With training and support, service users can lead quality improvement studies such as patient surveys.

Read the Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust case study covering a patient led survey.

Following the patient journey to ask if anything can be improved often identifies shortfalls in quality for improvement.

Read the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre Patient Liaison Group case study where this technique is used to listen to the views of patients and improve their care.

Patient-led assessments of the care environment (PLACE) see local people going into hospitals as part of teams to assess how the environment supports patient’s privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance.

Read more about how you can get involved in PLACE here.

Surveys to assess patient satisfaction with services can be carried out manually or online.

Read the Cystic Fibrosis Trust case study covering an electronic survey co-designed with patient representatives to check that the Cystic Fibrosis registry meets the needs of people with Cystic Fibrosis and their parents/guardians.

Service user views are extremely useful in the development of patient information materials. Many NHS Trusts gather views on the clarity and quality of proposed information materials via a Patient Information Review Group or Readers’ Panel.

To get involved, contact your local NHS Trust Volunteer Coordinator.

Patients are experts by experience, with knowledge to support others newly diagnosed or struggling with their conditions. Some NHS Trusts involve experts by experience in quality improvement projects or forums for specific conditions.

Visit the Patient website for details of patient support organisations and self-help groups that value input from experts by experience.

Patients and the public can become involved in the quality improvement groups of healthcare organisations, such as local NHS Trusts, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) who plan and commission local NHS services, and Medical Centres.

Through joining quality improvement groups, patients and the public can provide input into the annual work programme, and review improvement actions taken in response to clinical audit results, incidents, complaints, concerns and claims.

For examples of involvement in CCG’s see the good practice and case studies examples on the NHS England website here.

If you are interested in getting involved in quality improvement, please contact your local Healthwatch group or your local NHS Trust Volunteer Coordinator.

More information from NHS England on ways to become involved can be found here.