Patient Representatives
What is a Patient Representative?
At Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH), we are committed to working in partnership with patients and the public – to improve patient safety, patient experience and health outcomes, as well as supporting people to live healthier lives in their communities.
That’s why we’re recruiting more Patient Representatives to help us listen to people who use and care about our services, understand their diverse health needs better, and focus on and respond to what matters to them.
Our Patient Representatives help us make improvements, develop new ideas and ensure patient voice is at the heart of everything we do. We need more Patient Representatives at CLCH and we want to ensure we have a diverse range of patient voices shaping our work and making a lasting impact on patient experience.
How can I become a Patient Representative?
Take a look at the role description and Patient Representative Handbook to see what’s involved.
To apply, please complete our application form. We know an online form isn’t for everyone so candidates can request a paper application or submit a video application if they would prefer.
We’ll review your application and if suitable, we’ll invite you for an informal interview to get to know more about your interests and experience.
If you have any questions about the application process, please get in touch at clcht.patientreps@nhs.net.
Involvement payments and expenses
As a thank you for your time, Patient Representatives will be eligible for involvement payments in line with our involvement and expenses guide.
Involvement payments will be paid via our payroll system. Payments will be subject to statutory deductions including tax and national insurance (NI), dependent on individuals’ earnings and tax code.
Where Patient Representatives are in receipt of state benefits or health related insurance payments, your payments may be at risk if you accept any involvement payment. We advise you to seek advice from the Job Centre or your insurer before agreeing to accept the payments.
NHS England and NHS Improvement offer a confidential helpline to discuss benefit queries and you can get in touch with this service by contacting Bedford Citizens Advice Bureau at contractsadmin@bedfordcab.org.uk or by telephone 01234 330604. Staff on the confidential helpline can help answer your questions about receiving involvement payments and claiming expense in relation to being involved in NHS England’s work.
Patient Representatives can choose to decline payments or to request a lesser amount of payment if they so wish.
Patient Safety Partner – help design safer healthcare for our patients, with our patients
Patient Safety Partners are a type of Patient Representative who help us design safer healthcare for our patients by listening to patient voices and making the changes our patients want to see.
As a Patient Safety Partner, you’ll challenge us to make positive change for all our patients and focus on the experiences for service users when it comes to safety. Patient Safety Partners ensure diverse views in all our work around patient safety and create safer healthcare for our patient, with our patients.
You don’t need to have done this before or be a patient safety expert to get involved. We’re looking for people with experience of being a patient at CLCH and an interest in ensuring our patients have the best experience possible. To apply, complete our Patient Representative application form and tell us why patient voice is a passion of yours.
Young People and CLCH - Your Voice, Your Care
Young people can join us as Patient Representatives too! We are always looking to work closely with young people (14-18) who are in contact with our services to share ideas and improve the work we do.
At CLCH, we have a simple system for working with young people called TUNE IN which ensures your voice is heard and respected. You’ll be suitably rewarded for your time and it’s a great experience for young people interested in a career in health and social care.
We reach out to young people through the schools in our boroughs, and run regular workshops with young people to discuss all the different services we provide. If you would like to start attending our workshops or have any questions, please email clcht.patientreps@nhs.net.