Your health, your life, your choice, our passion...

We are here for you and we want you to get involved.

Whether you are a patient, a carer or a family member; whether you are a Member, a Governor, a local partner or simply live or work in Rotherham – you should feel assured that we are here for you, providing the care you need when you need it.

We are committed to working as part of our community and take our responsibilities very seriously. As an NHS Foundation Trust we are accountable to you, the public, and we have a role to play in ensuring Rotherham has a strong and vibrant future.

To do that, we need your help. If you care about health care in Rotherham, then you care about us and the services we provide.

Would you like to be involved?

Health care is our passion and we will continue to work hard to improve the health of the people we care for and we believe that together, we can make a real difference.

So, join us today. That way we can deliver a level of care that meets – and hopefully exceeds – your needs, both now and in the future. For more information about how to get involved as a member of the Trust, a member of the public or a patient please see our strategy for Patient Experience, Engagement and Involvement.

How we involve members, patients and the local community

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust is an acute and community Trust and a Public Benefit Corporation. The Trust’s primary purpose is to deliver NHS services in line with national guidelines and also to respond to the requirements of the health community it serves.

The law requires the Trust to consult the general public when substantial changes to services are proposed and the Trust has a duty to involve patients and the general public:

• In relation to the planning of services
  
• When considering and developing proposals for change; and
• In decisions which may affect how a service operates or where it is delivered

The type of change proposed will determine the level of consultation required which could range from a full public consultation to a consultation involving only the Trust’s Council of Governors. Full public consultations may be undertaken by the Trust alone, in conjunction with NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group or with the South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System.

The Trust’s Board of Directors welcomes the views and opinions of all patients, carers, members of the public, Members of the Foundation Trust, Governors and other stakeholders who have an existing connection with, or interest in the running of, the Trust.

To this end the Trust makes efforts to develop good communication with the local community through many different channels, some of which are:

• Holding monthly Board of Directors’ meetings in public at the end of which members of the public are invited to ask questions
• Encouraging attendance at the quarterly Council of Governors’ meetings which are open to members of the public
• Regular ‘Governors Surgeries’ at the hospital and in the community
  
• Quarterly ‘Your Health’ magazine
• Regular social media posts on Facebook and Twitter
• An annual ‘Quality Priorities Showcase’ event for patients, public, stakeholders and staff to consult on the Trust’s quality improvement priorities
• Our Annual Members Meeting at which the Trust’s Annual Report and Accounts are presented detailing the work of the Trust over the year
• Public and patient engagement forums for example the Ophthalmology open day and the Rotherham Maternity Voices Partnership
• Bespoke events to ensure involvement and engagement of patients and family on key issues e.g. the Child Development Service Review and promotion the Trust’s research activities on Clinical Trials Day 

The Board maintains an open communication with Members, patients and their carers, the public and other stakeholders and maximises the opportunities that its numerous corporate relationships provide. For example, the Trust actively engages with the local Health Select Commission, Rotherham Healthwatch, NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to understand the health needs and concerns of the Rotherham population. 

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG) have separate obligations in relation to patient and public involvement to those of Foundation Trusts. Details of the manner in which NHS Rotherham CCG involves patients and the local community can be found on their website: http://www.rotherhamccg.nhs.uk/consulting-and-engaging.htm

In addition, the Trust is member of the South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw Integrated Care System (ICS) which is responsible for involving patients and the public on behalf of individual organisations in relation to any proposed changes to service provision across the ICS. For more information on the way in which the ICS involves patients and the public please visit their website: https://www.healthandcaretogethersyb.co.uk/get-involved/get-involved