Patients should become more involved in changing how the NHS works in order to increase public value, said the President of the Institute of Healthcare and Management, speaking at Wednesday’s Management In Practice Event.
“We need to encourage more involvement with the community and involve patients as much as possible in the processes,” said Professor McSorely.
He said that while it is difficult to assess what exactly constitutes “public value”, GP surgeries should use their resources in order to maximise contribution from the public.
He suggested that surgeries could hold patient consultations that eliminate the paternal GP and patient relationship but allow patients to communicate on an equal footing.
Patients can get involved in eveything from organising seating in waiting areas and making infomation sheets patient friendly.
Professor McSorley added that an adaptive system of leadership can help to respond to patient’s wants as well as their needs.
“We can all add more by understanding what patients want, our role is to add public value,” he said.
“Generations to come will say they’re not putting up with it and we need to anticipate what future generations will want.”
Stuart Gidden, supervising editor for Management In Practice was pleased with how the London Event went ahead, saying, “once again, it was a great opportunity to meet lots of practice managers and learn about current issues facing general practice in a convivial environment.”
The London Management in Practice Event will be back in Birmingham on the 10 October 2007
Related story: NHS want more GPs using Choose and Book
Birmingham Management in Practice Event
Your comments: (Terms and conditions apply)
“From the patient questionnaire we use annually for QOF, the Practice has formed a patient discussion group. At present they have not played a part in making major decisions for the practice, but they have made decisions about minor changes to the practice including Monday book on the day appointments, a patient news letter, meetings with a local pharmacy and learnt more about the way the practice is run and works. All suggestions were put to the vote and if introduced, it was initially for a trial period to see the benefit. All is working well and we pride ourselves on the excellent relationship we have with our patients. As such we have received no complaints either major or minor since I became Practice Manager nine years ago” – Susan Dardis, Manchester
“I never cease to be amazed at people such as Professor McSorley who seem to know exactly what people want. We have struggled for four years to keep a Patient Consultation Group going. The first problem is to get people to join. The second problem is engaging the rest of the patients in the practice. This is most surprising since according to Professor Sorley patients really want to be involved. It’s a bit like Choose and Book where we are told that patients want choice. All they really want to choose is the date of their Consultant appointment. Do we really need a complex Choose and Book system to achieve that? Are the patients at this practice totally different in their aspirations from patients throughout the UK?” – Allan M Stewart, Practice Manager, Wirral
“I think there is enough patient involvement at present with the various surveys which are carried out and any good surgery would always encourage and welcome suggestions from patients to improve services” – Ruth Wood, Practice Manager, Manor Park Surgery
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