Dalton J et al. Health Serv Deliv Res 2015;3(17)
- An evaluation of the evidence around patient public engagement during health service reconfiguration identified a wide variety of approaches ranging from public meetings and distribution of information to the use of social media.
- In general, engagement was most likely to be successful when the process started at an early stage of planning service change, offered opportunities for genuine interaction and was led and supported by health professionals. Problems were most likely if NHS organisations did not pay enough attention to issues considered important by the public.
- NHS organisations should report on how they have involved patients and the public in decisions about changes to services. They should also evaluate the results of the consultations (e.g. how satisfied people were with the process and what was actually done as a result).
