UK moves to boost patient influence on health service policy:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Patient influence on the UK's increasingly decentralised health service policy is set to get a boost from the creation of the Patient and Public Involvement Resource Centre. From June 1, this national initiative will seek to "promote the value of involving people [in local services] and will work with NHS organisations, staff and patients". The move further underlines the opportunities and indeed importance for the medical technology industry in increasingly targeting their product information campaigns at the public. The Department of Health announced the project yesterday at the Patient Involvement, Empowerment and Information conference in London, after signing the contract for the service. The centre will be operated by a consortium comprising the University of Warwick, the Centre for Public Scrutiny and the Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance.