Patient Engagement

Good patient engagement is about more than public relations, publicity, and events, it is:

• Creating long-lasting and beneficial relationships with members of our communities
• Inclusive
• Non-discriminatory
• Essential
• Continuous
• Ultimately, meaningful

Patient Engagement activity should be an ongoing effort and aims to embed a service fully into its local community by listening, sharing, learning, and improving.

It is important for all members of the Trust to not only understand good patient engagement, but also be involved. Engaging with members of the public and patients helps us understand what matters to them and how we can improve whether that be clinically, professionally, or personally.

Taking part in engagement activities will contribute to your professional development but it will also broaden your understanding of a diverse mix of communities.

Not only is it great to go out to events and meet new people, it is also gives you an opportunity to meet patients and members of the public without the pressures of a clinical and urgent care setting, meaning you can focus on the conversation and really get to know your local community.

We do recognise that you already lead busy lives, and you might be hesitant to give up your free time, which is why we have worked with the SWASTCPD Team to develop engagement activities into an aspect of your CPD portfolio, if you volunteer at an engagement event, you will receive an SWASTCPD certificate.

As well as receiving a CPD certificate for your portfolio, you can also expect to learn the following:

• Improved communication skills.
• Improved understanding of a diverse community.
• Increased awareness, including what’s great about your community and areas could be improved.
• Gain insightful feedback from patients, service users, friends, and family.
• Share messages that are important to you and the Trust.