Involvement Frequently Asked Questions
Below is a list of frequently asked questions that might help
you decide whether to get involved with North East Ambulance
Service.
Why should I get involved?
There are lots of benefits of getting involved. It will give you
the chance to air your views and make a real difference, it:
- Influences decisions that affect you and your community
- Helps us provide better quality patient-focused services
- Helps to make our services easier to access
- Helps us to improve our understanding of the needs of people
from seldom heard groups
- Makes a difference for local people
- Develops your own skills and knowledge
How long will it take?
Different types of involvement will take different amounts of
time depending on what you want to do. It can range from a
five-minute telephone call to a half day session, or you could get
involved once or on a more regular basis - you decide.
The level of influence you could have varies from simply filling
in a survey to becoming a governor.
You can choose how and when to get involved and select the type
of involvement that suits you best.
I haven't done anything like this before, how can
I help?
We are interested to hear everyone's views and suggestions.
We want to hear from people from all areas of the region and all
backgrounds, all ages, ethnic origins, genders, disabilities,
faiths and sexual orientations.
Support is available and there will always be someone available
to help.
What if I need additional support to get
involved?
Help is available to support you with any specific needs
including:
- Information in alternative formats
- British Sign Language interpreters
- Other language interpreters
- Help getting to meetings
Contact us if you need more information about what we can
provide.
What happens after I've told you I want to get
involved?
Once you have told us that you want to get involved, we will
contact you to discuss what is coming up and your interests.
Your details will be added to our database and we will contact
you when the next opportunity becomes available.
You decide if you want to get involved in a particular
opportunity or project, when and how.
Can anyone have access to my personal
details?
No. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal duty to keep
information about you confidential. We have a strict
confidentiality policy and also adhere to the Data Protection Act
1998.
We store your contact details and areas of interest on our
database - password protected and accessible only to designated
staff.
The additional information is stored to enable us to produce
reports to monitor how well we reach a wide representation of our
patients/public:
- We will never pass your personal details to a third party
without your permission
- We will not share your contact details outside of our
organisation
- We will never share your additional personal
information
- You have the right to have your details removed from the
database at any time