Patient power gets an online boost

Patients and other health campaigners in Rochdale now have a brand-new resource that will provide them with all the news, information and contacts they need.

The Patients’ Council, an independent group of local people with long-term health conditions, today, Tuesday 12 June, launched its new website:

• www.patientscouncil.org.uk 

The site has already been warmly welcomed by the Department of Health and local campaigners, who say it will become an invaluable resource for harnessing patient power and bringing about health service improvements.

The site is aimed at anyone with an interest in NHS services in the north east of Greater Manchester – Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton, Bury, North Manchester and Oldham – and in ensuring that patients receive the best possible care. 

As well as featuring the latest news on Patients’ Council campaigns, the site also features useful publications, national guidance and other items that are likely to be of interest to users, along with links to sources of further information.

Among the Patients’ Council campaigns currently featured are:

• The work being done to improve transport links to and from hospitals.
• A joint project with Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to reduce the incidence of MRSA and other healthcare-associated infections.
• Work to ensure people with disabilities have equal access to the NHS, both as staff and as patients.

Patients’ Council member Barbara Allen, from Rochdale, said: “We spent a lot of time asking patients, friends and other health campaigners what they wanted on our new website because we really wanted it to be something they would find useful.  We’ve been amazed by the response so far and the number of hits the website’s had, even before its official launch. I hope people enjoy visiting the site and I look forward to receiving feedback that will help us improve it even further.”

Age Concern Metro Rochdale Chairwoman Vera Hirst, from Littleborough, said: “The Patients’ Council website is very welcome and I think it will become an invaluable tool for anyone interested in developing better health services for the area. As well as updates on the Patients’ Council’s work, it provides other local groups with an opportunity to share their news with a wide audience, developing contacts and building relationships that mean we can work together on many projects. That will create a very powerful patient voice.”

Harry Cayton, National Director for Patients amp; the Public at the Department of Health in London, said: “The best healthcare is based around patients’ needs and, in order to provide it, we need to involve patients in decisions about local NHS services. I have been very impressed by the Patients’ Council’s work. It is highly respected by doctors, nurses and managers, who really do take account of members’ views about improving NHS services. That kind of ‘patient power’ is crucial to delivering the best possible quality of care, so I welcome the launch of the Patients’ Council’s new website in the north east of Greater Manchester and hope people in the area find it a useful resource.”