Involvement opportunities
We want to make sure that Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) meets the health needs and choices of our patients and families. We need your involvement to make this happen.
Examples of where patients, parents and members of the public are involved include ward inspections, the food group and improving hand washing. There are many opportunities for you to get involved to help us develop and shape services that are truly patient and family centred:
We are also working to create more ways in which to involve you at GOSH. We will soon be developing projects that you could support us with, including:
Watch this space for future updates and for further information please contact Rehana Ahmed at rehana.ahmed@gosh.nhs.uk
Note: anyone applying must be a Foundation Trust member. To become a member fill in our online membership form.
We asked our volunteers what they had to say about their experience volunteering at the hospital.
Linda Abdelmoumen is 19 years old and volunteered to help us with our main reception and outpatient survey.
She said: "The staff at GOSH were all very welcoming and helpful. When I first started this project, I was a bit nervous approaching parents and patients but I quickly got the hang of it. Everyone I approached was more than happy to participate.
"This has been a brilliant opportunity and it has helped me develop my communication skills. My advice to young people thinking of volunteering at GOSH is to go for it."
Catrin Essery, one of our parent volunteers, said:
"I have recently spent six weeks volunteering for the outpatients reception project at GOSH and thoroughly enjoyed my time at the hospital.
"I was touched and motivated to give back to the hospital for the amazing care they give to children like my son, Gabriel.
"I really wanted to connect with the hospital. The staff, my fellow volunteers and our team leaders could not have been nicer or more friendly to me.
"I was quite nervous about having to approach parents and families waiting for their appointments but, having been in the same position, I felt I could relate to how families were feeling.
"What struck me was how positive the atmosphere was at the hospital among staff and the real sense of teamwork. It was a very rewarding experience, one that I hope to repeat again in the near future."
Diane and Ivor Jones volunteered to help us with our autism focus group. Diane is the proud mother of Elliott, who is severely autistic. Elliott has been a patient at GOSH for a number of years.
Diane explains: "When we were invited to a focus group regarding the care GOSH give autistic children, we jumped at the chance. We live 80 miles away but felt any help we could give to GOSH, or any parents in a similar position to ours, was well worth the trip.
"These groups are priceless. I know GOSH will act on the feedback and listen to parents. We all know the government are cutting back services, but a friendly smile, a little word of encouragement and understanding from the staff cost nothing. I find this is given to us free every time we visit, which helps give GOSH the worldwide reputation it deserves."
Help us design materials for visually impaired children
We are a group of researchers at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at the Institute of Child Health and our unit specialises in investigating the relationship between brain structure and cognitive skills in children with developmental disorders.
We are looking for feedback from parents and children to help us design the information sheets and recruitment material as part of a study about the influence of congenital visual impairment on brain development and to relate it to the specific strengths and weaknesses in visually impaired children between 8 and 12 years old.
We want to be able to provide the parents of these children and the children themselves with information material so that they can decide if they want to be part of the study. We also want to recruit sighted children in the same age range for comparison.
As part of the feedback from parents and children, in particular, we want to know if the information sheet we wrote for children is:
a) understandable for children between 8 and 12 years old,
b) if it leaves unanswered any major questions that the children may have,
c) if children like the style it is written in.
We'd like to hear from the parents what they think about the information sheet and if they would like to see any additions to it. Please contact Johannes Bathelt, Ph.D. candidate on 020 7905 2749 or email johannes.bathelt.10@ucl.ac.uk
Help us review our formal complaints process
We are reviewing our formal complaints process because we want to ensure that all services provided by Great Ormond Street Hospital are appropriate to the needs of all our patients and families.
The formal complaints process is used by patients and families whose issues and complaints have not been resolved through informal mediation or through our Patient Advice and Liaison Service.
We would like your views and would grateful if you could spare a few minutes to complete our online survey.
If you've used the service or not we still want your views. The closing date for the online survey is Monday 28 May 2012.
If you have any questions, please contact Rehana Ahmed on 020 7405 9200 ext 1378 or email rehana.ahmed@gosh.nhs.uk
