Public confidence in the NHS is at an all time low (1). And even when people can access the service, national surveys tell us that their experiences of NHS services are deteriorating (2).  Here we make a simple plea: that all aspects of patient experience – not just their experience of accessing services – is taken seriously.  We say this because politicians tend to play it safe and follow public opinion on the NHS. When the public are asked what they most care about, it is invariably shorter waiting times for treatment and more doctors and nurses (3).  More funding and politica ..read more

We have completed an exciting initiative in partnership with the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) to support patient engagement and revitalise Patient Participation Groups post pandemic. You can read the report here. We believe projects like this could have benefits for other ICBs.  Working in partnership with patients, carers, and healthcare staff, we collectively identified PPGs’ needs, how to address them and what – according to patients and practices – ‘good’ looked like for PPGs.   We ran a series of workshops with PPGs, based on identified needs. Th ..read more

Bristol Myers Squibb has awarded the Patients Association a grant to research how to advance health equity in the UK.   Our focus will be working with underserved communities living with cancer and blood disorders. We will be exploring how to reduce health disparities and improve access to quality care for underserved populations by bridging the gap between social care and healthcare.  Chief Executive, Rachel Power, said: “We are pleased to work with BMS on this important project because it understands the importance of community voices and working in partnership to achieve equi ..read more

The Patients Association is running a webinar to support Future Health’s campaign, The Forgotten Majority.  This important campaign aims to raise awareness among policy representatives from Government and other political parties, as well as other key stakeholders, about the real life every day challenges faced by people with long-term health conditions and advocate for meaningful policy change as we approach the General Election.   This webinar will provide patient experience to bring to life policies and initiatives aimed at addressing gaps in care for people with long-term hea ..read more

The voice of the patient is still not being listened to and this is why the Patients Association still tirelessly advocates for a healthcare system designed in partnership with those it serves, and for patients to be partners in their care. A health system that works in partnership with patients would improve safety, save the NHS money, and free up time for both staff and patients. However, mounting pressures within the NHS have strained the vital relationship between patients and the health service. As a result, some patients are not getting the care they deserve.  As we approach the gen ..read more

The latest report from The Patient Coalition for AI, Data and Digital Tech in Health (the Digital Coalition) shows patients value and use the NHS App. Based on the views of more than 600 people from across England, the report shows more than three in four (78%) respondents said they use the NHS App, finding it easy and of value.  But more than one third said they couldn’t access key information they wanted through the NHS App such as test results (39%) or personal health records (36%).  The survey also found that some GP practices have prevented access to some health records, despite ..read more

We are dismayed by the findings in this year’s British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, but not surprised that public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time low. The findings reflect the mounting challenges patients face in accessing overstretched services. For years, we have warned that the relationship between patients and the healthcare services they rely on has been severely strained by the immense pressures facing the NHS. This year’s BSA survey emphasises patients’ increasing frustrations over long waits for appointments, staff shortages and perceived underfunding in the NHS. Despite ..read more

London, 27th March: Patients in England value the NHS App, but some users say there are limits to the information they can access, or find it difficult to use, according to a new report from the Digital Coalition.  Patients who need help to use the NHS App would value more support materials to enable them to use it independently, according to the report’s findings. But survey respondents were clear that using the NHS App must remain the patient’s choice, and face-to-face services must be retained. The report is based on findings from a survey run by The Patient Coalition for AI, Data and ..read more

In this webinar, we took a look at digital access to primary care, primarily genera practice. Joining us were Dr Minal Bakhai, Director of Primary Care Transformation at NHS England and a practicing GP, working in an inner-city London practice; Dr Mizan Hoque, a GP at Lime Tree Surgery in East London, Cath McClennan, Information Management & Technology senior administrator for a group of GP practices in Morecambe, and Amin Islam, a member of the Patients Association and a carer. Chief Executive Rachel Power chaired the event. YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-5JEY2B4ps Unders ..read more

For more details from the report and to download it, visit the Public and Patient Experience of the NHS App page in the Digital Coalition section of our website.  Download a PDF of the Public and Patient Experience of the NHS App infographic. Download a JPG of the Public and Patient Experience of the NHS App infographic ..read more