Our governing body, which is chaired by the trust’s chairman, is made up of 23 elected governors (four public; 13 UCLH patients; one carer of a patient and six staff) and 10 appointed governors from partner organisations representing our key stakeholders.
The governing body is a valued and effective body advising the trust on issues that are important to patients and the wider community. It works with the trust to ensure it provides the best possible service to its patients.
The governing body is not responsible for the day-to-day running of the trust but works with the board of directors to produce the trust’s future plans; it ensures that the voice of members and partners are used to inform the trust’s decisions. Its statutory responsibilities are described in the Trust’s constitution.
In 2009 the trust published a membership development strategy which set out the plan governors agreed to maintain, grow and develop its membership. The three strands of the strategy (below) will be reviewed by the governing body annually.
- To build a membership that effectively represents the population the trust serves
- To effectively communicate with members
- To engage and encourage member involvement
There are a number of different ways to get involved. Here are some recent examples:
- Training – It’s important for staff to understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of care. Patients have told us their stories about their experience through video, which has then been included in leadership training for staff.
- Focus groups – Women who gave birth at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital were invited to discuss their experiences and identify areas for service improvement. These were then discussed with senior management who took action on the main themes that were identified.
- Quality improvement – Nurses worked with older adults to explore their experience of dignity in care using the creative arts. Participants were invited to make use of collage, movement/dance and sculpting with clay. The nurses and patients were able to learn and reflect together. One of the participants commented: “it’s a partnership, being given a voice and listened to, and people are prepared to learn”. There are always new and interesting opportunities to get involved.
If you would like to participate email claire.willis@uclh.nhs.uk for an application form and tell us what interests you.