Putting Patients First

Putting Patients First

An initiative for the new NHS, intended to unplug the paternalistic view of patient management and give patients broader and more informed choices in life and death matters, such as: wider choice of location for treatment (e.g., closer to home, better record of cleanliness or shorter wait times); services that put patient needs first, listen to their advice and opinions, explain what their treatment or care will entail and minimise delays and complications; better information as to what services are offered at any given hospital or provider, including how clean its wards are and the extent of its non-medical facilities (canteen and parking availability); and healthcare professionals who are better informed as to the health of local populations, and what patients think when buying or providing services.