This page provides a best practice example for standard 11 of Facing the Future: Together for child health standards, which outlines how children, young people and parents are involved in meetings and decision making at Morriston Hospital. Children and young people have shaped service design and used projects to talk with other patients about their rights.
Standard 11: There are documented, regular meetings attended by senior healthcare professionals from hospital, community and primary care services and representatives of children and their parents and carers to monitor, review and improve the effectiveness of local unscheduled care services.
Model
- In 2017, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board became the first health organisation in the UK to adopt a children's charter, underpinned by the values laid out in the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- The Youth Board (ABMyouth) hosts regular meetings with children and young people, where projects and priorities are discussed. Actions are fed back to nurses, who set action plans to make improvements on the ward.
- ABMyouth is made up of 20 young people aged 14-24, from across South Wales. The group have their own constitution, workplan and logo.
- For specific complex cases or long term conditions, children, young people and / or parents and carers are invited to senior meetings.
- ABMyouth worked closely on the '15 steps challenge', giving a child's opinion of their first steps onto a hospital ward and have encouraged the 'smile campaign' in designing posters and leaflets for waiting rooms.
- ABMyouth was named joint winner in the Health, Social Care and Wellbeing category at the Third Sector Awards Cymru in 2017.
- ABMyouth met with Welsh Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething, to discuss their plans in shaping healthcare design.
Contact for further information
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board, Morriston Hospital
Eirlys Thomas, Head of Nursing Neonatal and Children's Services - eirlys.thomas@wales.nhs.uk
Janette Williams, Paediatric Patient Experience Nurse - janette.williams@wales.nhs.uk
External links