A Level student Jarrod Thomas from NPTC Group of Colleges has received a ministerial appointment to be a member of the committee on the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council; he will join their Neath Port Talbot Committee as a full member to represent his local community’s procedures in the health sector.
Jarrod has actively been a part of the Community Health Council since November, monitoring and giving feedback on health procedures and services in his area. He is currently studying an array of A Levels in Sciences to pursue his career in the health sector and has received an unconditional offer to study BSc Biochemistry at Aberystwyth University.
He commented: “I am delighted to be a part of the committee, there is no normal day at the CHC. My tasks vary from attending meetings with a health board to dealing with key issues and updates to local services that may affect the community, sharing the opinions of people I’ve visited and spoken to.”
Jarrod is hoping to inspire others to volunteer in their local communities: “It is a brilliant opportunity to develop vital skills, gain new experiences and be a key part of community engagement and support. Since November, I have had such an amazing experience and would encourage anyone to join as a co-opted member.”
The Community Heath Councils in Wales are statutory organisations representing the public’s interest and independent voices in the NHS. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Community Health Council represents the interest of the public in Neath, Port Talbot, Swansea and Bridgend. The Community Health Councils monitor the equality of the NHS services provided, this is achieved by assisting and advising people who wish to make a complaint about NHS services, offering information and advice about health-related services in the area available to local people and monitoring the performance of NHS service providers.
The main aim of Community Health Boards is to engage with the community to ensure they are happy with the services on offer and their end benefits. The Councils have been set to interact with young people to improve diversity and age equality supporting issues relating to the NHS from filing a complaint to developing new skills in public engagement.
Picture Caption: Jarrod mixing up solutions in the science laboratory
