Position Papers
Recent Articles
Lay role in NHS complaints process
Too many NHS complaints which could be resolved locally get referred up before local resolution has really been tried. Andrew Craig is sure that introducing an independent lay voice at local level can help. And there is a model that could be adapted for this purpose.
The MAC Partnership has submitted a paper Putting an Independent Lay Voice Back in the NHS Complaints Process in June 2913 to the Clwyd/ Hart complaints review making a case for a local independent lay complaints reviewer to scrutinise where the process is getting in the way of local resolution.
Readiness of CCGs to embed patient and public engagement in local commissioning
Evidence submitted March 2013 by MAC and InHealth Associates to the Health Select Committee enquiry on enquiry “Implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012”. Our paper focuses on the state of readiness and capability of CCGs to embed patient and public engagement (PPE) in local commissioning and what support they need to do this well. It is based on in depth interviews with clinical, management and lay CCG leaders in late 2012.
Services for people with long term neurological conditions are getting worse. Patient and carers are NOT at the heart of commissioning where they should be. MAC’s memorandum of evidence to the Public Accounts Committee hearing into this in January tries to bang the drum about what’s wrong. But why are there not lots more people and organisations shouting about this? You can bet there would be if the subject was heart disease or cancer. Scandalous really.
The Lay Role in Authorisation of Commissioning Consortia
Written in May 2011, this argument applies also to Clinical Commissioning Groups exactly as it did to their predecessor “consortia.” The need for a lay scrutiny role has not changed. Emerging CCGs could be effectively scrutinised and challenged by local lay people. Once established, complaints about poor consortium performance post-authorisation should be made through the local OSC
The MAC 10 Point Plan Submitted to the NHS Future Forum
We have taken advantage of the pause for thought to make 10 points that expand on our thoughts on the best way to involve patients and be accountable to them. We believe that GPs must earn the right to commission services on behalf of their patients by providing evidence they serve their patients well. We say NO to Health and Wellbeing Boards but do think that commissioning organisations be democratically accountable with patient groups integrated into Consortium Governance. Local government can say yes or no but whatever the decision, it cannot interfere for the next two years. Finally we have a right to know how our views have been taken into account and if Commissioning Boards are doing a good job, they can have more money to spend on their patients. (April 2011)
Farewell LINks and Hello Healthwatch
Published in Primary Health Care in July 2011, this paper looks at the issues in the crucial transition period from LINks to Healthwatch and asks whether complaints should be part of the new Local Health Watch role.
MAC Evidence to the Health Select Committee, February 2011
The Committee invited us to give evidence on the accountability arrangements in the Bill. We followed this with a written submission. Our main message: the public and patients are the moral owners of the health service – no commissioning about us, without us. Public and user involvement should begin in GP practices and their views and experiences should inform decision-making at every level.
Patient Participation in Primary Care
A series of five linked articles commissioned by Primary Health Care journal and published during 2010 covering good engagement in primary care and particularly relevant to GP practices.
1. Why bother about user engagement in primary health care?
2. Getting ready for patient participation
3. Counting up patient participation
4. Get off on the right foot with your patient participation group
5. Patient and public participation can liberate the NHS
We are all asked to participate now using our skills and time to make a contribution to the Big Society. This is a story by Colin Adamson of such a contribution based on the experience of being the frontman for a group of leaseholders living in a block of flats in London who challenged the service charges in a action before the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. September 2010
Take the MND Pathway to World Class Commissioning Wins
A discussion aimed at PCTs for Year 2 (2009) of World Class Commissioning showing how the Motor Neurone Disease year of care commissioning pathway tool would score highly on WCC criteria if implemented to its full capacity.
Patient Engagement and Customer Focus: Getting it right in General Practice
Engaging patients in the delivery of primary care is important for everyone: for commissioners, for general practice and for patients themselves. Increasingly GPs are being expected to demonstrate that they are patient focussed and that they are not just listening to patients, but actively involving them in decision-making.
A Patient Participation Case History From Primary Care
Written by The Moore Adamson Craig Partnership in 2008 about the experiences of the Balham park Surgery Patients Participation group (BPSPLG) in South West London
Older Public Involvement Blog posts
A number of other posts also feature on the first incarnation of the Public Involvement blog with articles posted from 2003-2007.
- Archived Public Involvement Blog posts (opens in a new window)
