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Since 1 January 2003 all NHS bodies have had a legal duty to involve and consult the public. Through the involvement of patients and public the intention is to improve the patients’ experiences of the NHS. Within each NHS Trust, patients and relatives should be able to access the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) to resolve immediate concerns. Data provided by PALS should help trusts to improve their services. Alongside the PALS are Patient and Public Involvement Forums (PPI Forums) whose aims are to gain the views of local people about their local health services, which can be fed back to the trusts.

Best practice guidelines can be found in the recent publication Getting over the wall which provides practical examples of where patient and public involvement has made a difference to patients' experiences.

When considering the production of information it is important to think about who it is for and if it already exists. Patients and professionals should be included in its production and any clinical information should be up-to-date and reviewed on a regular basis. Presentation of information material should preferably follow the Department of Health’s new guidelines as part of its NHS Identity work.

The needs of specialist audiences (such as those with learning disabilities) should be identified before reviewing the different types of media that exist. Patient information can be used to benchmark your own and others’ information. When developing your information you should also consider when and how it will be reviewed on a regular basis and include an evaluation process to assess whether it achieved the original reason for producing it.

A free independent service from the NHS is the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) that patients and relatives can access to pursue a complaint about their treatment or care. ICAS provides information, support and guidance and helps to navigate the complaints system. This may include assistance with constructing a complaints letter or attendance at meetings.

ICAS is provided on a regional basis by:

• Citizen’s Advice Bureaux
• Carer’s Federation
• POhWER
• South East Advocacy Projects (SEAP).