The communications and engagement department has introduced a toolkit and a set of guides to help health professionals involve local people and communities in improving services. This toolkit offers easy-to-use advice and techniques to support meaningful engagement on various topics and with diverse audiences.
Engagement with local people and communities is essential to the NHS's mission, and all commissioners are encouraged to review the toolkit and follow its guidelines, keeping the communications and engagement team updated on their efforts.
Listening to and partnering with patients, families, and communities is key to ensuring services meet everyone’s needs, fostering a shared understanding of health and wellbeing, and building better services.
Training is also available to help commissioning teams, GP practices, and Primary Care Networks improve their engagement practices and can be arranged by contacting the communications and engagement department.
Health professionals and organisations can request the toolkit by emailing kmicb.engagecomms@nhs.net.
For GP practices and Primary Care Networks, there’s a tailored toolkit available here.
Paul Bentley, Chief Executive, NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, said:
“The NHS in Kent and Medway exists for the people of our communities; to do this we have to meaningfully engage with all of those we serve. This engagement toolkit provides us with the most effective ways to engage and we will be a better organisation for its use.”