Young Persons Patient Council

Young Persons Patient Council (YPPC)

We launched our Young Persons Patient Council (or YPPC) in October 2024. We’re passionate about improving healthcare for young people and recognise that you know your community best so you are the best people to shape future services. We’re always open to new members so if you are under 25 years old and would like your voice to be heard, this is your chance!

Your feedback will ensure that services better meet the needs of other young people and will make healthcare more engaging, youth-friendly and effective.

Be a voice for change and help create a healthier, brighter future for all!

Our work

What we are working on

We’ve formed projects groups to work on:

Creating a Youth Recruitment Panel – we’ve reviewed recruitment paperwork, we’re supplying questions to be asked at interviews and are working towards having our own panel to interview for senior positions or paediatric roles
PLACE assessments – we’ll have a training session and will then be able to assess the care environments of different areas that young people spend time
Celebrating Pride, starting Children’s Theatres, and creating safe, inclusive and diverse spaces
Improving inpatient experience for young people aged 11-17
Secret shopping! Visiting areas and speaking to staff around the hospital and feeding back about the experience from a young persons point of view

We’re designing our own pitch for the Executive team to advise them what is important to young people in hospital and what the Trust should focus on. A big part of this is making coming into hospital less scary and making sure young people know what and who to expect during their visit or stay.

What we have achieved

Members of the Young Persons Patient Council

We’ve chosen our logo, uniform, method of communication (Spond) and created a recipe for success to keep our Council a safe and supportive space where everyone can contribute and is heard.
We’ve endorsed projects pitched by members of staff to help improve the experience of younger patients in the hospital and have begun to work on these.
We’ve provided feedback on the artwork which is planned for the new Dartmoor building, influencing key decision makers to choose murals which were appealing to younger people, helping to make the patient environment more calming.

Members making a recipe for success at the second YPPC meeting
Members of the YPPC part of a wider discussion
Lachlan Mitchell, Chair of YPPC presenting "Dragon's Den" winner
Duo at the launch event of the YPPC

Join the Young Persons Patient Council

We understand that life is busy, so we’re flexible! We ask that you donate whatever time you can to help make a difference and have your voice heard. We usually get together every six weeks or so for 2-3 hours.

Parents and carers are more than welcome to join and support, and we’ll cover all travel expenses, so no one is left out of pocket.

All we ask is that you:

Share your honest thoughts, opinions, and aspirations
Respect others and their views

You won’t be alone – the group will be supported by trained UHP staff members who are fully DBS-checked, so you’ll be in safe hands.

By joining UHP's Young Persons' Patient Council you will be at the centre of exciting change!

What's in it for me?

You will be able to:

Share your feedback
Influence positive change
Develop leadership skills
Build confidence, communication, and public speaking skills
Learn more about yourself
Be a voice for others
Make new friends and connections
Get valuable experience that will look great on your CV
Learn new skills
Gain references and recognition
Most importantly: Have FUN while making a difference in your community!

By joining, you'll not only get involved in shaping the future of healthcare, but also have fun, develop new skills, and connect with others. Whether you're looking to build your CV, or simply want to help your community, the YPPC is the perfect way to make a real impact.