Princess of Wales Hospital hosted a Transformative Event, on Tuesday, 7 November, drawing 163 participants, including patients, families, and staff.
This collaborative initiative, with internal stakeholders such as the Bereavement Clinical Lead, PALS (Patient Advisory Liaison Service) Team, WISE Team (Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity), Dementia Lead, Organ Donation, Immunisation, Macmillan Cancer Information and Support. Together with external stakeholders Marie Curie, Bridgend Carers, and Merthyr CAB (Carers), Age Connect all aimed to amplify patient voices and address diverse aspects of healthcare.
The event's focus on "Have Your Say" encouraged attendees to openly share experiences and suggestions regarding healthcare services.
Listening to our patients, family members, unpaid carers and friends share their health priorities; from communication and well-being to engaging with consultants and ensuring comfort. Their voices will continue to guide us in creating a truly patient-centred experience that prioritises their needs.
Hospital staff actively engaged in discussions and provided insights, ideas, and shared thoughts, demonstrating their engagement and commitment during the event.
Crucial discussions involved the Bereavement department supporting grieving families, the WISE Team providing insights into holistic patient well-being, and collaboration with Immunisation emphasising preventive healthcare.
Asking the question "Why is it important to engage with patients?" revealed staff's dedication to patient-centred care, acknowledging the necessity of patient involvement for continuous improvement.
The success has sparked talks of making this engagement a regular occurrence and how we can expand this further to include more specialties and third sector engagement within the communities we support.
In a joint statement, Jenny Oliver, Head of People’s Experience and Dee Lowry, Head of VBHC, at CTMUHB, emphasise the crucial role of patient experiences within Value-Based Health Care. These experiences, viewed through the lens of outcome measures, guide healthcare services toward improved quality and measurable health outcomes. Diverse voices play an integral part in shaping a patient-centric healthcare system that consistently aims to delivering positive results.
If you would like to become involved and promote a service at the next event, please email: ctm.vbhc@wales.nhs.uk
Explore our picture gallery capturing moments from the event: