Healthcare services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Healthcare services - Essay Example One manifestation of these policies is the appointment of Patient Information Strategy Project Manager (PISPM) at the North Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT). North Devon PCT developed a strategy to involve the public and provide multiple services to enhance the understanding of patient needs within the PCT. They also aim to improve the knowledge based from the patients and general publics' opinion. PISPM post's performances have strengths and weaknesses but they also play an important role in leading this strategy. By improving North Devon Information Strategy, value will be added in developing a greater public involvement in North Devon PCT. Patient & Public Involvement Definition Patient & Public involvement and other allied terms are used to covey a variety of meanings. Public involvement refers to the involvement of individual patients, together with health professionals, in making decisions about their own health care (Florin & Dixon 2004). According to the Department of Health, patient and public involvement is not just about structures, it is a cultural change. It is about empowering patients and the public to have a role in health care society. ... Through these practices, the way to address the needs of the growing number of people with chronic conditions will now be appropriate and effective. Hennessy (2002) pointed out that involving individual encourages and empowers them. The sense of ownership improves health outcomes and patient experiences. On the other hand, the Trusts will also benefit from this involvement. It will provide a more responsive service, which meets the local needs. Involvement in NHS activities encourages staff to consider alternative ways of meeting the care needs and look at providing services from a different perspective which is that of the patients' perspective. Florin & Dixon (2004) indicated that involving the public may help ensure health policy decisions better reflect the values of the community. It will make services more responsive to the individuals and communities who uses them and that more responsive services will lead to improved health. Patient & Public Involvement Policies Policies to encourage public involvement in the NHS are not new. Previous governments have used various policies in an attempt to encourage democratic and informal decisions in the NHS. A review of policies from 1948 to 1997 showed that public involvement in the NHS decreased over this period (Harrison, Milewa and Dowswell 2002). In contrast, Klein & New (1996) reviewed the period from 1990 and concluded that there had been a moderate increase in democracy in the NHS. Since the Labor government came to power in 1997, a new raft of policies has been introduced with the stated aim of increased public or patient involvement. The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, aimed to give the