NHS trusts have a legal duty to involve people and communities in the design and delivery of their services.
The new co-production and engagement with communities as a solution for reducing health inequalities report provides practical advice for how senior leaders can champion engagement activities across their trust, including an overview of the value of co-production and engagement, potential activities and key considerations.
It also includes tips for designing inclusive engagement that involves those more likely to experience health inequalities.
ELFT is one of three case studies in the report.
It highlights ELFT’s culture of co-production and embedding patient voice in its Quality Improvement (QI) approach, with staff and service users working together to improve and redesign care.
There are more than 200 members of the People Participation team, dedicated to involving service users in the work of the organisation to improve services.
It also references ELFT’s commitment to taking action on health inequalities as an organisation.
Paul Binfield, ELFT Director of People Participation, encouraged all NHS partners to embrace co-production.
“Speak to people, listen truly listen, then give them the opportunity to make a difference,” he said.
The report has been published as part of the NHS Providers Health Inequalities programme, which supports trust board members to embed action on health inequalities as part of core board business.
NHS Providers is the only membership organisation solely dedicated to supporting NHS foundation trusts and trusts.