Improving the experience of patients with long-term conditions; Call for action on NHS translation services; Prioritising health inclusivity
Improving the experience of patients with long-term conditions
PIF member National Voices has called for urgent Government action to address a decline in patient experience for those with long-term conditions. Its report argues understanding if patients with long-term conditions feel supported to manage their condition will be integral to assessing whether the three shifts in the 10 Year Health Plan are working in practice. The report, undertaken in partnership with Future Health and commissioned by AbbVie, revealed:
- 25 million people in England are currently estimated to be living with a long-term condition.
- 13.4 million people have two or more long-term conditions.
- People with long-term conditions account for half of GP appointments and 7 in 10 hospital beds.
- Up to 5.5 million people do not feel confident to manage issues caused by their illness or condition.
- A third of patients do not feel they have enough support from local services to help them manage their condition.
The report outlines a four-part action plan for prioritising the experience of patients with long-term conditions including building new patient experience metrics and improving accountability.
Read more about the report findings on the National Voices website here.
Call for action to improve NHS translation and interpreting services
A new framework has been published highlighting the need for consistent, high-quality community language translation and interpreting services by the NHS. During engagement activities to inform the guidance, people with limited English proficiency described negative experiences when using NHS services. They spoke about discrimination and lack of cultural sensitivity. The framework includes case studies where people have not received appropriate translated materials – and the impact when translation is available. It outlines five areas of action including promoting translation and interpreting services in users’ languages and education on the need for culturally-sensitive care. The framework also says, while translation apps provide a convenient, familiar and timely means of translation, they can also carry risks, particularly regarding accuracy and the potential impact on patient safety.
Read the full guidance on the NHS England website here.
Prioritising health inclusivity can boost economies
New research has revealed how countries can strengthen their economies by prioritising health inclusivity. The third phase of the Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index showed gains could be made by removing personal, social, cultural and political barriers to health and investing in healthcare that includes all population groups. The research highlights four underserved groups where there are gains to be made from improving health: people with low health literacy, those on low incomes, women and individuals aged 50 and over. The Index also offers country-level insights, including data snapshots for all 40 countries. The United Kingdom ranks third for health inclusivity in the Index.
Find out more about the Index on the Economist Impact website here.
Study: Misleading fertility social media posts
Social media posts about fertility often provide incomplete or misleading information, a study has found. Researchers searching for #infertility and #fertility on Instagram and Twitter/X found a large amount of inaccurate, unreadable and low-quality information. Some of this information could harm patients. Of the 939 posts analysed, laypeople generated 4 in 10 posts. Fertility doctors generated 3 in 10 posts, holistic practitioners generated around 2 in 10 and doctors of other specialities generated around 1 in 10. Three quarters of posts did not cite sources or academic references. Almost half of posts contained inaccurate information. Only 1 in 10 posts were deemed credible. Only two posts of all those assessed were deemed to be accurate, credible, high-quality and easily readable. The study authors argue health information online should meet the same standards of accuracy and quality as face-to-face consultations.
Read the study in full on the Taylor and Francis website here.
Blog: Combining human empathy with AI efficiency
In this blog, Adrie van der Luijt shares how AI can support trauma-informed content design, helping scale empathy while protecting the humans who create it. Adrie, who has spent nearly four decades creating trauma-informed content, says the future of content design lies in combining human empathy and AI efficiency. Adrie believes AI can enable designers to apply empathetic principles at scale while protecting themselves from the secondary trauma that comes with immersion in users’ most vulnerable moments. The blog outlines six steps to get started, including defining and tracking meaningful metrics. This could include tracking how often users abandon forms after encountering medical terminology versus plain language.
Read the full blog on the Button website here.
Awards recognise outstanding patient experience
The deadline is approaching for this year's Picker Experience Network Awards (PEN Awards). The awards celebrate best practice in patient experience across health and social care. Categories include Communicating Effectively with Patients and Families, and Personalisation of Care. There are awards for both individuals and teams. The deadline to enter is Sunday, 29 June. The finalists will be announced on 28 July. The awards ceremony takes place on 2 October at the University of Birmingham.
Find out more and enter the awards on the Picker Experience Network website here.
Most children report positive experiences of hospital care
The Care Quality Commission's 2024 Children and Young People’s Patient Experience Survey has found three quarters of children and young people say they are "very well" looked after in hospital. The survey asked more than 25,800 children and young people, as well as their parents and carers, about their hospital care. Eight in 10 parents and carers said staff had "definitely" provided information about their child’s care and treatment in a way they could understand. However, the survey also identified some areas where NHS trusts could improve. Children admitted in an emergency, rather than planned attendance, reported worse experiences in almost every area of care. Experiences were also worse among younger children aged 0 to 7 years.
Read more about the survey results on the CQC website here.
The NHS must see prevention as an investment
In this article for the NHS Confederation, Neale Belson, general manager of GSK UK, shares his views on what must happen to achieve the move from a sickness-based service to a wellness service. Neale says we must overcome a traditional reluctance to invest in prevention and, working together, the Government, NHS, industry and others can deliver on this bold agenda.
Read the full article on the NHS confederation website here.
Patients find it easier to contact GP services
Around 7 in 10 patients find it easy to contact their GP – up from 6 in 10 in July 2024. The figures were revealed in an NHS England press release which also said almost every GP practice in England now has a digital telephone system. There were 29.3 million GP appointments in April – up from 22.8 million on the same period pre-pandemic (April 2019).
Read more about the GP access figures on the NHS England website here.