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The Membership Council

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There are 28 seats on the Membership Council and these are made up of:

  • 16 public seats
  • Six staff seats
  • Six nominated stakeholders: University of Huddersfield, Calderdale Council, Kirklees Council, Kirklees Primary Care Trust*, Calderdale Primary Care Trust and South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust.

*Primary Care Trusts are NHS organisations that manage GP surgeries, NHS dentists, local community hospitals and community health services.

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The Membership Council
The Membership Council

What does the Membership Council do?

“Council members seek out and take account of the views of the community to help them develop their own views and advise the policy and aims of the Trust. They also have a responsibility to present the aims and objectives of the Trust to the community.”

The Membership Council is a vital link for the Trust with its local community. This is a fundamental part of being a NHS Foundation Trust, helping us to be more responsive to local needs.

Being a Council Member is not about dealing with complaints as we already have very robust procedures in place to do this. It is about helping us to find out what people think about our services and how they could be improved wherever possible. It is also about helping us to tell people about the challenges we face and gaining their help and support in meeting them.

As well as this the Membership Council also has a number of key responsibilities including the appointment of the Trust’s chairman and the non-executive directors.

Who can stand for election to the Membership Council?

Firstly, you have to be a member of the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust before you can stand for election. Membership is free and is open to anyone aged over 16 (although Council Members must be 18) who:

  • Is or has been a patient or carer at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
  • Lives within our defined membership area (see map)
  • Works at the Trust.