Media Release Embargoed to September 19, 2011, at 00:01hours Hospital wants your views to shape our services Bradford health professionals are looking for people to help them with a ground-breaking initiative which will shape the future of hospital services in the city. The Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ Patients First programme aims to ensure that the Foundation Trust listens to the public before it decides on its priorities for the development of future hospital services. The initiative begins with a widespread consultation with the many bodies who have an interest in the organisation. The public, health commissioners, local GPs and Foundation Trust staff are all being canvassed for their views so that the hospital can gain a greater understanding as to what everyone in the district expects from their services. Head of Service Improvement and Patients First lead, Sihem Bounoua, said: “At a time when healthcare budgets are tightening, yet public demands and expectations are rising, it is vital that we understand what is most important to those who have a stake in our organisation so we can utilise our precious resources in the best way. “Over the coming months, Patients First will be using workshops, surveys, open events and one-to-one engagements to gather vital research as it provides a great opportunity to understand what ‘quality’ really means to those who use and commission our services. “So if you are keen to get involved and tell us what you think then we’d love to hear from you.” The information which evolves out of Patients First will be used as a basis to review the Foundation Trust’s current services and its ways of working, helping to shape how the organisation develops in the coming years. Chief Nurse, Sally Ferguson, said: “We work hard to provide a high quality service here in Bradford and we know that most of the time we get this right for patients but sometimes we do not. “Patients First is an opportunity to really listen to and understand what our patients and other key stakeholders expect from us. We routinely consult with service users about specific service improvements, but we have never previously engaged on such a large scale with the public, our staff, local GPs and our commissioners to understand what they expect from us. “Patients First is an exciting initiative which will ultimately shape our Foundation Trust in the future so if you have views on what our hospital services should look like, then we would really like to hear from you.” Ultimately, executives hope the consultation will help deliver progressive improvements to the whole organisation over a number of years. Every service and department within the Foundation Trust will be reviewed and the way they work examined in the light of the feedback the hospitals receive. Chief Executive, Miles Scott, added: “We are totally committed to improving quality despite having to make considerable savings against a backdrop of NHS re-organisation. “The Patients First consultation will provide a framework to help us make decisions about how we develop our services to benefit the people of Bradford and surrounding district. “Getting things right for our patients is very important to us so by taking part in Patients First, you can help shape the hospital and tell us how we can best do this.” Patients First is now recruiting members of the public to take part in consultations and focus groups during the autumn and winter. If any of the following has applied to you in the last year and you would like to take part in the consultation, then please get in touch: 1. Attended a hospital outpatient appointment 2. Undergone a surgical procedure or treatment in hospital 3. Stayed at least one night in a hospital bed as an inpatient 4. Attended Accident and Emergency 5. Attended hospital for a diagnostic test (e.g. an x-ray) 6. Had a baby in hospital 7. Brought a child into hospital for treatment as a parent or guardian 8. Are a relative or carer of a previous hospital patient 9. Have found it difficult to access hospitals services because of a specific requirement, e.g. disability. 10. Have a long term condition and so use hospital services on a regular basis. 11. Have a terminal condition or are a carer of someone with a terminal condition. 12. Are a young person who has used hospital services. For more information on Patients First, read updates or take part in the web-based survey by clicking on: www.patientsfirst.bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk For an informal chat about participating in the consultation please contact the Foundation Trust’s Service Improvement Team on (01274) 383767 or email PatientsFirst@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk.