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With effect from 1st April 2009 the responsibilities of the Eastern Health and Social Services Council have transferred to the new Patient Client Council. This web site will continue to be available for a short period as part of the transitional arrangements but please refer to the new organisation web site for up to date information www.patientclientcouncil.hscni.net. During this time the existing contact details will remain.

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Annual Report 2006/2007

Highlights of the year at the Eastern Health & Social Services Council
Contents:
Chair's Statement
What Do We Do?
How To Contact The Council
The Eastern Council Work Programme
Council Meetings
Chief Officer's Report
Help And Advice
Financial Statement

Chair's Statement
As Chair of Council I am often asked “What do you do?” As Chair I listen, explain, advise, motivate, respond, support, challenge, lead… the list of buzz words is endless. I also have to read and interpret a vast array of written and statistical material. The latter involves graphs, charts and tables showing information relating to targets set for things such as waiting lists, time spent in A&E departments and uptake of screening to improve health and well-being. I sometimes feel a bit of a word merchant or number cruncher but my central focus will always be people. Much debate has recently been centred on whether we deal with patients, clients, users or carers but I prefer to think of them primarily as people. Whether they are staff members, council members or members of the general public people deserve to be treated as people. That is central to my role and the message of the Council to the wider health and social care community.

Patricia McMillan

What Do We Do?

The Health and Social Services Councils represent the interests of the public in the planning and delivery of health and social services in Northern Ireland. The Councils give people a chance to influence decisions which affect them. There are four Health and Social Services Councils, with the Eastern Council representing the 660,000 people in the Eastern Board area. The Eastern Council's activities include:

-	Providing information on health care and social services
-	Offering advice and information to people who wish to complain
-	Monitoring the level of local services
-	Working with local groups to ensure their opinions are heard
-	Acting for the public to improve the range, type and quality of services
-	Representing the public in health and social care consultations

How To Contact The Council
Free Phone 0800 917 0222
Website: www.ehssc.org
Eastern Health and Social Services Council
1st Floor, Lesley House, 25-27 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1 6GQ

The Eastern Council Work Programme

The Council always seeks to respond to people’s concerns on health and social services as they arise. However the Council also sets out an annual programme of work which looks at key themes affecting not only the Eastern area but also the whole of Northern Ireland.

The work programme for the year 2006/2007 looked at a number of important themes, including:

-	Mental health care in the Eastern area and specifically the response to suicide and self harm in the North and West Belfast area
-	Patient and public involvement in health and social care in Northern Ireland
-	Awareness amongst people in the North Down and Ards area of the services available to them
-	Advocacy services available to people in care homes

In exploring these issues the Council met with patients, carers, community and voluntary groups as well as the Department of Health and Social Services, the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, hospitals, doctors and other health professionals.

Council Meetings

The Council holds a public meeting each month where members can comment on issues and raise local concerns. Council members are local people who give their time freely, with no remuneration, for the benefit of the entire community. During this year the Council held 11 monthly meetings. The Members’ record of attendance at Council meetings is summarised below:

Member	Attended	Member	Attended
Cllr Mrs Betty Campbell	9	Mr John McDowell	10
Mr Brian Compston	6	Mrs Sylvia McGarry	6
Cllr Dermot Curran	5	Mrs Patricia McGrogan	9
Cllr Robert Andrew Drysdale	6	Mrs Rosemary McGrotty	11
Mr Cecil Graham	9	Miss Patricia McMillan	11
Mrs Liz Hamilton	6	Mr Des Meredith	5
Ald Michael Henderson	2	Mrs Mary Muldoon	7
Cllr Maire Hendron	4	Cllr Cathal Mullaghan	7
Mr James Hutchinson	10	Mr Eamonn O’Neill	6
Cllr Alan Leslie	5	Mrs Muriel Patterson	7
Mr Robert Marshall	9	Mr David Spence	1

Chief Officer's Report

This year’s work programme was delivered against a background of imminent and radical change in health and social care in Northern Ireland.

In 2006/2007 the EHSSC, in its work plan, undertook significant work in community engagement, in complaints advocacy and in looking towards a health and social services where – through a universal duty to engage – individuals and communities will increasingly represent themselves.

The Council chose to focus on a number of key themes in its work programme. These included:

Patient and Public Involvement

Under this heading, Council undertook several pieces of work, including:

-	Significant resources to assist the DHSSPS in setting out a role and function for the Patient Client Council, including a wide ranging stakeholder consultation by the Chief Officer.
-	A research Project on Patient and Public Involvement, to complement departmental guidance on standards for PPI and to provide an initial resource for HPSS organisations and others.
-	Training in Patient and Public Involvement, focussing on the core skills required to deliver effective and meaningful Patient and Public Involvement.

Mental Health – Suicide and Self-Harm

Mental health has been a major theme for the Council work programme for the past two years. This year the focus was very much on the health service response to suicide and self -harm in North and West Belfast. Actions taken included:

-	Engagement with Community Groups. Throughout the year the Council held meetings with community groups dealing with suicide and self-harm in North and West Belfast.
-	Advocacy. The Council provided complaints advocacy for several families bereaved or with a family member at risk who were unhappy with the service they received.
-	A Council Visit to the Crisis Response Team at the Mater Hospital.
-	Representation to the Mater Hospital on arrangements for referral, admission and discharge of mental health emergencies.
-	An Open Forum hosted by the Council, with a speech to the Council by the Chair of the Implementation Task Force in the presence of the Council and invited community groups.

Throughout the year the Council has sought meaningful engagement with individuals and communities to gain insights into people living in difficult circumstances who rely on the support of health and social services. We would like to thank all those who met with the Council and shared their experiences.

Help And Advice
The Council seeks to direct and inform people seeking information on health and social services. The Council has produced a number of leaflets offering help and advice and these are available on request from our offices.
Your Guide to:
Care In The Community
Dental Services
GP Services
Hospital Services
Optician's Services
Pharmacy Services
Seeing Your Medical Records
Making A Complaint
Health And Social Services Councils
All these leaflets are available to download from the website www.ehssc.org

A key part of the Council’s services is to help anyone seeking to make a complaint about any aspect of health and social services. Council staff offer advice and support to anyone making a complaint to their hospital, doctor or any part of health and social services in the Eastern Health Board area. Last year 197 new complainants contacted the Council for assistance and help.

If you need help or advice please contact the Council on 0800 9170 222.

Financial Statement
Revenue Income and Expenditure Account for Year Ended 31 March 2007

		2006/2007	2005/2006
INCOME		£000	£000
Allocations		326	324
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety		48	44
Funds transfer from previous year

	Total Revenue Income	374	368
EXPENDITURE
Salaries		210	193
Establishment expenses		29	28
Premises and fixed plant		93	86
Other expenses		30	13
	Total Revenue Expenditure	362	320
	Total Income Less Total expenditure	12	48

Eastern Health and Social Services Council, 1st Floor, Lesley House, 25-27 Wellington Place, Belfast, BT1 6GQ
Freephone: 0800 917 0222
Fax: (028) 9032 1750
Minicom: (028) 9032 1285

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