THREE health forums have joined forces for the first time, to check the standard of services in care homes.
The North Tees and Hartlepool Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) forum has linked with PPI forum North Tees Primary Care and Hartlepool Primary Care PPI forum, which look at services provided by GPs, pharmacies and dentists in their respective towns.
The three forums already carry out visits to GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospital wards, but officials believed that there was a need to ensure NHS services in care homes were up to a high standard.
The joint working team has begun monitoring visits in Stockton and Hartlepool. Their first visit was to the Lindisfarne Care Home, in Hartlepool, which they declared to be excellent.
This is believed to be the first time PPI forums have included care homes in their work and the first example of three PPI forums working together.
Anyone interested in influencing local health services can contact Sheila Sutherland on 01429-287315 or Michelle Jones on 01642-292012.
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