Prime Minister listens to Rethink Activists
On May 19th, Rethink Mental Illness hosted a listening event bringing the Prime Minister David Cameron, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and Minister for Health Paul Burstow face to face with 100 patients, services users and carers to discuss the Government's NHS plans.
Rethink Activists were there to put forward the views and concerns of people affected by mental illness. Speaking directly to the Prime Minister about lack of choice in mental health, poor experiences of local involvement and concerns around GP expertise in mental health.
Patients Speak Out, Ministers Listen
The listening event, organised by Rethink in partnership with ten other leading health charities, was part of the newly established NHS Future Forum who are overseeing the Government's listening exercise on the NHS.
The event gave patient representatives from all the major health charities an opportunity to speak directly to ministers about their views on planned changes to the NHS.
The Rethink group raised the difference clear and effective information and communication can make, how we can ensure Healthwatch is effective and has real clout and how engagement and involvement has to be included in legislation or it just won’t get done. You can read a summary of the points raised on the day by clicking on the link below:
Listening Event Overview Report (797 kb) ![[doc]](http://www.rethink.org/display_images/document_icons/doc.gif){kind=icon}
Representatives were also there from Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, National Voices, The British Heart Foundation, The Neurological Alliance and The Stroke Association.
Find out more about Rethink's My NHS and how you can get involved.
I hope that we gave a good enough impression so that the polticians will want to repeat these kind of patient events in future. It's our NHS, we should have a say in how it's run.
Andrew, Rethink Activist
“The government says they want to strengthen patient and public involvement, but the detail of the Bill doesn’t guarantee that it can deliver on this promise. We want to make sure the NHS is answerable to everyone it serves, with patient involvement and democratic accountability enshrined at its heart. We’re delighted the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health took up the offer to attend and hear directly from patients, but the real test will be whether he takes action and makes real changes to the Bill based on what he’s heard
Victoria Bleazard, Rethink Campaigns
