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Primary care services are the front door to the NHS - they are the first port of call when we feel unwell and the main coordinator of care when we are living with health conditions. The primary care team have an important role in making people feel welcomed, listened to and taken seriously. Yet we often hear examples about people who have not had their communication needs met within primary care. This includes people with sensory impairments, people with learning disabilities, autistic people, people living with dementia, people who don’t speak English fluently, people with low or no literacy, people who are digitally excluded, people living nomadically, people experiencing homelessness and many others.   This report sets out the key issues faced by people with specific communication needs within primary care and what they feel would make the biggest difference, as well as key actions primary care leaders and teams can take to support inclusive communication. 

In this blog, Dr Amy Proffitt, Royal College of Physicians (RCP) patient involvement officer, explores how the patient voice is represented in patient safety. She highlights the importance of engaging patients from a diverse range of backgrounds and responding to research that highlights particular populations who are experiencing worse outcomes. Eddie Kinsella, chair of the RCP’s Patient and Carer Network, then goes on to share his thoughts on patient safety, highlighting the role of patient partners in bringing about culture change in the NHS, and as advocates for the wider community, especially those who are most disadvantaged.