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strategy recently received Board approval and was accompanied by a one year PFPI Improvement Plan which will be reviewed regularly and updated annually.
The updated strategy provides a framework for change to achieve services in Lanarkshire that are designed for and involve service users, where people are respected, treated as individuals and are involved in their own care.
Rosemary Lyness, the executive lead for PFPI and Director of Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professionals, explained the importance of the PFPI strategy.
“PFPI is as much about how we do things as what we do and therefore needs to be embedded in the organisational culture.
“This updated strategy is a continuation of work that has been ongoing since 2006. We need to continue the development of our participation responsibilities and enable greater involvement of patients and the public in their own care and in the development of healthcare services.
“Improving people’s experience and involving people is about making a difference. It is also about us learning lessons so that future care and treatment can be improved. We need patient and public involvement to help us face the challenges of improving health and delivering modern services.
“Patient and public involvement also helps the Board demonstrate its accountability to the public. It enables us to show how patients and the public have helped to shape and contribute to future planning and how the Board has responded to people’s ideas, needs and concerns.
“We want to encourage more people to get involved in their local health services. Gaining patient experience through national and local surveys is one way which is helpful. There are, however, many other ways to get involved in order to put forward your views and help to design future services. Local public partnership forums meet regularly throughout Lanarkshire to discuss health service provision. NHS Lanarkshire’s web site and use of social media sites, such as twitter and facebook, also encourage further interaction with the local community.
“Full details on how to get involved in your local health services are available in the Get Involved section of our website;
www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk/Involved”.