News from our partners: Shropshire Care Closer to Home Board appoints patient representative

News from our partners NHS Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

A new patient representative, Jackie Jones, has been appointed to join the Shropshire Care Closer to Home Programme Board – a committee set up by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Jacqui Jones

Jackie is a resident and patient in north Shropshire and is also in her second year as chair of the Prescott Surgery Patient Group in Baschurch.

She has a strong record of representing patients and has also been a member of the Patient Congress for North Staffordshire CCG. Jackie was also the nominated Patient Representative for the joint North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS CCG Governing Board until February 2018 and sat on the Patient Forum for the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.

As an ‘expert by experience,’ Jackie was also a member of the North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Dementia Steering Group, developing networks within the voluntary sector and working closely with Keele University to provide training to care home managers.

On a personal level, Jackie has experienced NHS services many times after her mother was diagnosed with dementia. She said:

“Through mum’s diagnosis, I experienced a challenging journey. It was then that I decided I could either do nothing, or put myself forward to be an advocate for what needed to be done differently.

“I have a genuine concern for the well-being of others across the health sector and within my community. I want to be a voice for patients who are put at the heart of the decisions that are made.”

The Shropshire Care Closer to Home Programme Board is responsible for looking at how existing services might be provided differently and more efficiently, co-ordinating and integrating care. The programme aims to give people in Shropshire access to the care they need closer to where they live, either in their own home or in the community.

Dr Finola Lynch, Joint Chair for the Shropshire Care Closer to Home Programme Board at the CCG, said:

“Patients, their families and carers have to be part of this redesign of community services and it is essential they are as active a contributor as any member of staff or health partner. We want their support and their challenge. Jackie’s range of experiences with her mum, as well as her previous roles, will help to bring insight into our discussions, not just from a patient perspective but also from a carer’s viewpoint.

“There was a lot of interest in the role, which was open to all members of the public. This appointment followed a recruitment process where all applicants were reviewed by a panel to select a successful applicant.”

Jackie was awarded joint runner-up for the Carer Contributor of the Year Award from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in November 2015 thanks to her work with the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and CCGs around the clinical pathways provided for patients with dementia.

Jackie will also be using her experience in customer services where she previously worked in a senior leadership role in financial services.