What We Do

Our main activities are:

• To represent the public’s views when decisions are being made about services.
• To influence the Board’s activities which relate to introducing services.
• To respond to proposals or plans put forward by the Board.
• To offer support and guidance to patients or members of the public who want to complain about any part of the services.
• To carry out research into how patients view the services and their experiences of them.
• To monitor the performance of particular services against the standards set out in their charters.
• To give the public a range of information about the services.
• To visit health and social services facilities run by the Board or a Health and Social Services Trust

Complaints

We do not investigate complaints but provide support and advice to those wishing to make a complaint. We can:

• Provide advice / information.
• Contact an organisation on a complainant's behalf.
• Draft letters of complaint for complainants.
• Prepare an application for independent review.
• Attend meetings / independent review panels with a complainant.
• Draft applications for investigation by the Ombudsman.

The type of assistance we offer depends on the nature of the complaint and the level of support required by an individual complainant.

Enquiries/Advice/Information

We also handle individual requests for information. These can include information on referrals, waiting times, access to medical notes, patient charters and changing doctor.

Visiting Facilities

During year under review we visit a number of facilities within the Southern Board’s area

Research

Research into the views and opinions of users and potential users of health and social services continues to be a key element of our work. Finding out what service users and carers think about particular services and where they perceive deficiencies assists us in making recommendations for improvement

Responding to Change

A significant proportion of our time and effort is spent responding to developments at a local or regional level. Often changes to services are initiated by the Board or the DHSSPS. Many come about as a result of service reviews or because a major weakness has been identified in how services are organised or because patients have no access to particular services. In all cases we make every effort to represent the interests of patients and the public. Responding to change has a detrimental impact on our planned work because resources often have to be diverted at short notice

Speaking Engagements

We participate in a large number of seminars, conferences and public meetings.

Southern Health and Social Services Council, Quaker Buildings, High Street, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, BT66 8BB
Telephone: (028) 3834 9900  Fax: (028) 3834 9858 -  Minicom: (028) 3834 6488
Freephone: 0800 917 0222 © 2006.
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