Hospital managers in Hull are inviting the public to join them in their first ever online meeting.
The Board of Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will be trialing the use of video and telephone conferencing facilities for its May Trust Board meeting next week.
Carla Ramsay, director of corporate affairs
Carla Ramsay, Director of Corporate Affairs for the Trust, says:
“In light of the current coronavirus pandemic, levels of interest in hospital activity and how we’re responding to the situation are understandably high.
“We normally hold our Board meetings in person, however it’s essential for us to uphold social distancing rules and ensure members of the public do not attend our hospital sites or put themselves at risk unnecessarily.
“To this end, we have decided to use video and telephone conferencing facilities for the first time to enable members of the public to attend the meeting in a safe and convenient way.”
Guests will be able to watch the Board discussion on topics such as staffing, performance, and of course, pandemic preparations. And as would normally be the case, members of the public will also be able to put questions forward for a response at the end of the session.
Carla adds:
“The use of video conferencing within the trust has rocketed since the lockdown began, but we’re finding it a particularly good way of keeping in contact and, in this case, still ensuring openness and transparency at a time when people can’t physically join us.
“If the trial proves successful and uptake is good, this is something we would certainly look to continue at our Board meetings to enable more staff and members of the public to attend in the future.”
The May Trust Board Meeting will take place between 10 and 11:30am on Tuesday 12th May. The agenda can be found on the trust website: www.hey.nhs.uk/about-us/trust-board-meetings/
If you would like to attend, please email rebecca.thompson71@nhs.net to request the joining details. Questions for the Board can also be submitted in advance using the same email address*.
Note
* Questions will not be answered directly on an individual basis, instead discussion will take place and responses to each question will be summarised in the minutes of the meeting.