Annual Review 2009 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

Chapter Six
Members’ activities
Patient and public engagement is at the heart
of our application to become a Foundation
Trust and our membership strategy has been
designed to place the Trust at the heart of the
local community.
The membership has been one of our biggest
successes with over 7,000 members recruited in
one year.
Over the last year we have held coffee and cake
events at Rowley Regis Hospital and seminars in
topics selected by members, including allergy,
infection control, patient experience, stroke,
branding and CPR. Many of these events have
been over-subscribed and we have had to put
people on waiting lists.
NHS 60 celebration events for staff, patients,
local people and members were a big hit, with
exhibitions of old medical equipment, an old
ambulance, staff dressed in nurses uniforms
through the decades, children’s entertainment
and plenty of fun and games. The celebrations
culminated in a performance of the NHS story
‘From Cradle to Grave’ which toured the country.
More than 400 members have been involved
in developing our customer care promises and
helping plan this annual report and several
hundred have taken part in workshops about our
planned new hospital – on subjects including toilet
facilities, waiting areas, arts, communication,
transport, public space and civic pride.
More than 100 members have asked to help with
patient surveys with similar numbers forming
reading groups and volunteering. 80 members
are setting up a patient and public forum while we
are looking at how we can involve more than 40
members with fundraising and another 50 in the
performing arts and other practical areas.
In total, more than 2,500 members have come to
a range of events and taken part in surveys over
the last 12 months.
37
Annual General Meeting
An overwhelming response from the public meant
the Trust held two Annual General Meetings in
2008 to accommodate all those who wanted to
come.
After 800 people said they wanted to come to our
AGM, a ‘repeat’ event was arranged and video links
were arranged into two overflow rooms on each
night.
Many were members of the proposed Foundation
Trust who sat alongside staff to hear how the Trust
had performed, what its plans were, and hear
presentations about the allergy service and work to
improve the patient experience.
Those who attended were treated to a meal which
showcased the Trust’s new a-la-carte menu which
was introduced earlier this year across City, Sandwell
and Rowley Regis hospitals.
Chair Sue Davis said: “We were delighted with
the response from the public especially all our
Foundation members. The two evenings were a great
success and the feedback we got from the people
who attended has been very positive. The feedback
suggests that people especially liked the talks from
Dr Jonathan North, who gave us an insight into
allergies, and Rachel Stevens, Chief Nurse, and two
matrons from the Trust, who talked about how the
‘Patient Experience’ is being improved.”
Almost everyone who attended the event said they
would come to a similar event again with the highest
satisfaction levels the Trust had ever received for a
public event.