TORs

PATIENTS' COUNCIL

2011 TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. Constitution

1.1 The Patients' Council is established under the direction of the Trust Board of Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

2. Purpose

2.1 The purpose of the Patients' Council is to work with the Trust to improve the services provided by the Trust for the patients and the communities served.

2.2 This purpose is achieved by:

2.2.1 representing the views of patients.

i) identify the need for working groups to assist the Council, and establish them;

ii) receive and consider the results of any patient and/or staff surveys;

iii) consider information received from the Patient Advice & Liaison Services (PALS) Manager;

iv) contribute to discussions regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the Trust's use of resources;

v) consider presentations and updates from the Trust and others;

vi) receive reports from specialist groups.

3. Membership

3.1 The voting Members will be appointed to the Council through a formal application and selection process in order to gain representation of the patients and the communities served. There will be a maximum of 21 voting Members.

3.2 The term of office of any voting Member appointed shall be 3 years from the January of the year in which they become a Member, and to be automatically renewed if required. Appointments are renewable for one further term of office.

3.3 In attendance there will be :

• the Chief Nurse, Director of Infection Prevention & Control or their Deputy;
• the PALS Manager;
• Nominated Trust representatives as determined by the Council;
• Minute-taker as nominated by the Trust and the Council.

3.4 The Chairman and Vice Chairman will be elected from within the Council following a closed ballot by the voting Members and will hold office for a term of three years.

3.5 The Chairman and Vice Chairman may be asked to step down by the voting Members following a closed ballot.

3.6 The Chairman and Vice Chairman may resign in writing at any time.

3.7 The Chairman will have a non-voting seat on the Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust Board, and will be represented by the Vice Chairman in case of absence.

3.8 Vice Chairmanship will not entitle the post-holder to automatic promotion to Chairman.

3.9 All Members appointed to the Patients' Council must undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check via the Trust's Human Resources Department.

3.10 Voting Members may resign in writing, to the Chairman, at any time.

3.11 If it is deemed by voting Members that any individual has behaved in an unacceptable or disruptive manner, the individual will be asked to leave the Council following a majority vote of no confidence.

4. Quorum

4.1 The quorum shall be one half, excluding any vacancies, of the complete voting membership, one of whom must be the Chairman or Vice Chairman, rounded up to a whole number. If during the course of a meeting it becomes inquorate, the meeting may continue but no further decisions can be made.

5. Frequency and Servicing of Meetings

5.1 The Council will meet monthly or otherwise as agreed;

5.2 The Council will be serviced by the Trust.

6. Reporting

6.1 The Patients' Council will report to the Trust's Healthcare Governance Committee.

7. Review

7.1 The Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually by the Council and the Board. Date of next review, January 2012.

7.2 Responsible Director: As designated by the Chief Executive Officer of the Trust.

Reviewed and agreed 27th January 2011
The Patients' Council for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust