HSE Dublin and North East Launches Patient and Service User Council

HSE Dublin and North East has marked an important step in strengthening patient and public partnership with the establishment of its Patient and Service User Council.

What is the Patient and Service User Council

The Council brings together public partners and regional staff, with the aim of making positive change in the health system. The Council does this by advising and making recommendations to regional leadership. This reflects the region’s commitment to delivering more accessible, equitable and integrated care.

Who is on the Patient and Service User Council

Following an extensive recruitment campaign, 11 public partners were selected to join the Council, bringing decades of experience advocating for their communities. Members represent all four integrated healthcare areas in the region and have a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. This supports them to advocate for different groups of people, particularly those who may have poorer experiences and outcomes.

There are also eight staff members on the Council from social inclusion, mental health engagement, public health and the regional leadership team.

What will the Patient and Service User Council do

The first meeting in January provided an opportunity for members to connect, build relationships and begin developing a shared vision for the group.

Fiona O’Driscoll, Regional Patient and Service User Engagement Lead, welcomed the milestone: It was exciting to see patients, service users and regional staff working in genuine partnership to co-design our vision and aims. This is a true example of partnership working, and I look forward to seeing the positive changes we can achieve together.

Council members also highlighted the positive atmosphere of the meeting, with one service user describing a tremendous positive energy in the room and expressing hope that the group will help drive a more person-centred approach across the health system.

Building on this momentum, in February the Council met with Sara Long, Regional Executive Officer. They discussed the regional priorities and co-designed the Council plan for 2026. The group developed a set of objectives to drive positive and meaningful change for patients and service users, through collaboration and partnership with the region.

The Patient and Service User Council will continue to meet every two months, working in partnership with the region and sharing regular updates on their work to staff and the public.

Find out more

If you would like to join the regional partnership network and hear about future opportunities, you can sign-up to our online mailing list.

You can email Fiona O’Driscoll, Regional Patient and Service User Engagement Lead, with any questions at Partnership.DublinNorthEast@hse.ie.