Our Have Your Say! series has been created to give you more information on how you can contribute to some of the major changes in health and social care policy.
Within the Health and Social Care sector there are several forums, networks and organisations designed to provide a space where stakeholders like you, can offer their views and influence policy development.
What is a Policy?
A planned course of action.
What are Policy Stakeholders?
Policy stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organisations, that are either directly, or indirectly, affected by or interested in a policy. If you, or someone close to you is affected by something, you are a stakeholder.
How Can I Get Involved?
There are lots of ways to get involved for anyone who wants to be part of changing how the health care or social care system works, including:
- forums/networks
- organisations and charities
- online consultations or surveys
- round tables
- calls for evidence
- consultations
- patient feedback.
Forums and Networks
Forums and networks such as the NHS Youth Forum, CCG Patient and Public Involvement Lay Members’ Network, and Forum for People with a Learning Disability and/or Autism, and organisations such as Healthwatch, are designed to collect the public’s views on healthcare services.
Programmes such as NHS Citizen have been used to encourage stakeholder engagement within Health and Social Care, including policy development.
Online Consultations/Calls for Evidence
Online consultations or calls for evidence, are used to collect the views and recommendations of individuals involved in or affected by policy, or provide insight prior to policy development. A recent example of this is the Women’s Health online consultation/call for evidence conducted by the Department of Health and Social Care. The views and opinions expressed through this type of survey will directly impact the development of Women’s Health policy.
Round Tables and Consultations
Round tables, or consultations, are another way stakeholders can influence health and social care policies. These usually involve a select number of stakeholders that have either been specifically called upon or have applied as interested parties to give their views.
Patient Feedback
Patient experience feedback is gathered through direct questions, surveys, both online and in person, and through compliments/complaints handling, these forms of feedback are useful both for developing new policy and providing evidence for the success or failure of current policies, influencing the way those policies change or develop in the future.
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