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The Peel Cluster Community Forum on Health Volunteers improving services Highlighting needs and quality improvement in patient care Creating Systemic Change |
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Peel Cluster Forum on Health
The Peel Cluster Forum evolved from the former local Health Council at the end of 2005, after the amalgamation of the Hunter and New England Health Areas.
While supported by Hunter New England Health, the forum is community owned and run. The committee is made up of representatives from all communities in the Peel Cluster.
The Peel Community Forum on Health facilitates increased community involvement in the monitoring, planning, development and evaluation of health services in the Peel Cluster (which covers the districts of Tamworth, Nundle, Manilla, Barraba, Gunnedah and Walcha).
Initially, the core Community group applied to Hunter New England Health for Membership. However, membership now is decided by the Forum itself. We encourage applications from people in all these areas, so that their Communities can be truly represented in health-related matters. As we are independent of Hunter New England Health, this freedom allows us to take issues further than one could if they are part of the Health Service.
We have a meeting at each of the towns outside Tamworth every three months, so that we visit four of the other towns each year. Then, we meet in the Board Room at Tamworth Hospital, on the second Tuesday of each month, at 5pm.
Currently, we have Ms Robyn Nugent as our Guest speaker at Manilla on Thursday 13th December. Robyn is a recently appointed Ambassador for the Black Dog Institute, which is an educational, research and clinical facility offering special expertise in mood disorders; including depression and Bipolar Disorder.
Some of the issues we are dealing with this year, as the result of a survey that was widely circulated throughout the area, are mental health, dental care and obesity.
We were also successfully involved in petitioning the Area Health Services to retain the services of Dr Robert Smee, Radiology Oncologist, who has been visiting Tamworth for over twenty years. Dr Smee has become more than just a ¡®specialist¡¯, as he visits Tamworth each Wednesday. A compromise was reached with the Health Service, so that Dr Smee will now see his patients on three Wednesdays out of every four. Trainee Specialists will fill in the other week.
The Peel Community Forum on Health will hold its Annual General Meeting in the Boronia Room, Johnston House Tamworth Hospital at 10am on 8 November 2007. This will be followed by the regular monthly meeting after lunch. All Community Members are invited to attend and participate.
While supported by Hunter New England Health, the forum is community owned and run. The committee is made up of representatives from all communities in the Peel Cluster.
The Peel Community Forum on Health facilitates increased community involvement in the monitoring, planning, development and evaluation of health services in the Peel Cluster (which covers the districts of Tamworth, Nundle, Manilla, Barraba, Gunnedah and Walcha).
Initially, the core Community group applied to Hunter New England Health for Membership. However, membership now is decided by the Forum itself. We encourage applications from people in all these areas, so that their Communities can be truly represented in health-related matters. As we are independent of Hunter New England Health, this freedom allows us to take issues further than one could if they are part of the Health Service.
We have a meeting at each of the towns outside Tamworth every three months, so that we visit four of the other towns each year. Then, we meet in the Board Room at Tamworth Hospital, on the second Tuesday of each month, at 5pm.
Currently, we have Ms Robyn Nugent as our Guest speaker at Manilla on Thursday 13th December. Robyn is a recently appointed Ambassador for the Black Dog Institute, which is an educational, research and clinical facility offering special expertise in mood disorders; including depression and Bipolar Disorder.
Some of the issues we are dealing with this year, as the result of a survey that was widely circulated throughout the area, are mental health, dental care and obesity.
We were also successfully involved in petitioning the Area Health Services to retain the services of Dr Robert Smee, Radiology Oncologist, who has been visiting Tamworth for over twenty years. Dr Smee has become more than just a ¡®specialist¡¯, as he visits Tamworth each Wednesday. A compromise was reached with the Health Service, so that Dr Smee will now see his patients on three Wednesdays out of every four. Trainee Specialists will fill in the other week.
The Peel Community Forum on Health will hold its Annual General Meeting in the Boronia Room, Johnston House Tamworth Hospital at 10am on 8 November 2007. This will be followed by the regular monthly meeting after lunch. All Community Members are invited to attend and participate.
Contact Information
Lexie Lord
(02) 6761 7595
sec.pchf@westnet.com.au