www.publicinvolvement.org.uk

For an interesting account of how 'ordinary' people got involved in advising the government see the story with pictures on the BBC website with some links to related stories.

Two things stand out for us - the use of what are referred to as mentors at the meetings - people who both facilitate discussion and challenge some of the views presented. This would appear to make people think a bit harder. Secondly, as one of the participants said "we really believed that rather than the local people getting involved too much it was about getting the right leaders in place, not just in government but in the various public services such as the head of the local NHS trust.

"Our general view was that if those leadership qualities filtered down that communications would be effective and services would improve."

Another recent press reference was in the Economist for March 3-9 associated with an article on the NHS and practice based commissioning "The power game" which also featured Paul Hodgkin's website Patient Opinion - see our posts The Power of Positive Postings (Sep '06) and The Patient Opinion Organisation (Aug '06)

Says the Economist "patient voice should reinforce patient choice". A more positive view than Dr Crippen's on where he writes about a Warwick University ICAST video which he has watched three times, and he "still has not the remotest idea what the National Centre for Involvement really does. Can anyone help?"

We are all watching that particular space.