User Groups and Support Groups are independent patient groups which often work closely with the LA, liaising with us regularly and receiving support from us whenever necessary.
The majority of Limb Fitting Centres in the UK already have an established User Group or Support Group, which is made up of patients and staff from that centre. They meet regularly to discuss local issues, such as the services and facilities available, and also provide a network for local amputees to meet up and discuss any problems or issues in a relaxed and friendly environment. There is now a legal requirement for all DSC managers to involve their patients - a Duty to Involve.
Their purpose is to give patients the chance to share success stories, discuss problems, offer support to each other and provide feedback and service suggestions to the local Limb Fitting Centre. The meetings will often take place within the Centre itself and members of the healthcare team are also encouraged to attend. Meetings are designed to be relaxed, friendly, informative and useful to all.
There is good evidence that a well-organised User Group can provide valuable information and support to the Centre and influence changes and improvements, which will benefit both patients and healthcare staff. We believe that the best possible service for all comes from unity, so supporting your local User Group, whether you are a member of the limb-loss community or part of the local healthcare team, will help to further this cause.
We therefore strongly encourage our members to attend their local User Group meetings, as this provides an excellent opportunity for people who actually use the service to express their own views and concerns on the issues that matter. We hope that this will encourage debate and lead to positive changes and improvements to local services, affecting the overall quality of prosthetic facilities in the UK and benefiting all prosthetic users now and in the future.
To find the contact details of your local User Group please see the User Group Directory here.
If you feel there is a need for a User Group in your local area, or if you would like any help, support or advice in establishing or improving a local User Group then please contact Dave White 01277 725186 or email davewhite.limblessassociation@yahoo.co.uk Alternatively, you can view our Suggested Guidelines for User Groups here.