More people are being encouraged to voice their opinions on their local healthcare services.
New figures show that the NHS is crucial for some people, with the average person using the service more than 2,000 during their life time.
In a bid to continue improving quality, Local Involvement Networks (LINks) have been set up for people to express their views on health and social care services.
The data further suggests the average person is in contact with the NHS once every two weeks (2,153 times up to the age of 80), while collecting an estimated 1,330 prescriptions.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “Our health and care services must reflect the needs of the community they serve.
“In order to ensure they are relevant at a local level they really need patients and members of the public to let them know what works and what doesn’t; what would be useful and what wouldn’t.
“The more people that get involved in their Local Involvement Network, the more powerful their voice is and therefore the more impact they can have.”
LINks can be found at www.nhs.uk/links.
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