Patients and Carers Influencing Commissioning

1. Patients and Carers Influencing Commissioning Carolyn Wyatt, Patient Involvement/Information Manager Sheila Brown, Chair Patient & Carer Group North of England Cancer Network “Quality and safety for every patient every time”

2. Background • NECN patients reported issues and variation in access and quality • Compare with other cancer networks • Eleven of the thirty two Networks responded to the survey The recommendations that came out of the survey were: • Push for abolishment of charges for everyone • Information on a choice of providers • Quality products only to be provided

3. What was it like in NECN? Survey with Network Lead Nurses/Cancer Managers, asking the following questions: • Who is your current supplier? • How do patients access wigs i.e. voucher, letter, cheque? • What is the monetary value? • Who manages the contract?

4. What did we want in NECN? • All our patients to be provided with a good quality wig, and a trained stylist who can customise the wig free of charge for the patient. • The service to be seen as part of the patient's pathway and NHS treatment • We had one really good service

5. What did we do? • Timing really helped • Procurement North East – reviewing contract • Identified variation – Board Paper • NECN worked with the partners to influence and develop a specification • Influenced user involvement in the whole process

6. User Involvement – Definitely boldly going where no man has been before!

7. User Involvement • Adapted 5 sense survey (Lancs & Cumbria) to assess and score environments of potential providers • Attended the presentations of short listed applicants • Contributed to final decision making for contract awards • Updating patient information • NECN New service went live 1st April

8. The Future potential……. • Working with Cancer Action Team to develop a national toolkit • My New Hair has potential to support improving quality in partnership with NHS