Members have their say on hospital services
Over 200 members of the public had the chance to learn more about the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and have their say on its services when the hospital opened its doors for its annual Members’ Say event on 25th September.
The RD&E currently has over 11,000 public Members. Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in the hospital and how it is run. It is free to join and Members get a real opportunity to influence the workings of the RD&E through electing hospital Governors and taking part in surveys, as well as keeping informed about the Trust through regular events.
The event, which was held in the Research Innovation Learning and Development (RILD) building, is an annual opportunity for Members to get an inside look at the Trust and to contribute thoughts and ideas on how things could be done differently. This year’s theme focused on the future of healthcare and how the NHS needs to adapt to meet the challenges it currently faces.
The day began with the 2015 Annual Members Meeting, where the Executive team, including Chairman James Brent, Chief Executive Angela Pedder and Head of Governors Richard May, fed back an update on the Trust’s progress throughout the year.
The RD&E’s tenth annual Members’ Say then followed, which included a range of and opportunities for Members to give their feedback through focus groups and interactive activities. Members also got an insight into work at the RD&E with ‘Medicine for Members’ talks on ideas for new models of care and the future of personalised medicine, and seminars on key health issues facing Devon and the hospital’s Living with and Beyond Cancer Project.
In between the sessions, Members could visit a range of information stands covering topics such as infection control, healthy eating, clinical research, and safe clinical training, and well as information from Health Watch Devon, Active Devon and the Red Cross. Members also had the opportunity to meet their Governors representatives throughout the day.
James Brent, Chairman of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our Members’ Say event provides an important opportunity for our Members to have their say about the Trust and to give their opinion on what matters to them. It’s also enables us as a Trust to better understand the views of the communities we serve and to ensure that these are always taken into account as we look to the future of health care in Devon.”
If you are interested in becoming a Member of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust you can find out more at www.rdehospital.nhs.uk/trust/ft/membership.html or call 01392 403977
