Inform and Engage Phase

When any potential change will have a major impact on services we must follow a formal approach to informing and engaging people.

The 2010 guidance introduced a new phase of informing and engaging. Boards must go through this phase before they consider formal consultation.

What we do

During this stage the Board reviews the service, develops proposals and tests them. We work with our doctors and nurses, patients, families and carers. We also work with Community Health (and Care) Partnership Public Partnership Fora.

There are 3 steps:

First, we:

• Share our reasons for change
• discuss the idea / ideas with staff, patients, carers and families
• Listen to concerns / answer questions
• Get the patient / family viewpoint

Second:

• Depending on what we have heard, develop options

Third:

• If going forward then we examine all the options, what is good and bad about each. We do this with staff, patients and carers in a process often called an ‘Options Appraisal’.

Find out more about current services where we are developing proposals and testing them with people who might be affected. Use the navigation menu to the left.