NHS must respond to patients' needs and wishes

The survival of the NHS depends on the extent to which it can improve responsiveness to patients' needs and wishes. Appropriateness and outcome of care can be improved by engaging patients in treatment and management decisions and this would also improve safety and reduce complaints and litigation. Regular, systematic feedback from patients is essential to improve care and accountability. Coulter (p 648) discusses how the recommendation of the Bristol inquiry that "patients must be at the centre of the NHS and must be treated as partners by health professionals" can be turned into reality.

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Relevant Article

After Bristol: putting patients at the centre • Commentary: Patient centred care: timely, but is it practical?

Angela Coulter and Nick Dunn
BMJ 2002 324: 648-651. [Full Text] [PDF]