Patients talk about how they have helped Care UK to shape NHS services

Company news

Jun 26, 2013

When the NHS Partners Network, part of the broader NHS confederation, started to make plans for a workshop on patient focused care at the 2013 national conference, Care UK was invited to contribute interviews and case studies.

The overall result was two-fold; a stimulating and well attended workshop on the second day of the NHS Confederation conference and a highly readable briefing document.

The workshop

The theme of the workshop was to hear from patients whose care was transformed by exceptional individuals – from consultants to cleaners. And some of those exceptional individuals told the audience why they go out of their way to ensure patients appreciate their work. The workshop wasn’t about processes, system and structures – it was about small changes healthcare  organisations can make to improve patient experience and help ensure patients are really at the centre of care. What was important was the patient voice that shone through this session.

One of the patients who spoke was John Buxton from Derbyshire. John had undergone surgery at Care UK’s Barlborough NHS Treatment Centre and couldn’t wait to share his positive experiences with conference delegates. He talked about the friendly, thoughtful approach taken by the team at Barlborough and how he is happy to recommend the centre to family and friends.

Help, I need somebody booklet

The conference also saw the launch of a brand new briefing document, Help, I need somebody... Putting patients at the centre of care produced by the NHS Partners Network.

This document talks about how, as medicine has become more sophisticated, it has invariably become less personal and increasingly daunting for the patient. This makes it more important than ever to focus on ensuring healthcare centres around patients not systems. Once again, case studies contributed by Care UK are featured – including the tale of how a dog helped contribute to a patient’s recovery and how listening to patients helped increased satisfaction rates at a health centre from 11% to over 80% in under six months

To see a video featuring patients talking about how the health centre achieved such a dramatic turnaround, follow this link.

And here’s a link to download a free PDF copy of Help, I need somebody... Putting patients at the centre of care  produced by the NHS Partners Network