Royal Society of Medicine, October 12
Customers, healthcare professionals and care providers need to work more closely together on social care, a recent seminar has concluded.
“Everyone has to get involved,” was the message from the first seminar held by an influential government-funded project that aims to ensure that people who use health and social care can become significantly more engaged in the services they receive.
The seminar, chaired by Lord Toby Harris and led by Leonard Cheshire Disability, was the first public meeting of the Together Everybody Achieves More (TEAM) project (1). It is the first event in a two-year project, that will see a programme of seminars and worshops bring together health, patient and third-sector organisations together, to ensure all potential stakeholders get more involved with helping influence social care.
The seminar was chaired by leading health campaigner and former Director of the Association of Community Health Councils forEnglandandWales, Lord Toby Harris. It brought together a 9-strong panel of speakers, from strategic healthcare professionals to patient organisations.
Speakers:
Professor Brian Duerden CBE
Infection in the community setting, understanding the current challenges and exploring emerging risks.
Understanding the issues and relationships between hospital and community acquired infections.
What does this mean for patient groups such as the elderly, disabled, with disease-specific conditions or receiving healthcare in community homes?
Professor Janice Stevens CBE (Independent Health Care Consultant)
DH policies and NHS activities and achievements in tackling infections over the past year.
What practical steps can patients, carers and staff take to help prevent infection and the spread of infection in these settings?
The value and role of third-sector organisations in raising awareness and providing information for tackling infections in the community.
John Wilderspin (National Director, Health and Wellbeing Board Implementation)
The emerging role of organisations such as Health and Wellbeing Boards and HealthWatch and how these organisations could contribute to raising awareness and ensuring organisations adopt known good practice with regard to preventing infection in the community.
Potential activities for TEAM to connect and work with the new NHS and Social Care architecture to prioritise the delivery of clean, safe community environments.
Graziella Kontkovski C. difficile Support
C. difficile in patients with cancer.
Graham Tanner National Concern for Healthcare Infections
Norovirus prevention/containment in community settings; Antibiotic resistance .
Juliette Millard Leonard Cheshire Disability
HCAI and disability in care homes and community settings.
Dr. Shuja Shafi Muslim Council of Britain
Perspectives from the Asian community.
David Wood Attend
Volunteering.
TEAM patients~partnership 