Last week I went to the trust’s public board meeting, partly out of interest and partly as I am writing an essay for my masters on governance. What immediately struck me was that there were no members of the public there. A quick survey of other trainees told me that not many members of the public attended other hospital public board meetings, apart from in one trust where the public came to protest about a controversial decision.
I suspect members of the public would not be that interested in listening to executives discuss various issues such as the acquisition of a new building, the financial status of the trust and the progress of the foundation trust application for nearly four hours, using terminology that most people wouldn't understand. This information should be in the public domain, and the public should be invited to attend, however it is understandable that this may not be the most engaging arena to involve our local communities.
This leads to the next question; how can we involve our patients, staff and local community groups in the running of the hospital, keep them informed and engaged about developments and give them a voice in decisions to be made? The trust has an active website and twitter account, but this is only reaching a certain population group. What about having health and well-being events, where we could promote key health messages, our services and perhaps have some local charities and community groups there as well? Or a farmers market which would help local businesses as well as promoting healthy eating? These occasions could also be used to give key messages from the trust board in an interactive and easy to understand format to staff and public, and give everyone a say in key decisions. Can you think of any other ideas that you would like to see, or great examples you have seen from other hospitals?
First Published 12/03/2013 on the SWBH Website
I suspect members of the public would not be that interested in listening to executives discuss various issues such as the acquisition of a new building, the financial status of the trust and the progress of the foundation trust application for nearly four hours, using terminology that most people wouldn't understand. This information should be in the public domain, and the public should be invited to attend, however it is understandable that this may not be the most engaging arena to involve our local communities.
This leads to the next question; how can we involve our patients, staff and local community groups in the running of the hospital, keep them informed and engaged about developments and give them a voice in decisions to be made? The trust has an active website and twitter account, but this is only reaching a certain population group. What about having health and well-being events, where we could promote key health messages, our services and perhaps have some local charities and community groups there as well? Or a farmers market which would help local businesses as well as promoting healthy eating? These occasions could also be used to give key messages from the trust board in an interactive and easy to understand format to staff and public, and give everyone a say in key decisions. Can you think of any other ideas that you would like to see, or great examples you have seen from other hospitals?
First Published 12/03/2013 on the SWBH Website
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