SDEF - News Item - Jackie Baillie

A groundbreaking scheme which will see research carried out into patients' experience of the NHS was launched today.

The new initiative will see a centre set up to co-ordinate feedback into how patients find their experiences of treatment in the NHS in Scotland. Their findings will be used to improve the services health boards provide for patients.

Patients will be asked about their experiences ranging from whether they are involved in decisions about their care, have their preferences respected and how they view the quality of hospital accommodation.

The new co-ordination centre is part of Better Together: Scotland's Patient Experience Programme, launched today.

The centre will be responsible for:

�� * Developing guidance which health boards will then use to undertake surveys of patients and carers

�� * Analysing and helping distribute the results of surveys carried out by health boards and GP practices

�� * Helping health boards and GP practices use the information to improve services

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and the Scottish Health Council will then use this information to make sure that health boards are driving forward year-on-year improvements to local services and patients' experiences.

In the first few years, the programme will focus on inpatients, those with long-term conditions and users of GP surgeries.

Better Together was launched today at Stirling Royal Infirmary. Forth Valley Health Board has an established patient involvement programme, with patients fully involved in making key decisions about projects including the new Larbert Hospital.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon also unveiled a new patient leaflet, called It's OK to Ask, which will be distributed to hospitals and GP surgeries. This contains a series of tips and questions a patient can ask during an appointment with a doctor or nurse. It was developed in response to feedback from patients that the daunting nature of a first appointment often means that many questions go unasked.

A patient-friendly version of Better Health, Better Care - the Scottish Government's Action Plan for health was also published, setting out the main areas that will benefit individuals, their families, communities and NHS Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said: "The patient experience programme is an important milestone in achieving our vision of an NHS with patients truly at its centre.

"The patient-friendly leaflets and information I am also unveiling today are further demonstrations of our commitment to creating a mutual NHS in which patients and members of the public fully participate.

�"It's OK to Ask is the kind of innovative development we will see more of thanks to the patient experience programme.

�"As our action plan sets out, we want patients to be involved in every aspect of decisions about their care.

�"NHS boards across Scotland do involve patients in decision-making, but Better Together will help us ensure that best practice is shared across Scotland.

�"I am confident that this new national programme will lead to real improvements in the quality of local healthcare and patients' experiences."

�Implementation of the programme will be a partnership between NHS boards, the co-ordination centre, the Scottish Government, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, NHS Education Scotland, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Scottish Consumer Council and the Scottish Health Council.

�The programme will involve surveys, other research and improvement work.

�The co-ordination centre will be based in Edinburgh and will open from February 11.

�The Patient Experience Programme will:

�� * Work with patients and carers to determine what they want from the NHS

�� * Use patient surveys to collect information on their experiences

�� * Build on evidence already collected through Patient Focus Public Involvement (PFPI) procedures and from NHS complaints procedure

04/02/08 -� Centre to improve patient care