The NHS trust which runs Queen’s and King George hospitals is on the lookout for a passionate member of the public to be the new chairman or chairwoman of its Patient Partnership Council.

The Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT), runs a PPC every month to ensure patients have a say in how the hospital operates.

Previous successes of the Patient Partnership team have been the launch of the "Hello, my name is..." campaign to help patients feel more at home with their doctors and nurses, and an overhaul of the trusts' practices to help patients sleep better at night.

Anyone who has been treated at King George or Queen's Hospitals in the last five years, or who has cared for someone else who has been treated there in that time, can apply - as can members of voluntary or community sector organisation supporting people who access the hospitals or their services.

Current NHS employees and contractors are not eligible for the role, and previous chairmen or women of the council cannot apply.

Victoria Miles-Gale, the trust's head of patient experience, is keen for members of the public to throw their hats into the ring.

She told the Recorder: "This is not just a tick box excercise, and if you've got the skill set and the passion to try and help us improve the experience for our patients then we want to hear from you.

"There are 750,000 living in our area, we really want one of them to come on board and help us provide a better insight into what it's like to stay in our hospitals.

"In the past, there has been a danger that the PPC meetings can get bogged down in talking shop, or us just telling people 'we've improved X and we've improved Y'.

"What we really want is someone to say, 'that's great about the improvements to X, but have you thought about the knock on effect it's going to have on this, this and this?'".

If you would like to apply, please send your expression of interest email to bhrut.patientexperience@nhs.net

The deadline is August 31.

The trust will review your information and arrange a time to speak with you, either in person or over the phone.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to meet with a selection panel which will include the Patient Experience and Engagement Team, representation from the PPC and representation from the wider health economy system.

Anyone interested in applying for the role, or who would simply like more information about what it entails, should email bhrut.patientexperience@nhs.net or call 01708 435 000 extension numbers 3066 or 3034.