Doctors for the NHS defends all of the founding principles of the NHS. These were set in place to ensure universal healthcare free for all at the point of delivery – but they also reflect the critical importance of listening to and, we believe, empowering people with their own healthcare as far as possible.
An important view
At the centre of all we do as doctors is the patient. Medical training should emphasise that, and stress the importance of listening to patients and giving them choices. Never assuming this can be ignored. Always remembering it is the patient’s health and wellbeing that we owe our professional duty to uphold. At a time when the NHS is forced to treat more people with chronically depleted resources and investment after years of systematic neglect, this remains one truth that must not be ignored: patients count. Listen to them.
Unfortunately, in the past and still at times today, the view that ‘doctor knows best’ too often held sway. Granted, we may know a lot more than the person who has come to us needing help, in terms of their anatomy, physiology, drug regimen and available treatments. We will almost certainly know the health system, with all of its vagaries and strengths, quirks and weaknesses, better than they do. We work there. We will see more people with their affliction in the course of our professional lives than any one patient is likely to. But it’s their health. Listening to patients with this in mind remains far from universal – and we say that is wrong.
We believe very strongly in promoting the ‘patient voice’ and the empowerment it can and should mean. That is why we encourage links with patient groups, and furthering training and initiatives that also promote engaging with patients to our colleagues. We know there is more to do, and we welcome approaches from patient groups who feel the same as we do. Contact us and let us know about you.
A case in point – The Eric Watts Award
Eric is one of our national Executive Committee. He has been a passionate believer in the need to make ‘patient engagement’ at the heart of medicine for many years – since his own childhood experiences left him in no doubt of the harm that followed if this was ignored or belittled, in fact (you can read more of Eric’s experiences here). With the support of the Royal College of Physicians, Eric has pioneered an Award which recognises individual healthcare workers and teams who have made an extraordinary contribution to improving the patient experience and placed patients’ needs, views and involvement at the heart of improvement.
Eric is a fellow of the RCP and a close collaborator with their Patient and Carer Network. Eric has spent his career trying to create more harmonious relationships between patients and clinicians.