On day one of the RCP Innovation in Medicine 2018 conference, Lynne Quinney, Patient and Carer Network (PCN) member, talked about improving health through patient engagement.
Lynne opened with a story about her experience at a hospital appointment 40 years ago when she was pregnant. When she showed an interest in what was going on, the doctor said very firmly ‘That is nothing to do with you’. Luckily Lynne was not put off by this experience and it triggered a long-standing interest in patient engagement, including as a PCN representative for the RCP’s Future Hospital Programme development site at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
The individual is best placed to determine what improved health means to them
Although we have come a long way, Lynne feels that ‘Genuine patient involvement is still not happening on the ground, despite no shortage of goodwill.’ This is due to a variety of factors including pressures of work within the NHS, the importance of being clear about goals and a lack of genuine commitment.
She summed up the importance of listening to patient feedback as: ‘The individual is best placed to determine what improved health means to them’. She went on to say that improved health does not just comprise physical factors but mental and spiritual too.
Lynne’s take home messages included: ‘Ask patients what matters most when designing and delivering services and involve us as equal partners – patients are part of the solution and we need to nurture this approach.’