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Your Health
and Wellbeing is Important A guide to becoming more actively involved in your health and social care. CONTENTS: Introduction
Each one of us has a responsibility to improve the quality and safety of health and social care. You, as a user, patient or family carer can play a vital role by becoming an active and informed member of your care team. From talking to people Health and Social Services Councils have learned that people's health and social care experiences could have been improved if they had been better prepared. This booklet suggests how you can work in partnership with those looking after you to get the best possible care and treatment. This
booklet also aims to provide you with: No matter which member of the health care team (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, social worker, health visitor, dentist and others) that you are seeing, this booklet will be of help to you when you want to ask questions about the care you are getting. So ... why should you get actively involved? When
you or a member of your family visits a health or social care professional
you expect to: Health and social care is becoming more complex every day and money is limited. There is increasing demand to do more with less. While most receive excellent care, there is an increasing awareness that sometimes things can go wrong, or services are not received when they are most needed. Errors occur mostly because of the way things are done, not as a result of who is doing them. Everyone has a part to play - from the Government, which makes decisions about the health and social care system, to your own active involvement in your health and social care needs, which can lead to better overall experiences and outcomes. Speak
up if you have questions or concerns. If you don't understand, ask again.
You have a right to ask questions and to expect answers you can understand The
following pages can assist you in becoming more actively involved and
informed in managing your own health and social care when you attend or
receive care or treatment from: When you see your GP Write
down what you want to know about your condition or treatment before your
appointment. That way you won't forget to ask any questions.
Don't
forget to ask: Remember: You have the right to be respected; your health or social care professional also has the right to be respected. Know what medicines you take and why you take them. Errors with medicines are one of the most common forms of healthcare mistakes. When
you get your medicine read the label, including the warnings. Make sure
it is what was ordered for you - if not, tell your doctor/pharmacist.
Remember to ask: Do
you have any written information about this medicine? ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS If you need to attend an Accident and Emergency Department (Casualty/A&E Department). Ask
who will be in charge of your care.
You may attend an outpatient clinic or become an inpatient for any of a variety of procedures or treatments. If
you cannot keep an appointment let the hospital know. Ask
for a copy of the hospital leaflet. You should confirm with your surgeon the operation to be performed as close as possible to it happening. Do not be afraid to ask for the site to be marked. Know what medicines you take and why you take them. Errors with medicines are one of the most common forms of healthcare mistakes. If
you do not recognise a medicine, check that it is for you. You can also
ask about the contents of intravenous fluids (drip). If you are given
a drip, ask the nurse how long it should take for the liquid to "run
out". Take part in all decisions about your treatment. The health and social care team is working for you. Ask those in charge of your treatment and care to explain the treatment plan you will use at home. It is important that you fully understand your treatment plan upon discharge from hospital including any follow-up care. Don't forget to ask for some written information about your treatment/operation. If you have any medicines to take, know what medicines you should be taking and for how long. If you are taking a lot of medicines, ask your doctor or local pharmacist if it is safe to take them all together. This is also true for vitamins, herbal supplements and over-the-counter medicines that have been bought for you. Remember to ask: Who
will be following up on my care and when do I need to see them? SOCIAL WORKERS AND SOCIAL CARE WORKERS Social workers and social care workers have a role to help individuals, families and communities meet their specific personal care and support needs. They work with: Elderly
people.
Social workers have the responsibility for the assessment of service users' care and the planning and management of care services. Social care workers provide personal care and support services to individuals and families. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you require social care help at home. Who
are these people coming into my home? To ensure that there is 24 hour care available to those who need it, out-of-hour medical and social care services are in place. These services should be used in the case of an emergency situation outside the normal operating hours of GP surgeries, social work offices etc. If you need an out-of-hours service, you should telephone first. Your call will be taken by specially trained staff who will be able to offer advice and help. If you don't have the out-of-hours number, dial your usual contact number and a message will tell you how to contact the out-of-hours service for your area. FEEDBACK/SUGGESTIONS/COMPLAINTS Health and social services can be improved by listening to and learning from your experience. If you are not happy with your treatment, tell those providing the service. If you wish to make a complaint,m then your hospital, social services, GP or other service you wish to complain about should have a trained person who can assist you and provide information about the complaints process. Printed information can be provided for you to take away and consider. Some people require support in making a complaint and help and advice can be provided by your local Health and Social Services Council. The Freedom of Information Act gives anyone the right to ask public authorities for any information they hold. This includes health and social services. Any person who makes a request for information to a public authority must be informed whether the public authority holds that information. Subject to exemptions they should supply the information that has been requested. There may be a fee attached to this. The Data Protection Act 1998 gives you the right to obtain information about yourself. This includes access to health records held by hospitals, GPs, dentists, social workers and other health care professionals. The records tell you about your health and any care or treatment you've received. First ask the person who holds the records if you can see them. If your request is refused you have a legal right to ask again. Health and Social Care Organisations have an obligation to protect an individual's personal information from inappropriate use. If you have a query about Data Protection or access to records you can contact your local Health and Social Services Council for advice. Health and Social Services Councils were set up by Government to represent the views and opinions of the public. There are four Councils in Northern Ireland: Northern
Health and Social Services Council Southern
Health and Social Services Council Eastern
Health and Social Services Council Western
Health and Social Services Council The
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People For advice on Human Rights issues contact: Northern
Ireland Human Rights Commission For advice regarding discrimination on grounds of disability, gender, race, religious belief and political opinion: Equality
Commission Information
Commission's Office Data
Protection Office Remember: Be
actively involved in your health and wellbeing This leaflet was adapted for Northern Ireland in agreement between NI Clinical and Social Care Governance Support Team and Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare, and in partnership with the four Health and Social Services Councils. Northern
Ireland Clinical and Social Care Governance Support Team If this booklet is required in other languages or formats, please contact one of the Health Councils. August 2005
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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 E-mail:ecouncil@ehssc.n-i.nhs.uk |
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