Engagement and Involvement Overview

Teams across NHSGGC are continually working to listen and learn from their patients and service users. They do so through a wide range of tools to capture feedback to more formal support or engagement activities. The following story provides insight into the range of work undertaken by the Specialist Occupational Therapist Team to engage with service users.  

The Specialist Occupational Therapist Team support children aged between five and 12 years of age with significant mental health issues. The team wanted to support skill development amongst young people and provide opportunities for family members to reconnect with the ward as it opened up. Up to 16 people attended each event where young people were encouraged to lead and plan a variety of themed events such as Halloween, Christmas and Cinema where they could invite their parents to attend, share their progress and mix with other parents and carers in an informal way to help reduce feelings of isolation while increasing support for all involved. Due to the positive feedback, there are now plans for regular events throughout the year, alongside regular coffee mornings for people to share their experiences. The focus will remain on providing a safe space for families to relax, have fun and socialise together whilst allowing the children time to put their illnesses aside and enjoy some normality. 

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following short case study provides an insight into the work undertaken by the NHS Centre for Integrative Care Team to engage with service users and ensure their views and experiences can shape the services they access. The service invited patients and carers attending the service to participate in a short survey that asked three questions:  

1. Focusing on people’s experience of their visit  

2. What went well  

3. Any suggestions for improvements.  

The service received feedback from 262 people while undertaking the survey (September-November 2022). The feedback showed overwhelmingly positive responses, with comments on friendliness and empathy of staff, from receptionist to clinicians.  

Alongside the positive feedback, the feedback also captured suggestions for improvements. These have led to positive discussions within the Multidisciplinary Team on how to take these forward in a safe and effective manner with some of the topics focusing on:  

• Requests for appointment times to be longer  

• Changes to allow more time to sit quietly in a room when a group was finished. 

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the Flow Navigation team in partnership with the PEPI Team to engage with patients, carers and communities across NHSGGC on their experiences of this new approach to care.

The Flow Navigation Centre (FNC) is a nurse led service providing a Virtual Care Pathway to people across NHSGGC. This service aims to provide health advice, self-care and reassurance from nursing staff and avoid unnecessary visits to physical sites. You can learn more about this service here.

Building on work carried out in 2021/22 to better understand the patient experience, the PEPI Team refined and embedded the evaluation into the Near Me platform. The FNC sees around 90% of their patients via Near Me allowing a robust routine evaluation opportunity to be provided through this method.  

Embedding the survey as an end of call pop up, alongside a change to how staff close a consultation has seen 577 responses received between February and March 2023 with more than 99% of responders reporting they would make use of the Near Me service in the future. 

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

West of Scotland (WoS) Adult Cystic Fibrosis Team worked with PEPI to engage with patients on the changes to the outpatient model delivered mostly remotely under COVID-19 restrictions. Feedback was provided by 58 patients indicating a high degree of confidence, comfort and understanding regarding the remote outpatient appointments, feeling listened to and being treated with compassion and understanding scored particularly highly.

Some of the areas of concern included outpatient appointments not including a physical check and the importance of maintaining close relationships with the staff in the clinics. Choice and flexibility were identified as key areas of importance by patients, and this has been taken on board by the team and the feedback is being used to design future appointment pathways. The patient engagement work undertaken by the team is also being showcased as an example of good practice at the 46th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Vienna in June 2023.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

Engaging with stakeholders was a valuable opportunity for Primary Care contractors, staff and patients to share their thoughts and suggestions for improving primary care services within Glasgow City HSCP and influence the PCIP 2023 – 2026.

During a four month period a range of methods and approaches were used including online and in person meetings, social media surveys, attendance at appropriate Glasgow City HSCP events, pop up stands in health centres (pop up stands were held in Govanhill Health Centre, Gorbals Health Centre and Maryhill Health Centre) where the Primary Care Improvement Team (PCIT) engaged with staff and patients.

Members of the public shared 122 responses which contributed to the development of the PCIP including eight broad recommendations identified that will be used to help shape the final Glasgow City PCIP 2023-2026 (due to be presented in June 2023). This work is ongoing at the time of writing, but the engagement with the public and wider stakeholders was invaluable to the service in shaping the development of the PCIP.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the West of Scotland Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) at Leverndale Hospital embarked on an initiative to assess and enhance their Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach. The primary objective was to elevate the person-centeredness of care provided to mothers in the region.

The team initiated the project by developing a patient questionnaire to gauge current experiences of care. Through approximately 50 patient interviews, the team gathered valuable feedback to help in refining their care processes. This iterative approach not only provided insights into patient satisfaction but also reassured staff that their efforts were contributing to effective care delivery.

Key findings from the patient feedback showcased improvements in communication, with patients expressing a greater sense of comfort in speaking to doctors. The limited number of people involved in discussions facilitated more meaningful interactions. The MDT approach evolved to include family members actively in discussions and decision-making processes, resulting in more holistic and supportive care. Patients reported experiencing less distress, attributing it to the person-centered, inclusive, and compassionate nature of the care provided.

The team used the feedback as a catalyst for positive changes in service delivery, ensuring that patient voices remained central to MDT conversations. This not only led to tangible improvements in patient experiences but also provided the team with a rewarding opportunity to directly engage with patients, reinforcing the significance of patient perspectives in healthcare practices.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the eMedicines Programme with to develop a Citizens Reference Group, marking a significant step towards incorporating direct citizen input into various eHealth initiatives, with a primary focus on patient medicines processes.

The initial meeting of the group occurred in early 2023, with a meeting between 13 NHSGGC citizens. This meeting aimed to engage, facilitate, and support citizen perspectives, ensuring their experiences were able to shape the ongoing work of the eMedicines Programme. Plans were set for quarterly meetings throughout 2023 to sustain this collaborative dialogue.

The attendees, contributed their unique experiences, providing valuable feedback, with their direct engagement citizens not only shed light on current patient experiences with medicines processes but also served as a way to ensure any approaches were person centred.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by the NHSGGC Chronic Pain Management and Diabetes services, in collaboration with the Equalities and Human Rights Team, to improve service accessibility for BME communities through targeted engagement.

Through one-on-one interviews and group discussions involving 39 participants from BME backgrounds, the services gathered valuable feedback on barriers to access and understanding of the services offered. The engagement efforts led to significant improvements in service delivery, including enhanced multi-language support and more accessible, easy-to-understand systems. This initiative exemplifies NHSGGC’s commitment to inclusivity and patient-centred care across all our communities.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The following case study provides insight into the work that has been undertaken by dieticians at Glasgow Royal Infirmary sought to make it easier for patients to provide feedback on the service, particularly focusing on therapy provided to patients on the major trauma ward.

The team implemented abbreviated pictorial care measures, utilizing image-based care measures across five questions to simplify the feedback process. The trial showed promise in enhancing patient engagement and informing service improvements. The initiative demonstrated a creative approach to capturing patient experiences, contributing to the continuous improvement of patient care and staff development.

You can read about more examples of involvement in the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report below and get help and advice with your own engagement from the PEPI team here.

The Equalities and Human Rights Team (EHRT) at NHSGGC developed and implemented a comprehensive community-led engagement proposal. Throughout 2022/23, the team successfully recruited a peer coordinator, 12 peer workers, and four volunteer peer supporters to carry out engagement activities with peer groups across NHSGGC.

The engagement focused on collaborating with third sector partners and community groups to arrange both online and face-to-face events. These sessions reached 993 members of the public across 26 sessions, providing crucial health information and capturing valuable feedback on people’s experiences.

The peer workers played a pivotal role in these engagements, empowering community members by referring them to essential services such as emergency food supplies, assistance with rising energy costs, and money advice services. One of the significant outcomes of this programme was the need for information to be provided in an additional 19 languages, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.

Moreover, the feedback led to tangible changes, including the improvement of drop-in vaccination clinic accessibility and modifications to the mobile vaccination bus, aimed at supporting increased vaccination uptake.

This initiative highlights the EHRT’s commitment to addressing health inequalities and improving health outcomes through community engagement and support. For more detailed information on a wide range of engagement activities, please refer to the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report.

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) undertook an extensive engagement process to gather insights and suggestions from Primary Care contractors, staff, and patients for the Primary Care Improvement Plan (PCIP) 2023-2026. This engagement spanned four months and utilised various methods to ensure comprehensive stakeholder involvement.

The Primary Care Improvement Team (PCIT) employed a range of approaches, including online and in-person meetings, social media surveys, and attendance at relevant Glasgow City HSCP events. Additionally, pop-up stands were set up in health centres such as Govanhill Health Centre, Gorbals Health Centre, and Maryhill Health Centre, where PCIT members directly engaged with staff and patients.

Throughout this period, 122 responses were collected from the public, contributing significantly to the development of the PCIP. Eight broad recommendations emerged from this feedback, which are set to shape the final Glasgow City PCIP 2023-2026, which were scheduled for presentation in June 2023.

Although this work is ongoing, the engagement with the public and wider stakeholders has proven invaluable in informing and shaping the development of the PCIP. This initiative underscores the importance of stakeholder input in enhancing primary care services.

For more detailed information on our engagement activities, please refer to the NHSGGC Engagement and Involvement Overview report.

The examples of engagement included in this report were shared by teams across NHSGGC and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs).  Examples used are categorised into three areas of involvement:

1. Strategy and Policy
2. Organisation Wide
3. Service Level

The examples of engagement included in this report were shared by teams across NHSGGC and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs).  Examples used are categorised into three areas of involvement:

1. Empower staff and teams to have ongoing engagement
2. Achieve the best representative views from our diverse communities
3. Enable people to voice their views