How we involve patients and the public

We have a strategy for engaging patients and the public that means more than just carrying out surveys or consultations. We want to have a real dialogue with patients, the public and clinicians to ensure that we learn from each other. And we will act on what we learn to improve healthcare services. Our strategy for engaging patients and the public 2006/2007 has five strategic objectives:

1. to change the culture and practice of the Healthcare Commission to support greater engagement
2. to improve the way we engage patients and the public and show that it makes a difference
3. to strengthen our regulatory role in assessing and improving the way healthcare organisations engage patients and the public
4. to provide useful, accessible and engaging information to help people make informed decisions about healthcare
5. to work with the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), and other regulators to build a shared approach

We have also developed a briefer consensus satement which describes why, how and with what expected outcomes we engage with patients and the public.  The Consensus statement also sets out our ground rules for engagement.

View our Strategy (pdf 96kb) (opens new window)

View our Consensus statement (pdf 42kb) (opens new window)

Annual health check

Patients and the public have told us that we should give greater weight to their experiences when assessing the performance of the services they use. In 2006, 2007 and again in 2008 we have invited local authorities, strategic health authorities, overview and scrutiny committees, local involvement networks, local safeguarding children boards and foundation trusts’ boards of governors to comment on the performance of their trust(s) against the core standards in the annual health check.  We will continue to improve the way we do this.

Core Standards Assessment 2006/2007 - Third party feedback (pdf 54kb) (opens new window)

Your part in the annual health check 2008/2009 - A step-by-step guide for patient and public involvement forums, overview and scrutiny committees and foundation trusts' boards of governors (pdf 260kb) (opens new window)

NHS Centre for involvement

We have been working with the NHS Centre for Involvement to develop a set of principles to help NHS organisations engage better with patients and the public. The NHS Centre for Involvement has been set up to work with NHS staff and organisations to engage with patients and the public more effectively and implement change based on their information.

Find out more at http://www.nhscentreforinvolvement.nhs.uk (opens in a new window)

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