Themes
- Patient public involvement
- A strategic view of health
- Older volunteers
North West London Strategic Health Authority (NWL SHA) wanted to develop stronger relationships with communities and to improve the standing of the NHS with local people in NW London.
This included developing a Patients’ Parliament whose main function would be to provide a diverse patient and public perspective to the functions and activities of the SHA, through involvement in service planning and operation, and developing proposals for changes. The Parliament has a specific role at sector-wide level, and met for the first time in July 2005, after the initial recruitment process which had led to nearly 200 groups and individuals from NW London being invited to an information event held at Ealing Town Hall in June 2005.
One year later the Parliament has 26 members, half of whom are from BME groups, and ranging in age from 35 to 93. Four members have previously worked in health care roles in the NHS but all are passionate about health and many are involved in other health and community volunteering roles, such chair of a local Age Concern branch or lay involvement in the Quality Outcomes Framework panel that monitors GP practices. Only four members have had to leave over the last year, including a carer whose other commitments became too great and an individual with mental health problems who preferred not to attend the meetings but remains as a co-opted member so she can comment on issues as appropriate.
All members agree to undertake training, sign a Code of Conduct and agree to abide by the Parliament’s constitution and its protocol for joint working with the STHA.
There are at least two representatives from each on the eight London Boroughs in North West London. They do not represent their locality but rather take a strategic view across the sector on NHS services and how they are best delivered. This has included
- Primary care services and developing patient centred standards for primary care
- Hospital re-configuration
- Cancer services
The Parliament is supported by Health Link, an independent organisation that provides the secretariat for the meetings, and has also organised training for members. The training programme is accredited by the Learning and Skills Council as a version of the Certificate of Community Volunteering, Health Link had previously developed this training in patient representation, as an independently evaluated pilot funded by the Department of Health. The PPI Lead for the SHA attends all the meetings and uses the Parliament to seek opinions such as the key issues for the SHA with regard to primary care, hospital services, community services and mental health services (generally the group was concerned with how these services were monitored and how this could be made more effective). The SHA also uses the Parliament as a route to information, and as means of seeking feedback s to what they’re doing well.
Achievements to date
- Quality of Public Consultation – ongoing development of a summary Consultation Checklist to improve the conduct of consultations by the SHA drawing on experiences of members of local public consultations
- Quality of Primary Care – ongoing development of a Primary Care Standards document for NW London. Members will seek input from local people on the current draft before taking it forward to discuss with GPs and hopefully offer it as a patient-centred standard for GP services in NW London.
- Innovation in training – further development of the CCV in patient representation, to relate specifically to North West London’s NHS and Patients’ Parliament volunteering
- A letter was sent to the National Audit Office asking for several points to be taken into account as lessons learned, in the further study taking place on the termination of the Paddington Health Campus Scheme.
Members have had the opportunity to contribute to consultations such as:
- Your Health, Your Care, Your Say Consultation – members attended a day event to discuss and produce a response to the national consultation on all care outside hospitals. This was later reviewed at the following Patients’ Parliament meeting before being sent as a formal response to the Department of Health (DH) on behalf of the SHA.
- Reconfiguration of London SHAs Consultation – members took part in a discussion held in a Patients’ Parliament meeting and a sub-group meeting, and their responses were incorporated into a formal response to the DH.
- Ad hoc responses between meetings by members, for example, to the NWL SHA Corporate Objectives and the SHA Report on Patients’ Parliament Activity.
What makes the Parliament successful?
- It was initiated by the Strategic Health Authority who obviously value its input
- A clear role and remit for the group and individual members
- Support from Health Link, including servicing and chairing the meetings, although the Parliament may elect a Chair from within their membership at a later date. Health Link also ensure the Parliament is represented to other organisations and help develop those links
- Training for members, around roles, and information re the NHS and health
- Members feel valued and can see the results of what they do
The Future
As Strategic Health Authorities are re-configured the Patients Parliament is interested in developing its role across London, although it is important that it does not become too big and unwieldy. This case study will be updated as the situation develops.
‘I do it because I get a kick out of it, and I like being involved’
87 year old member who now lives in sheltered accommodation and is involved in campaigning on a wide variety of health issues
‘The Patients Parliament is an example that should be copied by other SHAs’ Meredith Vivian, PPI Lead at the Department of Health
Further information
Health Link
62, Beechwood Rd.
London E8 3DY
( 0207 254 1582
www.health-link.org.uk
Jane Buckingham
PPI Programme Manager, Corporate Affairs,
Communications & Partnerships
NW London SHA, Victory House
170 Tottenham Court road, WIT 7HA
020 7756 2560
jane.buckingham@nwlondon.nhs.uk
