Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)

The National Health Service Act 2006 came into force on the 1st of March 2006 and incorporates section 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 as section 242 of this newer Act. In England section 242 applies to strategic health authorities, primary care trusts, NHS trusts and Foundation trusts.

Section 242 requires all trusts to involve and consult patients and public in:

• the planning of the provision of services,
• the development and consideration of proposals for changes in the way those services are provided,
• decisions to be made by that body affecting the operation of those services.”

In April 2008 the Local Government and and Public Involvement in Health Act came into force making a provision to enhance and clarify section 242 of the NHS Act 2006. It also placed a new duty on Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts to report on consultation.

Patient and public involvement can operate across a wide range of levels, and mostly takes the form of consultation of some type. This can be on an individual or a collective basis and may be a national government-led initiative or at a more local level. The main types are:-

• Formal and public, relating to major service changes and a statutory requirement. Example of this might be closure or significant change of service affecting a large area.
• Local consultation, relating to a change in service or similar that will affect local people in a significant way. Example of this might be the Local Delivery Plan for the Trust.
• User consultation, relating to a change in a particular service. Patients could be asked to become involved in the setting up or changing of a service.
• Regular opinion-testing, which is the collection of patient and public opinion on issues at all levels. Examples of this include a national consultation on general health issues or a more local ongoing measurement of services.

The government produced new guidance on public consultations in April 2004, which can be viewed via [www.cabinet-office.gov.uk](http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk]

All levels of consultation mean involving patients and the public in some way and there are a variety of methods that can be used.

• Public events can be held for larger consultations at both national and local level.
• Individuals can be contacted using the media and the internet.
• Support groups and other interested local health focussed committees will act as a sounding board for ideas.
• Within the Trust patients can be engaged in a variety of ways, using various methods such as focus groups and, customer satisfaction surveys.

A series of ‘Sixty Second Guides to Patient and Public Involvement’ have been produced for staff to use when looking to involve patients in their service in some way. Whichever method you use it is important to remember to give the participants feedback and to let them know how their involvement has improved your service in some way.

As part of increasing patient and public involvement the Government created PPI structures which include:-

• PALS – Patient Advice and Liaison Service, which is available to give advice and information to patients.
• Local Involvement Networks (LINks) which were formed as a result of the changes in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act.
• Local Network Providers – these support the LINKs.
• Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)- a complaints service for patients that is independent of the NHS.
• Local Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) – committees within local authorities that look at local health provision as part of their wider role.

The Trust has a PPI Strategy, which explains the importance of patient and public involvement for the Trust. There is an accompanying action plan which details the work being done to implement this strategy.

The types of activities that go on within the Trust which demonstrate PPI are:-

• Working towards improving the provision of advice leaflets for patients throughout the Trust, guidance and advice on which can be found in TPP129.
• Providing the public with information about the Trust in the annual report and on the website.
• Individuals taking part in surveys and focus groups set up by individual departments.
• The formation of a Patient Panel for the Trust that does not duplicate the remit of the independent LINks.
• Consulting the public on any new services or change of service.

The Patient Panel

Local Involvement Networks

Patient and Public Involvement Strategy 2007 - 2010 (PDF 137KB)