Patient and public involvement

The NHS needs to become more responsive to the patients who use it, and more accountable to the citizens who fund it^[1]. Section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 places a duty on primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and NHS trusts to make arrangements to involve and consult patients and the public in service planning and operation, and in the development of proposals for changes^[2].

Through choice and an increased voice, local people and patients have a central role in influencing commissioning to ensure that healthcare and social care services are matched to their needs and preferences. Commissioners will need to ensure that patients and communities are involved throughout the commissioning cycle^[3].

Increased patient and public involvement initiatives around commissioning will help support primary care trusts to fulfil the patient and public involvement aspects of both core and developmental standards, against which they will be monitored by the Healthcare Commission in the annual health check.

More information

• The Department of Health has published a range of policy and guidance documents on patient and public involvement. Section 3 of 'NHS in England: operating framework for 2007/08' sets out a number of requirements aimed at ensuring a greater connection between primary care trusts and their communities.
• 'Standards for Better Health' are the core and developmental standards against which NHS organisational performance is monitored.
• The Patient Information Forum provides links to a number of key resources that offer support to NHS organisations around involving patients and the public in their activities.
• A partnership of patient groups (Asthma UK, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK) is working to help ensure that patients are involved in the vital processes that determine the services they receive. A commissioning toolkit provides advice on and support for all aspects of commissioning for long-term conditions, sets out key principles for patient involvement and provides case studies on best practice.
• The Care Services Improvement Partnership - Better Commissioning Network signposts commissioners to resources that will help them develop the world class commissioning competency 'Engage with public and patients'.
• Picker Institute survey, June 2007, 'Patient and public involvment in commissioning - a survey of primary care trusts'

References

1. Department of Health (2006) The NHS in England: operating framework for 2007/08

2. Health and Social Care Act (2001) Section 11: patient involvement and consultation

3. Department of Health (2006) Health reform in England: update and commissioning framework: annex - the commissioning framework