01.08.17
The importance of patients in NHS change
Source: NHE Jul/Aug 2017
Leila Williams (pictured), chief executive officer of the NHS Transformation Unit, on the importance of patient involvement.
The National Health Service has just turned 69. It still does today what it was created for on 5 July 1948, providing medical, dental and nursing care for everyone. It’s an anniversary though that will have passed unacknowledged by many. Times have changed. For the NHS to survive, and continue to provide the care the nation needs for another seven decades and beyond, it has to move with them.
Today’s challenges are multiple and reducing variation in care to improve patient outcomes is one of the biggest that the NHS faces now. Over the years, we have all become aware that disparities in acute service provision exist and how it will persist if it is not consistently tackled. The health and care system doesn’t work optimally and variations in care affect all of us, including our own family and friends.
The last general election tells us that people want to be more involved in key decisions, especially with young people voting in significant numbers. Now is the time for greater involvement and engagement with the public and, clearly, there’s an appetite for it.
The answer is found in relationships – current ones and new ones – and the nurturing of them. The NHS Transformation Unit’s approach to all our projects is to put patient and community relationships at the heart of the transformation process.
I give you the example of Ann, a patient involved in a cancer-related project. Ann felt that she was listened to by the professionals in the group and her opinion was respected. “I feel proud,” she said, “that there are a set of standards, developed by patients and professionals.”
We are receiving similar responses as we implement major changes to acute and specialised services. People feel a sense of ownership and bring their experience to the table to give patients a voice, shape good practice and make a difference.
The NHS Transformation Unit has now secured a number of commissions to support the standardisation of acute care across the country. We will take the same approach to these as our other major projects, which are a result of experience and learning gained over time, knowing not to have preconceived ideas that we test out on people. We have learned that by involving patients from the very beginning you ensure a much better, patient-centred redesign of services.
Meanwhile, sustainability and transformation plans mark the move from competition to collaboration. Governance and process is important, but what sees you through tough times, and acute transformation particularly will not be simple, is having strong relationships that you can fall back on.
Across the UK, we all want an improved health service and patients must be the champions of change in the NHS. The white coat and stethoscope image doesn’t work anymore; it helps, but the most powerful advocates are people like Ann and their experience.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
W: www.transformationunitgm.nhs.uk