HSE South West has launched its Regional Patient and Service User Partnership Council, creating a new forum where patients, service users, carers and HSE staff can work together as one team, to help shape health services across Cork and Kerry.

The council will advise the regional healthcare management team using lived experience and provides members with an opportunity to build relationships and establish a shared vision of how they can work together to strengthen regional health and social care services.

The launch brought council members together in Macroom, to meet each other and develop a shared understanding of the role of the Council. Jimmy Burke, Regional Patient and Service User Lead, HSE South West, facilitated the launch, which demonstrates a clear commitment to using the voice of patients and service users to help inform healthcare decisions and improvements across Cork and Kerry.

Dr Andy Phillips, Regional Executive Officer, HSE South West said: 'The Regional Patient and Service User Partnership Council is made up of real people, who are the critical link between our services and service users. Lived experience will help shape services, guide planning and influence decision-making. By focusing on what matters most to people, and working together towards the shared vision of Sláintecare, we can help create a health service that delivers the right care, in the right place, at the right time. I look forward to the valuable contributions our Partnership Council members will bring to our work in HSE South West.”

Arthur Little, Chair of the Partnership Council and member of the public, said: 'I’m looking forward to working with my fellow council members to identify potential areas for improvement within the HSE South West region. I’m particularly pleased that the Council includes patients and service users with diverse backgrounds, which will ensure equitable representation of our communities’ needs.'

Blessing Izevbekhai, patient and service user partner commented: 'I was delighted to attend the launch of the HSE South West Patient and Service User Partnership Council. There was such a great energy in the room, everyone there is looking to share their experiences and improve care for people in the region. I hope this is the beginning of effective changes and effective communication going forward.'

Following a public recruitment campaign, 23 patient and service user partners were selected to join the Partnership Council, representing the three integrated healthcare areas in HSE South West: Cork North and East; Cork South and West and Kerry.

The first meeting of the HSE South West Patient and Service User Partnership Council will take place later in September 2026.