 NHS health libraries in Kent, Surrey and Sussex have a long tradition of working with other library and information services to provide evidence based healthcare information for patients and carers. Local initiatives include the Kent Information and Libraries Network;
the West Sussex Health information Partnership; Refer in East Sussex and the Surrey Health Information Partnership. Information providers have long worked in partnership with Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS), and those compiling patient information leaflets. This has always been a challenging area of work with major issues including confidentiality, probity, sensitivity, ethics and clinical judgement.
Guidelines for Patients and Carers
In December 2006, the regional Library and Knowledge Services Development Team organised a Patient Information and Carers Day in conjunction with public libraries, academic libraries and others involved in health information. An outcome of the day was the development of Guidelines for Patients and Carers visiting NHS Libraries.
Strategic Health Authority Library Leads Consumer Health Information Group
The establishment of the Strategic Health Authority Library Leads (SHALL) Consumer Health Information Group (CHIG) in October 2009 brought together health information professionals from across England. Its role is to encourage joined-up working, information sharing and networking, to minimise duplication in the area of consumer health information and provide leadership & co-ordination.
Survey of Health and Wellbeing projects
In 2010 the region undertook a Survey of Health and Wellbeing projects and initiatives in South East England, drawing heavily on a similar survey that had been undertaken in the North East. The survey report identified two important recommendations which were:
- Library services should further foster partnership links to library services in other sectors
- Training should be provided to assist library staff to develop their understanding of health and wellbeing information that is suitable for patients and carers.
Nearly all library services in the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority region expressed a desire for a health information awareness event and further training to support the provision of health and wellbeing information for patients and carers. The Patients First Conference which was held in May 2011 in Tunbridge Wells resulted from these recommendations.
Patients First conference
The objectives of the Patients First conference were:
- To provide guidance on where to direct patients for health information, regardless of their first point of contact
- To raise awareness of what is happening in consumer health information in Kent, Surrey and Sussex
- To put delegates from different sectors in touch with each other
- To map provision in the consumer/patient health information journey across Kent, Surrey and Sussex
- To facilitate cross sector partnership working
- To use KSS Library & Knowledge Services as a model of good practice for other geographical areas
- To agree next steps
60 delegates from different sectors and organisations attended a full day, with national, local and specialist speakers providing a range of presentations and group work. The programme, conference presentations and evaluation of the event are available via this website.
For further information on Patients First or Consumer Health Information please contact:
David Copsey or Moya Bennett
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