Patient Advisory Council

The Voice of Patients and Youth

The Patient Advisory Council is a group of patients ranging from 12 to 18 years of age, who work together to make SickKids a better place. The Council’s mandate is to strengthen collaborative partnerships between patients, the hospital, and the community. The Council aims to provide patients with a voice that supports the advancement of Family-Centred Care practices and the overall experience at SickKids.

Council members share their perspective and lived experience as patients with hospital teams to enrich programs and initiatives, and ensure they are wholly supportive of the patient and family experience. Some examples of projects and initiatives the Council has worked on include:

Feedback on how to make SickKids a more child and family-friendly facility.
Co-designing teen programming in Marnie’s Lounge.
A “Youth Voice” version of the hospital’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan and Patient and Family Experience Strategy.
Co-creation and update of the Meal Train menu.
Consultation on the hospital’s Coming for Surgery Workbook.

Interested in sharing your voice as a patient? Consider applying to the Patient Advisory Council!

Council members meet twice a month, in person or online, for a combined 4 hours each month between September and May.

To be a member of the Children’s Council, nominated individuals must be:

A current inpatient or outpatient at SickKids
Between 12-17 years old
Available to come to two monthly meetings (hosted on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month)
Passionate about sharing ideas for positive change
Comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas in a group
Interested in meeting new people and working together on group projects

To apply, complete the Patient Advisory Council nomination form. Successful candidates will be emailed for interviews during recruitment periods during the summer. Any submissions received will be held for the next recruitment cycle.

All new Council members will be asked to complete an Immunization Record Form, including getting a 2-step TB test.

For more information, please email patientadvisory.council@sickkids.ca.

Ten people sit around a U-shaped table with papers and snacks, discussing at a patient advisory council meeting in a bright room. — Patient Advisory Council members.