NIAS aims to provide a mechanism for service users, carers, and members of the public to have input into the strategic and developmental work being carried out by the Trust board, Senior Management Team, and staff. The Partner Voice Forum is a voluntary group of individual service users, carers and members of the public with, and without, lived experience of NIAS services, whose perspectives can inform and enhance the Trust’s knowledge and understanding when planning, developing, delivering, commissioning, evaluating and improving services.
The Forum works in partnership with NIAS staff to drive forward the promotion and co-ordination of Patient Client Experience (PCE), Personal and Public Involvement (PPI), Co-Production and Partnership Working across the Trust.
To date the Partner Voice Forum has met three times with the official launch to take place in November 2024 with ten members representing service users and/or carers. This group is in the early stages of development, however, to date the group has:
- Reviewed the Public Health Agency’s Monitoring and Assurance processes
- Agreed a Terms of Reference
- Reviewed the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service’s Involvement and Co-Production strategy
- Informed the development of resources to support with the compliment/complaint’s procedure
- Reviewed and informed the Patient Care Service non-emergency ambulance transport information leaflet
Currently the Partner Voice Forum is working to establish and implement an action plan to support the advancement of PCE, PPI, Co-production and Partnership Working across the Trust as well as support NIAS to comply with and implement current PPI policy and any further Department of Health guidance on related areas.
We will have an official launch in November 2024 of the Partner Voice forum to raise awareness across the organisation and to the public. Key areas of development identified by the Partner Voice Forum (PVF):
- focus is working on developing the understanding of Northern Ireland Ambulance Service as an organisation to the public and manage the expectations of what can be delivered
- Implement a structured, timely and inclusive approach to communications to embed PCE, PPI, Partnership working and Co-Production into the culture and practice of the Trust
- Developing procedure for showcasing good practice within the organisation to the public
