PATIENT POWER MYTH OR REALITY?
David Terry investigates the facts and the fantasy...
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When the system works well, the NHS provides a service second to none.
When the recent £3 million redevelopment of the Kobler clinic at
the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital was planned, there was extensive
patient input. The revamped clinic is a bright modern place where you
can get your bloods done, see your doctor and collect your medication
in a very user-friendly environment.
But when I went there to make a future appointment, the receptionist said:
"Sorry, but the computer system won't accept appointments into next
year. Can you phone up in a couple of weeks?"
I complained to Simon Barton, clinical director of the Kobler, but it
may have been easier to sort out the problem on the spot. And that's where
a new service soon to be set up within the whole of the NHS may help.
Recently I visited a friend in the Mayday Hospital, Croydon. At the main
entrance desk, I found a display of Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service
(PALS) leaflets and a clear sign pointing to the hospital PALS office.
The idea behind PALS is to give patients the support they need 'on the
spot' when problems arise and hopefully avoid complaints later.
PALS seems to be following the practice in some HIV clinics where the
patient voice has been listened to for some time. Mortimer Market in London
is a good example. The Bloomsbury Clinic User Group has been in existence
for over over two years.
User reps Garry Brough and Peter Twist became involved in patient
