42. Rachel Power - patients as equal partners in the NHS

Today I am talking to Rachel Power, CEO of the Patients' Association. Huge thanks to our mutual friend, Yvonne Newbold for introducing us!The Patients' Association was established almost 60 years ago and is a membership forum - why not join? Rachel is a strong advocate for patient partnership; her organisation is highly influential, helping patient voices be heard by NHS England and the government.I'm hoping that this important conversation will form a bit of a 'pincer movement' with Episode 25, in which Miles Sibley, founder of the Patient Experience Library provides real evidence that 'patient stories' are not only important but should have equal weight with medical stories.Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋I joined the Patients Association! It's free! Why don't you?Coproduction? Don’t get hung up on the latest buzz word – just think what the person in the street would understandFocus on what is meaningful to people – e.g. Andrea Sutcliffe's 'The Mum test'Let’s not measure things just because they are easy to measureMeasuring the impact of things that matter can be hardPeople have survey fatigue - be imaginative about seeking feedback - e.g. ask people in 6 months' time whether your intervention made a differenceBRAN - the 'Benefits, the Risks, the Alternatives and the do Nothing' methodology is powerful “If I still can’t do my gardening, then why would I want that knee operation?”- a classic example of 'What Matters To You?' #WMTYSeek to identify and overcome the barriers to shared decision-makingMost people just want to know that things will be different; they don’t necessarily want to complainLet’s keep things simple; not over-complicate!Always remember - behind the statistics, there are human beingsPatient stories should have equal weight with medical stories (Miles Sibley)The Patients’ Association works closely with the NHS - help them!Digital solutions sometimes exacerbate health inequalities - be inclusive and imaginativeBring things to people and making them accessible - Nailsea is a good exampleThe cost-of-living crisis is widening inequalitiesThe Patients’ Association has lots of practical resources to help people access health care and feel empowered, including a HelplineOur key message for Amanda Pritchard, CEO of the NHS – patient partnership is the way forward!Links and resourcesThe Patients' AssociationMiles Sibley, Founder of Patient Experience LibraryYvonne Newbold - Founder of Newbold HopeWe LOVE it when you leave a review!If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations usefulplease  share your thoughts by leaving a review (Spotify or Apple are easiest to leave a review - navigate via 3 dots) and comment on your favourite episodes.Connect with me - Gill Phillips - on LinkedIn, especially if you are interested in our brand new #CYPWhoseShoes resources or our well-established #MatExp (maternity experience) work.I tweet (not so much these days!) as @WhoseShoes  and am on Instagram as @WhoseShoesUK and @WildCardWS.Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.