Last week I met my constituent Kim Purkis who was in Parliament to talk about the work she does with her charity Face Everything and Rise. The charity supports people reliant on alternative nutrition or who live with a central line for various treatments (and their friends and family).
Kim spoke at a reception in Westminster this week calling for the NHS to involve patients more in key decision making about the use of life-changing technology.
The reception was hosted by the Medical Technology Group, a not for profit organisation comprising patient groups, research charities, and medical device manufacturers that is calling on NHS leaders to do more to involve patients in their care, pointing to the ongoing role of technology in treating patients at home and allowing them to manage long term conditions.
Giving patients a voice when it comes to their care can allow them to access the right treatment on the NHS. All too often there are instances where patients do not have timely and equitable access to the best available medical treatments and technology. A vital means to do this is by empowering the patient's voice in decision making across the NHS.
The reception comes off the back of two previous reports by the MTG into meaningful patient involvement on the NHS, warning that NHS commissioners and NHS leaders are overlooking the experiences of patients when it comes to making important decisions about their care.
For more information visit: https://mtg.org.uk/2023-2/
