Health and Well-being Board, Integrated Health and Adult Social Care,Strategic Partnership Group /
Agenda item5.3: Communication and Engagement Update - Co-Production
Date / 4th December 2014
Author
Sponsor / Simon Adams
Peter Pinfield
Recommendation / SPG is recommended to:
a)Note the proposed definition of Co-Production, associated key principles and actions those organisations responsible for designing and delivering health and care services in Worcestershire could take to make ‘Co-Production’ work, that have been developed by engaged patients/service users/ carers.
b)Endorse and support the survey to test wider public support for the proposals, including distributing the survey through engagement channels within SPG organisations.
c)Endorse and support the proposal to test the emerging principles in the Young Foundation workshops in the context of the patient stories.
Background / 1.SPG has previously committed member organisations to the principle of Co-Production,and delegated the task to Healthwatch Worcestershire ofdeveloping a proposal for Co-Production with patients/service users/carers in liaison with Sue Harris (WHCT) within the communications and engagement work stream.
2.Using the methodology outlined below Healthwatch Worcestershire has facilitated the development of:
  • a definition of Co-Production together with explanatory text
  • 4 key principles associated with Co-Production, and what commissioners and providers must do to achieve effective Co-Production
  • actions organisations responsible for designing and delivering health and care services in Worcestershire could take to make Co-Production work in Worcestershire.
3.Whilst the above proposals have been developed by engaged patients/service users/carers to meet their needs and expectations Healthwatch Worcestershire recognised the need to gather wider patients/service users/carers view of the proposals and has therefore developed a survey for distribution to the public.
4.The proposals, explanatory text and survey are set out in appendix 1 and formed the basis of Healthwatch Worcestershire’s written submission to the Parliamentary Health Select Committee’s inquiry into integrated care
Methodology
Definition of Co-Production
Principles of Co-Production
Actions that organisations could take to make Co-Production work.
The Survey
Appendices / 5.The proposals and explanatory narrative are based on accepted academic research and have been tailored to meet the needs of the engaged patients/service users/carers at 2 public meetings and through an iterative engagement process. They have been formally approved as a ‘Relevant Decision’ with regard to local Healthwatch activity by Healthwatch Worcestershire.
6.During the engagement process there was much deliberation on the term Co-Production as it was not seen as a term that patients/service users/carers easily identified with. However, given the commonality of its use across health & care economies, and in the context of the national ‘Pioneer’ project agreement was reached to continue to use it.
7.The proposed definition of Co-Production is set out on pages 1 & 2 of Appendix 1, together with explanatory test.
8.The following 4 principles are proposed:
  • Patients/service users/carers and the public have an equal voice with the NHS and County Council professionals.
  • The involvement of patients/service users/carers is just as important as the involvement of professionals; nobody is more important than anyone else
  • Patients/service users/carers are involved from the start; that is the point at which the NHS and County Council start to:
  • provide a service to a patient, service user or carer
  • think about changing an existing service
  • think about creating a new service
  • Patients/service users/carers and the public should be encouraged to share their valuable skills and experiences to help shape how services are planned, designed, developed and delivered.
9.Patients/service users/carers who participated in the research identified the following actions as critical success factors that organisations responsible for designing and delivering health and care services must do to make Co-Production work:
  • Make a commitment to Co-Production with a clear set of values shared by all staff
  • Those organisations responsible for designing and delivering health and care services commit the right resources.
  • Share power with patients, service users, carers and the public, making an environment where their involvement happens all the time.
  • Listen to and acknowledge the valuable skills and experiences of patients, service users, carers and the public.
  • Monitor how successfully they involve patients, service users, carers and the public.
  • All health and care organisations need to carry out co-production in the same way
10. The survey which has been prepared from the proposals and explanatory narrative has been designed to gather wider patient/service user/carer views of the proposals.
Healthwatch Worcestershire has identified a number of channels through which the survey can be distributed in a targeted way, including
  • Voluntary and Community Sector organisations
  • Housing Associations
  • Worcestershire Viewpoint
  • WCC Consultative Groups
  • NHS Trusts Membership Schemes
  • General Practice Patient Public Groups
  • CCG Patient Public Groups
  • Youth Cabinet
The survey and explanatory text has been designed as an online tool but Healthwatch Worcestershire will provide printed surveys on request together with a freepost address for return. Assuming the co-operation of the organisations that host the channels identified for its distribution it is intended that the survey will close on 9 January 2014, and that the results will be available by 23 January 2014 to inform the Young Foundation workshops where the key principles will be applied in practice through a patient centred, multi stakeholder discussions regarding service redesign for those individuals with multiple needs/long term conditions.
Appendix 1 – Co-production definition, explanatory test and survey.
Simon Adams
Chief Operating Officer
Healthwatch Worcestershire
Peter Pinfield
Chairman
Healthwatch Worcestershire
Susan Harris
Director of Strategy and Business Development
Worcestershire Health & Care Trust

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