SOUTHERN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COUNCIL

Programme of Work 2003/04 ... Continued

13 POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND REPRESENTATION

During 2003/04 the Council will seek to:

• Increase understanding of the user and patient perspective in the Southern Board’s area.
• Represent the Council at meetings, conferences, seminars and other appropriate occasions.
• Highlight the role and function of the Council with a range of voluntary and statutory organisations including District Councils and, subject to the return of the devolved administration, the Northern Ireland Assembly.
• Contribute to policy development through participating in DHSSPS and agency working groups.
• Maintain links with City, Borough and District Councils.
• Attend and contribute at meetings of the Southern Health and Social Services Board.
• Attend and contribute at Trust Board meetings.
• Enhance links with GP ‘Out of Hours’ Co-Operatives throughout the Southern area.
• Develop links with GPs and primary care teams, and with the Health and Social Care groups in the Southern Area.
• Participate actively in the Southern Investing for Health Partnership (SIHP).
• Continue to be represented on the Southern Health and Social Services Board’s Community Development Forum.
• Enhance links with the Health Promotion Agency, the Royal Colleges, the British Medical Association (BMA), General Medical Council (GMC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and other organisations representing health care professions.
• Prepare policy options for consideration by Council.
• Maintain good working relationships with the Association of Community Health Councils for Wales, the Scottish Association of Health Councils (SAHCs). Develop relationships with the new structures currently being developed to replace CHCs in England.
• Follow-up the extent to which the recommendations made by the Council in its research reports published in 2002 have influenced the policy and practice of relevant organisations.

1. Services For Older People At Daisy Hill Hospital – The Views Of Patients
2. Breast screening In Newry And Mourne – Women’s Experiences And Attitudes
3. Mullinure Day Unit – The Views Of Users
4. Non-Attendance At Outpatient Appointments – A Discussion Paper

14 INFORMATION

During 2003/04 the Council will conduct a review of its information services in conjunction with the other three Health and Social Services Councils. The review will seek to define the appropriate information function of the Councils and will examine the resources required to maintain a quality service. In the interim the Council will:

• Maintain its current health information resource material for distribution to the public.
• Respond to requests for information from service users and the general public.
• Develop its website as an information tool.

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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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