Galway University Hospitals seek Members for their Patient Council

Galway University Hospitals (GUH) are currently looking for people to volunteer to be part of the Patient Council. The aim of the Patient Council is to work closely with staff to improve the experience patients and families of patients’ have when using the services of the hospital. It gives patients and members of the public the opportunity to become involved as active partners in Galway University Hospitals and advise hospital management on improving patient experience. The Council is a partnership which brings together volunteers from the general public and senior hospital staff.

Niamh O’Brien, Patient Advice and Liaison Service Coordinator at Galway University Hospitals said: “We are fully committed to our patient partnerships as we work together to make a positive and lasting impact on our health service.

“We are committed to involving public and patient participation in the planning and implementation of health care in order to lead to better health outcomes and better quality of care. Patient partnerships are an important and valuable resource. We are looking for new members to join our Patient Council who will work with the Hospital Management team.

“The Patient Council will help us assess the current quality of service, recommend new services or changes required to existing services, review policies and procedures, oversee the development of patient involvement initiatives and help us communicate to the wider population.

“Members are invited to take part in various hospital committees contributing to the improvement of services for our patient and service users.”

Commenting Chris Kane, General Manager, Galway University Hospitals said: “We would like to express our gratitude to the numerous patient partners who collaborate with staff members by sharing their personal opinions and experiences to enhance our health services. It is a valued link with the community we serve and assists our staff greatly by providing a patient’s perspective on the services we provide.

“We welcome applications from those interested in improving our health services and patients’ experience and we would particularly like to hear from people who have had direct contact with our hospitals as a patient or relative of a patient.”

If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Patient Council or would like to find out more about what the role entails, please call 091 893191 or email pals.guh@hse.ie by Friday 18 April 2025.

Applicants will be invited for interview and successful candidates will have Garda vetting and reference checks before being invited to join the Patient Council.