Health

The day prior to the anticipated strike of over 1,300 healthcare workers in southwest Washington, a significant strategic change was made. Instead of engaging in an indefinite walkout, the workers at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and St. John Medical Center in Longview have opted to abstain from work for a mere five days. This decision was made in order to counteract the threat posed by PeaceHealth management to terminate their health insurance coverage.

The narrative behind Martha's rule is regrettably all too familiar. A concerned parent expressing significant apprehensions regarding their daughter's ongoing medical treatment, only to be disregarded with tragic consequences. Unfortunately, this appears to be the latest in a series of incidents where the NHS has failed to take heed of warnings from patients and their families regarding the quality of care provided.

Sir Robert Francis's inquiry, which examined the deficiencies in care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust from 2005 to 2009, discovered that "patients and relatives felt excluded from effective participation in the patients' care." The Keogh review in 2013 revealed a limited understanding of the importance of involving patients and families in their own care within the 14 investigated trusts, as these trusts exhibited higher than average mortality rates. More recently, the Ockenden review of maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust found that "women and families who sought care at the trust were denied the opportunity to voice their concerns about the quality of care they had received for an extended period of time." Numerous other examples could have been cited to illustrate the same point. Despite these and numerous other reports, inquiries, and reviews, the NHS, at all levels, whether in clinical care or at the board level, frequently fails to listen to those who utilize its services.

The King's Fund has recently collaborated with the Heads of Patient Experience network (HOPE), and a particular anecdote shared with us has remained ingrained in my memory. A head of patient experience at a hospital was assigned the task of...

The day prior to the anticipated strike of over 1,300 healthcare workers in southwest Washington, a significant strategic change was made. Instead of engaging in an indefinite walkout, the workers at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and St. John Medical Center in Longview have opted to abstain from work for a mere five days. This decision was made in order to counteract the threat posed by PeaceHealth management to terminate their health insurance coverage.

The narrative behind Martha's rule is regrettably all too familiar. A concerned parent expressing significant apprehensions regarding their daughter's ongoing medical treatment, only to be disregarded with tragic consequences. Unfortunately, this appears to be the latest in a series of incidents where the NHS has failed to take heed of warnings from patients and their families regarding the quality of care provided.

Sir Robert Francis's inquiry, which examined the deficiencies in care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust from 2005 to 2009, discovered that "patients and relatives felt excluded from effective participation in the patients' care." The Keogh review in 2013 revealed a limited understanding of the importance of involving patients and families in their own care within the 14 investigated trusts, as these trusts exhibited higher than average mortality rates. More recently, the Ockenden review of maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust found that "women and families who sought care at the trust were denied the opportunity to voice their concerns about the quality of care they had received for an extended period of time." Numerous other examples could have been cited to illustrate the same point. Despite these and numerous other reports, inquiries, and reviews, the NHS, at all levels, whether in clinical care or at the board level, frequently fails to listen to those who utilize its services.

The King's Fund has recently collaborated with the Heads of Patient Experience network (HOPE), and a particular anecdote shared with us has remained ingrained in my memory. A head of patient experience at a hospital was assigned the task of...