Best practice in patient participation

The National Association for Patient Participation received three-year funding from the Department of Health to look at "best practice in patient participation". More precisely, we studied areas where users and carers have been influential in affecting general practitioner (GP) practice policy or the policies of their Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The focus throughout was on primary care although this should be understood in a broad way to include influencing the commissioning of secondary and specialist care. This website contains a diverse selection of examples where minority groups (e.g. ethnic minorities; asylum seekers; homeless; travellers; lesbians, gays and bisexuals) have been able to affect health care provision. Note that we will no longer be updating these case studies now that the funding has ended. As a result, some of the details may be out of date although the principles underpinning the success are likely to remain true.

As part of the project, we commissioned original research from the Picker Institute. They identified ten case studies where black and minority ethnic groups have been able to influence local services. Additional resources provided by the Picker Institute include:

Reflections on the different health needs of minority ethnic groups
An analysis of the primary care survey data broken down by ethnicity
Bookmarks of relevant internet resources
A catalogue of useful documents

Further outputs from the project are:
  - a pilot exercise with 26 PPGs, helping them to network with each other (click here for a report on the closing mini conference)
  - a case study document entitled Moving Beyond Them and Us which describes the work of more than thirty PPGs
  - a major survey of patient participation in primary care
  - our final report to the Department of Health

For more information on the best practice project, please email graham.box@napp.org.uk