Patient and public engagement in respiratory services
“No decision made about me, without me”
‘In future, patients and carers will have far more clout’
(Liberating the NHS: DH: 2010)
Why should we involve patients and the public?
Patients and their carers are the reason the health service exists and therefore they should be at the heart of our services. Service redesign and improvement generates opportunities to involve service users who will provide us with a different perspective, so that we can better understand whether the improvements make any difference.
The new coalition government has set out radical plans for reform to NHS services which begun in 2010 with the publication of the ‘Liberating the NHS’ white paper. Andrew Lansley envisages a new era of patient centred health services where the patient becomes an empowered consumer with a choice to be treated by ‘any willing provider’. This paves the way for GP Commissioning Consortia to contract services via a competitive process which will drive up standards, quality and efficiency in the way NHS money is spent.
This is an ideal time for NHS organisations to enlist user involvement, which is the opportunity for individuals who may be, or have been patients, to play an active role in decisions made about their treatment and care and to be included in debate about planning decisions for local organisations and the delivery of health services.
Patients’ experience of our service can be very different to what we intend or assume it to be and they can tell us what works, what doesn’t and what could be done better. We might “know” we are doing a good job, but it needs to meet the patient’s requirements.There sometimes reservations about patient and public involvement but if the people involved are representative and the involvement is meaningful then it can result in a number of benefits including:
For the patient
Being given a chance to explain what makes it difficult or easier to manage their condition effectively Raising issues of importance to patients, carers and the public The chance to make suggestions to make things quicker, cheaper, easier or better to improve services and experience
For the service
Raising awareness of how the service really runs from the patient’s point of view and how it could be improved, not just how the service providers think it runs Discovering what really makes a difference to a patient’s experience Providing feedback on the use of the service and how it has influenced the patient’s behaviour Learning more about the patient’s experience and so better understanding their needs and priorities Can improve service user relationships with healthcare professionals Your ‘customer’s’ views can give you a competitive edge Many forms of involvement meet performance targets and statutory obligations
Where to start?
There are lots of different models which can be employed when services involve patients and the public. Visit our patient and public experience website for some great examples, including Lambeth PCT Toolkit and the NCPC Wheel of Involvement.
More information:
For more information about patient and public exerience, please contact:
Hannah Wall
National Improvement Lead
Lung Improvement Programme
NHS Improvement
Mobile: 07920 845437
Email: hannah.wall@improvement.nhs.uk