Engage patients in 10-year health plan consultation by February, PCNs told

PCNs have been asked to engage patients in conversations about the 10-year health plan by 14 February, as part of a ‘national conversation’ about the future of the NHS.

In a primary care bulletin last week (9 January), NHS England asked PCNs and practices to engage with their patient participation groups (PPGs) to share their voices and experiences of how the NHS could improve.

It said: ‘Alongside our ongoing call for the public, staff and the wider health and care community to share their thoughts on the ambitions for the NHS and healthcare, we are making a specific ask for GP practices to connect with their Patient Participation Groups (PPGs) to engage in Change NHS.’

It suggested using the ‘workshop in a box’ resource to help engage patients, which is a tool that includes a facilitator briefing guide, a set of slides to help run a workshop and a feedback form to share what PCNs hear.

These include suggestions of introducing the 10-year-plan and spending 30 minutes on each of the Government’s three shift priorities: from hospitals to communities, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention. The resources suggest looking at the challenges, what each shift might include and what impact it could have.

NHS England confirmed that the February deadline was just for the PPG session feedback and not a deadline for the wider 10-year-plan consultation, which would be in the spring.

PCN patient engagement

At a recent Pulse PCN event, North West London PCN, Feltham and Bedfont, discussed their set up of a PCN-wide PPG to better engage patients across the network after a drop off of engagement post-Covid.

‘The practice experienced a significant decline in participation in their PPGs following the Covid-19 pandemic,’ said Orika Riley senior PCN manager.

‘Additionally, the PCN acknowledged the increasing volume of contracts and directives being channelled through the PCN, highlighting the importance of strong patient engagement.

‘We also viewed this as an opportunity to increase patient awareness of the PCN and the various services it offers.’

She added that on their first PCN-wide PPG meeting they had 45 attendees.

‘We have held a total of four PPG meetings to date, during which we successfully engaged with patients across the PCN,’ said Ms Riley.

‘These meetings provided a valuable opportunity for patients to share their feedback and suggestions, leading to the implementation of several changes based on their input. This collaborative approach has allowed us to work more closely with patients, fostering a stronger partnership and enhancing overall engagement.’

In October, research found that patient perception of access relied on more than just availability of appointments, and that satisfaction was associated with face-to-face access.

NHS England has also launched a pilot into capacity and access within primary care, with 22 PCNs taking part across seven ICBs.