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Getting involved
User involvement
The government pledges that health services should be patient led and of a world class standard. In order to achieve this and so meet the needs of the Pan Birmingham Cancer Network population, service users’ views need to be heard. In addition to this pledge, there is a legal requirement to involve patients and the public. The Health Act 2006, section 242, puts a legal responsibility on all NHS organisations to involve patients and the public in the decision making process of changes or proposed changes to the way services are provided.
What is a service user?
The word user describes anyone who has experience of using a particular service, either as a patient or carer. Therefore, a cancer service user is anyone who has had experience of cancer either as a patient or carer.
What is cancer user involvement?Cancer user involvement is about service users (patients, carers and their friends) using their experience and insight to improve cancer services for future patients and carers.
Cancer patients and carers have a unique knowledge and experience which comes from living with cancer and using cancer services. The value of that unique knowledge is recognised by health care professionals and by becoming involved in the cancer network users have the opportunity to help shape the future of cancer services offered in the area we cover.
Why get involved?- to bring about continuous improvement in cancer services
- to give patients and carers a voice
- to hear patient and carer experiences
- to influence service design from a patient and carer perspective
- to ensure services meet patient needs
How can I get involved?
There are a number of ways you can get involved in improving cancer services; by sharing your views either as a one of by simply telling us what you think or by joining one of the Pan Birmingham Cancer Network groups, such as;
Click on the network user partnership group to find out what our users say about being involved.
Who do I contact for further information?
Caroline Horton
User and Public Engagement Lead
University of Birmingham Research Park
97 Vincent Drive
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2SQ
0121 414 8265 or 07769 168 046
Caroline.Horton@westmidlands.nhs.uk -
Patient Opinion - Every Voice Matters
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All health services need to hear the voices of their users if they are to improve what they do. Unfortunately, this expert advice can sometimes be over looked or often people are to scared to give their feedback about their experiences of care for fear of being labelled troublesome. The Patient Opinion website has been set up to help solve these problems and to encourage patients and carers to provide feedback about their care they have received in England, Wales and Scotland, anonymously.
Patient Opinion was set up by Dr Paul Hodgkin, a Sheffield GP, to enable patients to use the power of the web to share their stories with the NHS.
Stories from patients, carers and relatives are posted on the site once they have been reviewed by Patient Opinion's editors. Where possible, Patient Opinion also sends this patient feedback (anonymously) to just the right local NHS managers, who will then respond to those stories.
So if you have something to say about your recent experiences of health care, or want to see what other patients have said about their experiences visit the Patient Opinion website.