User Forum

What is The Forum?

The Forum was established in March 2001 as a result of the Community Development
Programme here at Bradford Cancer Support. Many of the users of the centre were
expressing concerns over some of the cancer services that they were receiving. User
Involvement is now high on the political agenda and is included in the governments NHS
Cancer Plan 2000. It was therefore a natural step to develop the service users forum.
Users can now express their views on services in the public private and voluntary sectors in
a number of ways such as, attending the forums monthly meetings, responding to letters
and/or phone calls, sitting on various local panels or by representing the forum at regional
and national levels.

Training is available and "CancerVOICES offers a free two day training course which is open
to cancer self help and support groups, user representatives and health professionals, to
help them to understand and participate in meetings and express the patient, carer or
professional viewpoint. A number of our forum members have taken part in this training.

The training looks at key aspects of user involvement such as confidence building,
partnership working, understanding the NHS and making and presenting the case for
change. The training is interactive and flexible and can be designed to meet the needs of
individuals.

The Forum also has regular meetings with Health professionals when forum members wish
to discuss issues with them directly relating to services. A good partnership has developed
through these meetings and the health professionals have welcomed the views of the forum
members.

Forum members are made up of Cancer Patients, Carers, Ex-Patients, Ex-Carers and
volunteers at Bradford Cancer Support Centre.

Some of the Forum's Current Activity

User Involvement is buzzing away here at Bradford Cancer Support our Patient/Carer Forum
has been established now for over 2 years. We have members involved in lots of projects,
some of these are:

Pursuing Perfection Programme Looking at improving patient pathways through NHS
services

Cancer Nurse Specialist Sub-Group looking at ways to involve service users