Patient engagement, patient empowerment and patient safety

Involving patients in patient safety policy development and practice and in their care and treatment seems quite simple and straightforward on the face of it. However, in practice it has proved exceedingly difficult, judging from past attempts in the NHS, and patient safety crisis investigation reports. There are regular clarion calls made to involve patients more and they have continued for many years with mixed results. The Patient Safety Commissioner (PSC) recently stated:

‘I have discovered that we need a seismic shift in the way that patients' and families' voices are heard. This requires changes in legislation, regulation, policy, commissioning, education, professionalism, attitudes, behaviours, and culture.’

PSC, 2023: 9

We can see failings from past patient safety investigation reports of patients not being involved enough or at all in patient safety investigations, not being talked to properly, and lack of empathy or compassion shown towards them. Also not being involved enough in decisions about their own care, treatment, poor consent procedures and so on.