Constituency groups

Each member organisation may be represented in one or more of the Partnership's constituency groups as appropriate.

Regional Groups

The three regional groups cover the same areas as the NHS Regional Planning Groups:

North of Scotland Regional Group

Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, Tayside, Western Isles

South East of Scotland Regional Group

Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Lothian

West of Scotland Regional Group

Ayrshire and Arran, Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire

National groups

There are two national groups:

National Charities Group

for national charities providing palliative care services in Scotland or providing care and/or support for people with life-threatening progressive conditions and their families/carers in Scotland

Specialist Palliative Care Group

for multi-professional representatives of local statutory and voluntary specialist palliative care services and professional organisations.

Member representatives

All member organisations are asked to appoint appropriate individuals to carry out the role of nominated representative to the Partnership. These nominated representatives act as a formal link between their employing organisation and the Partnership. They:

• are eligible to stand for election to the Council of the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care
• exercise their organisation's vote(s) in elections to Council
• exercise their organisation's vote(s) at Annual General Meetings

Part of the Partnership's function is to provide appropriate two-way channels of communication and distillation of information and views in order to contribute to the formulation of effective policies and the implementation of agreed strategies at national level. For these functions to be effective, the Partnership needs to have direct links, through its network of nominated representatives, to appropriate individuals with a policy, planning or strategic remit, in addition to links with multi-professional medical and clinical personnel. Such individuals should be in a position to speak on behalf of the body they represent, to report back to that body and to cascade information as appropriate.

Ad hoc working groups

Representatives of member and other organisations may also become involved by invitation in one or more of the Partnership's short-term ad hoc working groups, set up from time to time to address specific issues or to carry out particular pieces of work. These groups have no part in the formal structures or operation of the Partnership.