To ensure that Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) meets the health needs and choices of our patients and families we need your involvement.
There are many opportunities for you to get involved in helping us to develop and shape the services that we provide to ensure that they are truly patient and family centred:
We are also working to create more ways in which to involve you at GOSH. For example, 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.
Would you like to join our young people's forum?
Are you a patient or have you ever been a patient at GOSH? You may even have a brother or sister at the hospital or would like to learn more about the work that it does.
If you are aged between 11 and 25 and can spare two hours every few weeks why not join a young people's forum? It's aimed at helping us to improve in areas such as dignity and respect and to provide age-appropriate activities and entertainment for our teenage patients.
The forum will give you a real say in improving the hospital's services. You will learn new skills, have the opportunity to build your confidence, improve your communication skills and meet other people. Most importantly, you will be helping to make sure that GOSH provides its patients with the best experience it possibly can.
The forum is open to anyone aged between 11 and 25, and we are particularly keen to hear from you if:
If you are interested or would like to find out more, please email Rehana Ahmed on Rehana.Ahmed@gosh.nhs.uk with your name, age and a few sentences explaining what you feel you could contribute to the forum and what you are hoping to get out of joining it.
Wayfinding and signage questionnaire
Over the last few years, GOSH have been working hard to improve wayfinding. Hospital signage has been standardised, each building has been given a unique colour, 'you are here' information boards have been installed and animal graphics have been incorporated into the signage in some of our recent redevelopments.
It would be appreciated if you would take a few minutes to complete our survey by Monday 3 June 2013. Your feedback will be used to help us improve signage in and around the hospital.
If you have any further comments or suggestions, please contact redevelopment.projects@gosh.nhs.uk or call 020 7829 7810.
Proposed changes affecting Kingfisher and Rainforest Wards
The Medicine, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services Division are proposing to change how we provide inpatient care for the gastroenterology, endocrinology and metabolic medicine specialities. This change will affect Kingfisher and Rainforest Wards.
Find out more information about this public consultation and how you can let us know your thoughts and feedback on this proposal by downloading the public consultation documentation (PDF, 138KB).
Would you like to help the Gastroenterology team and join the steering group of the Patient and Family Centred Care programme?
The Gastroenterology service is part of a high profile service improvement programme in partnership with the King's Fund and the Health Foundation. The Patient and Family Centred Care programme (PFCC) offers tested techniques to improve processes of care and staff patient interactions, which together affect patients' and staff experience of care. Find out more about the PFCC methodology (Word doc, 15KB).
The Gastroenterology team has chosen the endoscopy pathway as a focus for this work, with the aim to consistently exceed patient and carer expectations. This will include reviewing the decision making processes, how we communicate, the information we provide, patient experience on admission and post investigation arrangements.
We are looking for patients and carers to contribute to the steering group of the PFCC and/or get involved in specific work-streams, as we require your experience, skills and knowledge for this work to be a success and ensure you shape how care is organised.
If you are interested in participating in this programme and working with the gastroenterology team or would like to find out more, please email Andrea Cuff or call 020 7405 9200, ext 5285.
Are you a parent or carer of a child (under 16 years of age) being treated or previously treated under the palliative care team at GOSH?
We are looking to recruit parents or carer representatives to join a focus group to discuss how a specialist pharmacist could help families with their medication needs and improve patient experience.
We anticipate a one off time commitment of two hours at a focus group towards the end of June 2013 (date and time to be advised once we have an idea of numbers).
If you are interested or would like to find out more, please email Nanna Christiansen with your name, age and a sentence outlining your connection to the palliative care team before Tuesday 5 June 2013. We hope to have 6-12 parents and carers for a focus group meeting at the end of June 2013.
Teens needed to help improve our website
Are you a patient of GOSH with a real story to tell? We are seeking teenagers with a passion for writing to share their experiences of GOSH to help reassure other young people coming to the hospital. You might like to talk about your condition, or about what it's like coming to and staying in hospital. Send your story via our form and we'll be in touch to let you know when we've added it to the website.
We’re also looking for people who would be willing to help us improve the design and content of the teenagers section of the hospital website. All it involves is us contacting you now and then to get your feedback and input as we develop different sections online.
Please drop us a line if you’re interested in getting involved in this project.
Would you like to become a Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity Ambassador?
We want to form a network of people, based across the South East of England, who can act as an ambassador for the charity - organising fundraising activities, representing the charity in their local area and helping to engage people with the work of the hospital. Find out more information here about becoming a Children's Charity Ambassador.
We asked our volunteers what they had to say about their experience volunteering at the hospital.
Linda
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
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
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."
