Involving People in Healthcare Policy and Practice 2007

This book explores the link between the 'corridors of power' where healthcare policy is made and the hospital, health centre or clinic where it is carried out. It encourages and empowers readers to make changes in the public's involvement at a local level and explains how this impacts positively on organisational culture. A user-friendly book written in a light and easy-to-read style, it combines theoretical arguments with tried and tested practical applications and features contributions from a wide range of experienced professionals. This is essential reading for every member of the healthcare team. It will be of particular interest to patient and public involvement leads as well as patient advice and liaison service workers, healthcare policy makers and shapers, students and patient groups.

'There are practical examples aplenty but they are located within a theoretical framework that hopefully, gives them coherence, consistency and a sense of direction. For me, practice that is not underpinned by theoretical knowledge is blind and mechanistic; it may enable one to tick the boxes but it does not facilitate reflection or developmental thinking. Good grounding gives confidence, courage, flexibility and the ability to face and welcome change but it takes time and thought, both of which may feel like obsolete luxuries in the present climate of instant communication, targets and do it by yesterday.' Susie Green, in the Preface