It is setting up a Youth Council which will ensure the voice of young people is heard by decision-makers at the hospital and members can also update their friends and communities about what is happening there.
The group will set their own priorities, work closely with departments in the hospital, and be a crucial new way of boosting the links between the QEH and the local community.
The project itself officially launches today (Tuesday 9 July) and the hospital will be partnering on the project with Healthwatch Norfolk, which collects the views and experiences of health and social care from people across the county.
A recruitment campaign will run across the summer with the Healthwatch Norfolk team visiting schools, colleges, and community events to encourage new members to sign up.
Watch the promotional video here which explains more about the Youth Council and how to get involved. Alternatively, anyone interested in finding out more and signing up for regular updates can log onto www.teamqehyouth.co.uk. They can also email youth.council@qehkl.nhs.uk for more information.
During the early autumn, the first fifteen youth council members will be selected.
They will then meet every six weeks and decide on the first areas to focus on.
Youth council members will not get paid as this is a voluntary independent role, but they will be reimbursed for their travel and other expenses relating to their role.
Alice Webster, Chief Executive of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said: “It is important that we make sure we are hearing from the young people in the communities that we look after. Their ideas, suggestions and connections are so important to us both in terms of continuously improving the care we give and helping us shape our new hospital.
“We are keen to hear from everyone aged 16 to 25. It is a fantastic opportunity to find out about healthcare opportunities, but we employ people in so many other areas too including IT, maintenance, portering, administration, logistics, and communications. Whatever you are interested in and however you can help us, we would love you to join the Youth Council.”
Antonia Hardcastle, the hospital’s Lead Governor, added: “We are only as good as the information we hear about when we are meeting our communities. The Youth Council will be vital in helping us understand the issues, concerns, ideas, and views of the younger members of the communities cared for by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
“Being part of the Youth Council will also be a useful springboard into further education, apprenticeships, or work. You will get a fantastic insight into the range of different roles and work within the hospital, and it will also look fantastic on applications as it will show some real experience of the workplace.”
The recruitment campaign and the first year of its operation will be overseen by Healthwatch Norfolk. Its chief executive Alex Stewart said: “Our core role is to ensure the voices of the community help shape the care people in the county receive. Working with the hospital team, this will help to embed that vital feedback into its work and help gather those all-important voices from the local community.”
Information For Editors
You can find out more about the QEH Youth Council by logging onto www.teamqehyouth.co.uk
For further information, please contact John Bultitude, Healthwatch Norfolk head of communications and marketing, on John.Bultitude@healthwatchnorfolk.co.uk or 07467 145412.
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