| Over 50s to influence city's services |
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Thousands of people aged over 50 are being asked to help improve services for older residents in Liverpool. A proposal for an Older People's Panel which will encourage groups and individuals to scrutinize decision making and make suggestions about all sorts of services has been approved....
Residents will be able to choose an area of interest or expertise in which they would like to become involved. People can currently expect to spend up to a third of their lives over state pension age and the panel has been set up by Liverpool City Council in partnership with Liverpool PCT to help ensure this time is as fulfilling and productive as possible. It will look at not only health and social care services, but also other issues affecting over 50s ranging from transport, shopping or anything else that helps people live independently. Councillor John Clucas, assistant executive member for health and social care, will chair the Older People's Panel. He said: "Liverpool is fortunate to already have many older people's groups, but at the moment there is no clear process for their views to be considered by the NHS and the city council. "We have a growing older population and an increasing demand for health and social care services, so it is absolutely crucial that we reflect the needs and wants of the people that we are providing the support for. "The ambition is for the Panel to look at those issues which matter to older people and make informed recommendations which we can then act upon. "As well as being a chance for people to have their say, we want to use membership of the panel as a way of improving communication about the services which are on offer." Members of the panel will be able to receive a regular newsletter, comment on proposals and share their experience of services. They could also become a member of the 'Making it Happen' board, which will be tasked with making suggestions a reality. The Panel will be governed by an executive of ten people who will be elected from existing older people's groups and forums. Membership of the executive will be drawn from a number of groups who already lobby on behalf of older people. They are: Liverpool Senior Citizen's Forum, the 50+ Reference Group, the Quality and Inclusion Group and the Older People's Champions Collaborative. The cost of the Panel will be shared between the city council and Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT). Gideon Ben-Tovim, Chair of Liverpool PCT, said: "We are deeply committed to supporting existing and future older citizens of Liverpool and the Panel provides us with an ideal platform to fully engage with this community and find out what their exact needs and wants are. "The information provided through the Panel will not only help to shape the way future health and social care services are commissioned in the future, but could also be used by other agencies to ensure older people are no longer isolated or excluded and their needs are fully understood and recognised." People wanting to become part of the Panel can email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ring Lesley Hennessy on 0151 296 7704. The panel will be formally launched in late September. |