The Six Principles of Patient Partnership (The Patient Association)

Summary

The Patient Association have identified the six key principles of patient partnership. They have engaged extensively with patients in developing these principles, as well as a network of national and local organisations and health and care thought leaders. The principles they have identified are:

1. Treating patients as equals: Patients are treated as equals, with their views recognised as equally valid and having an equal say in decisions.
2. Patients who are fully informed: Services and systems make sure patients are fully informed, in a way that patients can access and understand, and patients use as much information as they wish to.
3. Shared decision making and patient partnership: Shared decision making, and patient partnership approaches are used as a matter of routine.
4. Recognising inequalities: Inequalities are recognised, and appropriate approaches adopted for different patient groups and communities, identifying and meeting their specific needs.
5. Seeking patient input: Patient input is actively sought, genuinely valued, and meaningfully acted on.
6. Joining services around patients: Services join up around patients, working with them to identify their needs, and responding to them in a way that make things as easy as possible for the patient.

Find out more on The Patient Association website via the link below.