In addition to our twenty Forums, HAP supports a number of Joint Committees. 

Forums band together into a formal Joint Committee as provided for by Section 7 of the Patients Forums (Membership and Procedure) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2123).  A Joint Committees will have powers delegated to it by the sponsoring Forums.  It will then act independently from the Forums to exercise these delegated powers with all the statutory authority  of Forum members.  To help with its work, a properly constituted Joint Committee may co-opt members from other organisations - such as representatives of local Overview and Scrutiny Committees, or from individuals, community and voluntary sector groups.

Such Joint Committees will hold meetings - usually in public; will carry out visits; will issue reports with recommendations; and will have the same responsibilities as any PPI Forum.  

They can:

• Encourage local people to get involved in health matters.
• Find out what people really think about health care locally and take action.
• Independently watch over the quality of local health care.
• Monitor, visit and report on NHS Services from a patients' viewpoint.
• Shape decisions which impact on our health.
• Work with local groups and developing partnerships to influence local and national health decisions.
• Make reports and recommendations about Trust services, based on the views of patients and the community.
• Be a force for fairness and change.
• Monitor the effectiveness of local patient advice and liaison services (PALS) and complaint support services such as ICAS.

They cannot:

• Become involved in the management or operation of Trust activities.
• Reveal commercially sensitive information about the Trusts.
• Breach the confidentiality of individual patient's details.
• Take up individual complaints.
• Promote their personal pecuniary interests.