide their input from the other side of the world since emigrating to Australia.
Head of Patient Experience, Emily Ayling, said: “We are so proud of our Patient and Carer Partners and what they bring to the patient experience at NBT.
“We value their input across the organisation, helping teams understand how they can ensure we can best meet the needs of different patient groups when services, projects, facilities and information are being developed.”
NBT Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Steve Hams, said: “Our Patient and Care Partners are such a fantastic group of people making an incredibly important commitment to supporting everyone who uses our services at NBT. Thank you to all of you for your support.”
Our Patient and Carer Partners are reflective of the communities we serve, with volunteers with a range of impairments, disabilities and learning disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, partners from global majority backgrounds and ranging in age from 30s to 90s. This is important to us as we want to make sure our Trust is inclusive of our local community.
Patient and Carer Partner, Sarah Cox, shared how she feels about being involved: "I have little say in how my illness progresses and having no control over this had been immensely difficult at times. Being a Patient Partner has given me back some autonomy, by allowing me to stand up and be counted when decisions are being made about the way my care is delivered. I have a platform, I am heard, and everywhere I look in Southmead, I see my contributions, ideas and suggestions being implemented. I have been involved in research projects, committees, small- and large-scale projects, training programmes, away days, and last year I even had the opportunity to travel to Sweden to share my experiences as a patient.
“It’s extremely motivating, and I remain incredibly proud of the work the Patient Partnership undertakes. I see so much good coming from the knowledge we share with the Trust as a result of our wide array of patient experience. For me, it makes living with a chronic health condition incredibly worthwhile.”
Amanda Threlfell described her experience: “Being a Patient and Carer Partner is an honour. To be part of the amazing team at NBT and to give something back to the trust for the care they have provided to my loved ones is important to me. I am always so impressed by the commitment of staff and their willingness to listen, despite all the challenges ongoing, to providing the best experience for patients and their carers.”
You can find out more about our Patient and Carer Partners, including details about how to get involved on our Patient and Carer Partners page.