Anya de Iongh

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To you, my appointment might just be another slot in a hectic day. My perspective is different. As a person with long term conditions, my one hospital appointment a year with a consultant is an important event, with a build-up, an aftermath, and a barrage of emotions. D Day ?7: A sheet of paper on my kitchen table is full of questions to ask. I need to cut them down to what can be covered in an appointment—that is, very few of them. The appointment is already dominating conversations in our house.

With PPI embedded throughout the project through the inclusion of the Patient Leader-Service User as one of four members of the core team, and the involvement of patients, members of the public and staff, we identified five priority areas for research to improve fundamental care on hospital wards: nurse staffing, patient centred care, involvement in care, communication, and staff attitudes.