Patient focus - other support

Agencies

Here is a select, alphabetical listing of agencies and programmes that provide important resources relating to this clinical governance theme. We have focused on agencies operating in the United Kingdom.

Health care environment

Better Hospital Food
The Better Hospital Food programme was introduced to ensure the consistent delivery of high quality food and food services to patients. This website has replaced the Better Hospital Food site. It contains best practice guidance, resources and background information to support the delivery of food in NHS healthcare facilities.

Department of Health: Estates and facilities management
This page provides links supporting the development of a flexible and responsive environment for health and social care, delivering improved health outcomes through innovative estates and facilities solutions which enable high quality, safe patient care.

Department of Health: Healthcare environment
These pages contain policies and guidance on how to improve the patient environment, the basic care services delivered within that environment and the patient experience. Areas covered include clean hospitals, hospital food, basic care services, privacy and dignity, ward housekeeping, patient environment networks and the healing environment. Much of the project work of NHS Estates is archived in these pages.

King's Fund: Enhancing the Healing Environment
The Enhancing the Healing Environment (EHE) programme encourages and enables nurse-led teams to work in partnership with patients to improve the environment in which they deliver care. 

NHS Physical Environment Research Programme
This programme aims to improve the patient environment by encouraging the exploration of topics related to the physical environment within the primary and secondary healthcare sectors. The programme funds research that benefits patients by: improving the way NHS property and facilities are managed and maintained and promoting safe, high quality and best value design in the healthcare environment.

Patient experience

Advancing Quality
The Advancing Quality programme aims to improve patient care and patient experience in NHS hospitals across the North West. It will incentivise improvement in the quality of care provided to patients by measuring three quality indicators.

Better Together
Better Together is Scotland's improvement programme which gathers feedback from patients and staff in order to improve NHS services in Scotland. The website also provides examples of good practice and demonstrates how patients and NHS Scotland are working together to improve patient experience. You can also read other people's experiences about health conditions, services or Scottish Health Boards. Visit: Share Stories

Choose and Book
Choose and Book is a national electronic referral service which gives patients a choice of place, date and time for their first outpatient appointment in a hospital or clinic.

Healthtalkonline
DIPEx has a unique database of personal and patient experiences through in-depth qualitative research into over 40 different illnesses and health conditions. The results of their research are published on two websites - Healthtalkonline and Youthhealthtalk which are aimed at patients, carers, family and friends, doctors, nurses and other health professionals. An online tool has been developed that focuses on the relationship between patients and doctors when making decisions. View Shared Decision Making.

International Alliance of Patients Organizations (IAPO)
The International Alliance of Patients Organizations is a global alliance which represents patients of all nationalities across all disease areas and promotes patient-centred healthcare around the world. The IAPO vision places patients throughout the world at the centre of healthcare.

iWantGreatCare
iWantGreatCare enables patients to rate the quality of care they have received. Empowering patients to share their experience, knowledge and opinions will help to drive changes and improvements in the national health service.

National Voices
National Voices is an umbrella organisation established by and for the voluntary sector. It brings together all national voluntary organisations representing users of health and social care to give them a stronger voice in policy-making.

NHS Live
NHS Live is a free, national learning network which provides an opportunity to share experiences and learn from others to improve the delivery of the patient and staff experience. The website includes patient involvement examples, toolkits and project tips to help health and social care providers.

NHS Surveys
The NHS patient survey programme systematically gathers the views of patients about the care they have recently received. This survey co-ordination centre is run by the Picker Institute and co-ordinates the NHS acute and primary care patient survey programmes on behalf of the Care Quality Commission.

Patient Concern
This organisation is committed to promoting choice and empowerment for all health service users. Patient Concern is active in all areas of the health service, campaigning on issues that matter to patients and making sure that the patient's voice is heard in top level consultation.

Patient Experience. Public and Patient Involvement in NHS Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government's Public and Patient Involvement website aims to improve access to information about Public and Patient Involvement in Wales and the rest of the UK. The website includes examples of good practice and links to key PPI publications.

Patient Opinion
Patient Opinion allows patients to share their experiences of illness, hospitals, treatment and the NHS. Patients are also encouraged to suggest ways in which the NHS can be improved. The website brings together social media tools including blogs, reader feedback and news feeds.

Picker Institute Europe
Picker Institute Europe specialises in measuring patients' experiences of health care and using this information to improve the provision of health care. Original research is also complemented by a suite of patient, staff, and public surveys to provide in-depth insights. Links to current PPI studies and publications are also included.

Youthhealthtalk
DIPEx has a unique database of personal and patient experiences through in-depth qualitative research into over 40 different illnesses and health conditions. The results of their research are published on two websites - Healthtalkonline and Youthhealthtalk which are aimed at patients, carers, family and friends, doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Youthtalkonline is aimed at young people.

Patient and public involvement (PPI)

Care Quality Commission: Involving people who use services
The CQC has set up groups which share and listen to each others’ experiences and give people the opportunity to work closely with carers, experts and major organisations to discuss areas of improvement.

Cochrane Collaboration Consumer Network - CCNET
The Cochrane Collaboration undertakes systematic reviews of published research in healthcare. The Cochrane Consumer Network consists of consumers who are committed to promoting consumer involvement in research (including its own) and the importance of consumer participation in informed healthcare decision-making processes.

Department of Health: Patient and Advice Liaison Services (PALS)
Patient and Advice Liaison Services (PALS) help provide information, advice and support to help patients, families and their carers. The Department of Health PALS web pages provide an overview of PALS, background and related policy. Toolkit examples and freely available marketing materials to help NHS trusts promote their PALS are also available.

Department of Health: What's new in patient and public involvement
The Department of Health is committed to empowering both individuals and communities so that they can play a greater role in shaping health and social care services. These pages show the latest news and policy developments published by the Department of Health.

LINks exchange
The LINks exchange (LX) is run by NHS Choices. It is a network for sharing best practice and supporting and developing those implementing Local Involvement Networks (LINks).

National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP)
The National Association for Patient Participation is a registered charity and umbrella organisation for Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) within primary care, offering a variety of services to patients, healthcare professionals, PCOs and NHS organisations.

PALS Online
PALS Online is the website of the NHS Patient Advice and Liaison Service, PALS. PALS has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, relatives, carers and friends, providing information, support and advice.

Patient and Public Involvement
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is committed to producing guidance which meets the needs of and involves patients, carers and the public. This webpage provides links to NICE's patient, carer and public involvement policy, the Patient and Public Involvement Programme (PPIP) and 'How to' guides for patients, carers and members of the public wanting to get involved in NICE's work programmes.

The informed patient

DISCERN: Quality criteria for health information
The quality of health information remains inconsistent despite the rapid growth of information available on the internet. DISCERN, a brief questionnaire, can help healthcare professionals validate and assess the quality of patient information on treatment choices for a health problem. The DISCERN instrument consists of a set of quality criteria which can be used by anyone who uses or produces consumer health information and as a screening tool for healthcare professionals.

Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company (EPP CIC)
This programme provides and delivers free courses aimed at helping people who are living with a long-term health condition to manage their condition better on a daily basis. The aim is to give people the confidence to take more responsibility to self-manage their health, while encouraging them to work collaboratively with health and social care professionals.

Education Programmes for Patients (EPP Cymru)
This Welsh programme provides a range of self-management courses and workshops for people living with long-term health conditions or for those who care for someone with a long term condition. The courses are about encouraging patients to become experts in living their life to the full with their condition.

Health Rights Information Scotland
Health Rights Information Scotland produces information for patients about their rights, about how to use NHS services, and about what they can expect from the NHS.

NHS 24
NHS 24 is designed to "help people get the right care from the right people at the right time". NHS 24 is a twenty-four hour service providing confidential health information and self care advice for people in Scotland.

NHS Choices
NHS Choices puts patients in control of their healthcare. This website has been developed to help patients make choices about their health, from lifestyle decisions about things like smoking, drinking and exercise, through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services when they need them.

NHS Direct
NHS Direct delivers a 24-hour advice and health information service. Services include confidential advice, self help guides and commissionned services. The telephone service is available in England and Wales. NHS 24 provides the equivalent service in Scotland.

NHS Direct Wales
A 24-hour health advice and information telephone service, offering advice on local health services, helplines and websites.

NHS Inform
This is a national health information service providing a co-ordinated approach and a single source of quality assured health information for the public in Scotland.

Patient Information Forum (PiF)
The Patient Information Forum (PiF) acts as 'an independent forum for the sharing of good practice amongst those involved in the production and dissemination of high-quality consumer health information'. Membership of PiF is needed to access the full range of information including top tips, standards and guidance, news and discussion.

Patients Association
The Patients Association offers patients an opportunity to raise concerns and share their experiences of health services. Knowledge and experiences gained from patients is used to work with the NHS and other healthcare providers to improve services. The website provides access to news, help and advice, current campaigns and publications.

Complaints

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
The Health Ombudsman carries out independent investigations into complaints about the NHS in England, helping to improve public services as a result. The service is free and open to everyone.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman
The Northern Ireland Ombudsman can investigate both Health Services and Personal Social Services. The service is confidential, free and open to everyone.

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
The Welsh Ombudsman looks into complaints made by or on behalf of people who have suffered because of unsatisfactory treatment or service by the NHS. The Public Service Ombudsman for Wales is completely independent of the NHS and the government. The services of the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales are free.

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman deals with complaints about organisations providing public services in Scotland, including the National Health Service. Their service is independent, impartial and free.