Putting Service Users and Carers at the Heart of the School
The Memorandum was signed by Katherine Murphy and Vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Bob Cryan
Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:07:00 BST
Offering the most sensitive care and support possible as the next generation of health professionals is always at the forefront of our students’ ambitions. The involvement of service users and their carers in the work of the School of Human and Health Sciences is essential in achieving this, and 21 February saw the celebration of a new alliance with the signing of the Patients Association Memorandum of Understanding.
The School was delighted to welcome colleagues from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and Kirkwood Hospice, family and friends of the late Richard Smith and service users and colleagues from across health and social care at the event.
The School has already forged close links with the Association through establishing the Claire Rayner Scholarship, honouring the former nurse and campaigner for patient interests who sadly passed away in October 2010. The new Memorandum outlines a commitment to the ongoing involvement of service users as collaborators in research and education.
This theme continued throughout the day, with Christine Rhodes presenting findings from her Doctoral study exploring service user involvement in health and social care education. Mrs Christine Springthorpe, Director of Clinical Services and Joint Chief Executive of Kirkwood Hospice, also spoke about the ‘What Do You Think?’ initiative, aiming to make the voices of service users heard through regular meetings between staff, patients and visitors.
The family, friends and social work colleagues of the late Richard Smith joined the group for the premier showing of a DVD charting his remarkable life. As a cerebral palsy sufferer, Richard never allowed his disability to prevent him from leading a full and active life, campaigning for charity and playing a key role in social work courses at the University of Huddersfield, who awarded him an honorary degree in 2007.
Barbara Schofield, consultant nurse at the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust and the first recipient of the Claire Rayner Scholorship presented the initial stages of her Doctoral study exploring compassion in nursing. She is pictured here with Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Patients Association.
Helen Thomas, Deputy Chief Executive of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust also had the opportunity to be the first signatory to the Patients Association Care Campaign, which aims to improve care standards around dignity, nutrition, compassion and pain management.
An advisory group led by Ruth Neville, School Leader for Service User and Carer Engagement, is exploring opportunities for collaborative research within the Centre for Health and Social Care Research. If you would like any further information or to get involved, please contact Julie Hemingway at j.hemingway@hud.ac.uk
