The Patients Association - Patient partnership is needed to heal the rupture between patients and the NHS (1 April 2022)

Summary

Public satisfaction with the NHS is currently at a 25-year low, and lack of effective communication and engagement with patients has contributed to this dissatisfaction. In this blog, Lucy Watson, Chair, and Rachel Power, Chief Executive of The Patients Association, reflect on the findings of the Ockenden Report and the implications for patient trust in the NHS. They highlight the immense damage to trust caused by the combination of the hospital's substandard clinical care, lack of compassion, tendency to blame mothers and unwillingness to respond to concerns.

The authors argue that listening to and better engaging with patients is essential to create the culture change the NHS needs to rebuild public trust and improve safety. They call for honest and transparency about how the NHS is coping, and for more action to tackle low staff morale.