Blackpool Teaching Hospitals launches call for volunteers to share their experiences of healthcare services

A new initiative at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals is building on the experiences of patients with complex health needs to provide a more personalised service for other carers and patients across the Fylde.

Experts by Experience is seeking volunteers with recent experience of accessing health services, across all clinical areas and specialities. Through attending working groups, workshops and offering insights from the patient’s perspective, an ongoing collective of more than 20 experts will be established to work with the Trust, supporting a culture which is both patient and carer-centred.

Volunteers will need to be able to draw on their experience as an NHS patient or carer within the past five years and be able to attend meetings in person or online, around the Fylde Coast. They will be expected to work within teams and represent a variety of communities as well as their own, to reflect all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Whilst Experts by Experience is not a salaried role, volunteers will be paid for their time at an hourly rate and will be reimbursed for expenses, with transport arranged to attend meetings if needed.

Eleanor Walsh, Head of Patient Experience at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals said: “People with first-hand experience of our services are the best qualified to work with us to ensure we take a personalised approach to care.

“Whilst our staff have the essential skills and knowledge around conditions, they don’t know how it feels to live in that situation on a daily basis. The ‘Experts by Experience’ will provide an essential role in helping us to understand their needs better and optimise the best treatment approach for their condition.

“By engaging in the programme, we hope it also increases their confidence and skills, and reduces any potential social isolation they may be experiencing.”

To find out more or to apply, please email bfwh.patientexperience@nhs.net or phone 01253 955014.

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