133. Evidence submitted by Brenda O'Neill
(PPI 143)
1. What is the
purpose of patient and public involvement?
1.1 To ensure that patients receive the
highest quality/standard of timely care in the most appropriate
setting as possible. To do this the care planners, commissioners,
providers need information/evidence. Part of this is medical/clinical,
scientific, best practice etc but a big part will come from patients
(of their experiences) or potential patients (of their perceived
needs).
2. What form of patient and public involvement
is desirable, practical and offers good value for money?
2.1 It needs to be sufficiently flexible,
to meet the needs of local people, individuals and communities.
And consistent, standard enough to make sense of the outcomes,
evidence, opinions, ie interpret evidence to make (national) decisions.
2.2 Any new PPI arrangement must get away
from the committee style/structure. This disempowers some individuals
who cannot relate to such structures—finding them restrictive
and limiting.
2.3 Boundaries—these also are limiting
and do not necessarily reflect, for the want of a better description,
the patient pathway. They are potentially practical and desirable
but inflexible.
2.4 Need to consider if the PPI arrangement
is meant to be representative or empowering.
2.5 I would take issue with less emphasis
on those who have a voice—or those who already express their
views. They are still needed and not everyone wants to express
a view—which seems to be a huge assumption being made by
Government and the Department of Health. Many people only want
to express their view when it is relevant to them or their nearest
and dearest—family or friends.
2.6 NB—PPI is a communication tool
that allows patients, the public, citizens, communities to inform
provide feedback, input, comment in a timely fashion (throughout
the planning cycle for example) and the NHS and Social Care providers/planners
to seek views, respond, react, account for, plan, purchase and
deliver the care.
3. Why are existing systems for patient and
public involvement being reformed after only three years?
3.1 For practical reasons in my view:
— CPPIH is to be abolished, Impact
of NHS reorganisations, and a PPI Forum relating to a specific
NHS body does not relate to patients or the public.
Brenda O'Neill
January 2007
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