NHS Alliance

MES together with some of our colleagues at ERS hosted a workshop earlier today at the NHS Alliance conference.  Paul, together with Luke at ERS ran a session on Accountability, Engagement & Governance in the NHS.  We were recording the session so if you weren't able to make it to the actual event you can see the full discussion.



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CCG Practice Team Engagement – Where to Begin?

Wave 1 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)  are on the cusp of authorisation. However this is not the end, this is not even the end of the beginning!

Leading up to this momentous occasion, CCGs have not been sitting idly around. There has been a charge to ensure that GP’s, Nurses, Practice Managers and Receptionists are on-board and know how to contribute.

In our work alongside emerging CCGs, so far, the biggest challenge has been simply to get through to people. In the run up to authorisation there is a daily typhoon of emails, letters, bulletins and more emails, and not a lifejacket in sight!

Then there is the daily business of running a practice. We have found that practice teams are overwhelmed by data and deadline, trying to speak to them about something which is beyond a ‘must do’ is very hard, but not impossible. Our aim has been to frame involvement in commissioning in a way that doesn’t demand more time. Sounds simple when written down, in reality this is quite a tough nut to crack.

Engagement in the Health Sector

This week’s blog takes a look at something very dear to our hearts at MES, public and patient engagement in the NHS.

As we draw into the hopefully anticipated ‘indian summer’ of 2012 I have been reflecting upon the people we’ve met, the conferences attended and the clients we have worked alongside so far this year.
 

Following the assent of the Health and Social Care Bill in March the precedent for patient and public involvement has never been greater. What’s more it has been set out as a whole domain (2) for Clinical Commissioning Groups to get to grips with. But without the rigid measures for engagement that are laid out for Foundation Trusts to guide them, many CCGS are wondering what effective engagement actually feels like.