Healthcare aims to be patient-centred but a large gap remains between the fine words and the reality. Care often feels designed for the convenience of the organisations that deliver it, and not enough around patients and their families, or even around the frontline staff who provide it. Why does this happen? What does it feel like? What can be done about it? This book stimulates reflection on these questions by listening closely to those at the frontline. It provides accounts from patients, carers and healthcare professionals who are patients about what it’s like when services get it right, and wrong, from birth up to the end of life. Quite simply, we want to draw upon the power of storytelling – which is increasingly valued as a tool for learning – to help policymakers and practitioners to understand how to deliver better care. We also hope to enlighten the general reader about how they might go about navigating “the system” while it remains imperfect. There is a growing literature of first-person accounts from patients and from healthcare professionals. This book differs by providing a collection of narratives of experiences of the NHS in England to paint a rich and varied picture. Alongside these narratives we provide some international context, and an overview of the history of moves towards a more patient-centred approach to care. We present the theory and practice of storytelling in the context of healthcare. We also seek to help the reader to draw out the practical learning from the individual accounts.
West African Ebola outbreak was considered a success for MSF; the response in Nord Kivu a failure for everyone involved. Yet even if the results in Nord Kivu would appear as good as in West Africa, if not better – fewer frontline staff infected, in fact, fewer cases overall and therefore fewer deaths – a comparison between the two epidemics is not helpful. Although actions of response actors in DRC were usually well intentioned, and the funds and resources provided were
feels as if it is designed for the convenience of the organisations that deliver it, and not enough around patients and their families, or even around the frontline staff who provide it. Why does this happen? What does it feel like? And, most importantly, what can be done about it? This book aims to stimulate reflection on these questions by listening closely to those at the frontline. It provides accounts from patients, carers and healthcare professionals who are patients about what it's like when services get it right and wrong, from birth up to
monitoring and evaluation The foregoing discussion shows that, in its present form, the machinery cannot fully carry out monitoring and evaluation roles. It lacks strong frontline staff at the different policy and formulation and implementation levels, within the official structure. This is exacerbated by fragile lines of communication with vital Ministries such as Planning, Health, Agriculture and Education. Feedback about the performance of the Ministry or the needs of various connected institutions is received only when districts or ministries are approached. In