Since our 2008-2011 PFPI strategy was written, the Service has conducted a nationwide engagement and consultation exercise, in order to define the strategic direction of the Service. In January 2010, we launched the resulting strategy: “Working Together for Better Patient Care: 2010-2015”. Since then, the Service has been focused on three strategic aims:to be “patient-centered”, “clinically effective” and to “engage with our partners”. These aims will help us achieve our vision to: “Deliver the best patient care for people in Scotland, when they need us, where they need us.”
In the course of the last 18 months, we have focused on planning, delivering and evaluating activities to ensure we achieve our goals. Our journey towards continuously improving services has resulted in an ongoing cycle of informing, engaging and consulting with the communities who use our services.
A revised Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Focused Public Involvement Strategy has been published. This plan or Patient Focus Public Involvement strategy provides the framework for different levels of involvement and the procedures for communicating work on patient focus and public involvement throughout the Service.
The plan takes account of the National Standards for Community Engagement which were agreed in 2005 after more than a year of consultation and testing in practice. They have been endorsed by many public, voluntary and community organisations in Scotland, including the NHS. The standards cover a broad range of involvement issues and the Scottish Ambulance Service is committed to implementing them in their engagement with patients and public.