Website of the Department of Health

As part of the Department of Health's consultation on choice, responsiveness and equity in the NHS and social care, national Task Groups were set up to explore choice across eight themes: maternity care, children's health, primary care, planned care, mental health, emergency care, long term conditions and older people.  The Task Groups had a majority of service users as members, along with clinicians and managers.  The reports of the Task Groups, which are available below, informed the development of the Government document Building on the Best.

The reports are the working documents produced by the Task Groups as advice to Ministers. The recommendations represent the views of the Task Groups, not of the Department of Health. Individual members of the Task Groups do not necessarily subscribe to the detail of each recommendation and members served in a personal capacity rather than as a representative of their organisation.

Work by the individual Task Groups identified a number of common, cross-cutting themes, which informed the priorities set out in Building on the Best. A number of specific recommendations are also included in Building on the Best as proposals for immediate action, as recommendations for local action or as issues for further consideration. The Task Groups formed only one strand of the consultation and some proposals were not included in Building on the Best, where these did not resonate with wider consultation responses, or where alternative proposals for approaches to problems appeared more promising. Some ideas which will require further investment and increases in capacity will be taken forward in the next round of 3 year plans, for 2005-06 to 2007-08.

The Task Group reports will continue to be used. They will inform the development and implementation of the national service frameworks and the development of the priorities and planning framework. And they will be available to inform wider ongoing work nationally and locally, including the work of partner organisations such as the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and the National Institute for Mental Health in England.

As part of the consultation on choice, responsiveness and equity the Department of Health commissioned MORI to conduct a consultation exercise with members of the public. 2,401 responses were received from members of the public as well as NHS staff. The responses of some NHS staff members related to their personal experiences of receiving NHS services.

The questionnaire was available to the public from 14 October to 11 November online and paper versions of the survey were accepted until 17 November 2003 to allow people time to mail their questionnaires. 

The questionnaire also contained several qualitative questions. It is important to remember that the views expressed do not always represent the views of the group as a whole.

Providing more choices is fundamental to making a health service that is responsive to the individual, tailored to their needs and preferences. The Department of Health set out its strategy to expand choice and to increase personalisation of health services in Building on the Best; Choice, Responsiveness and Equity in the NHS.

Working with the charity Sign, we recently produced a DVD in British Sign Language and subtitles, More Choices For You, which sets out some of the progress that the NHS has made with the strategy, and in particular how local organisations are becoming more responsive to marginalised and disadvantaged groups. This DVD is principally for the deaf and hard of hearing community but is also suitable for wider audiences. The DVD reiterates the Department's commitment to improving equity to support choices in a format that is more readily accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing community. More Choices For You also highlights how relatively small changes to working practice can make a big impact on an individual's care.

Details of how to order copies of the DVD can be found on the Ordering Publications part of the DH website. When requesting additional copies please quote 266998 / More Choice for You DVD. We hope that you will work with local organisations and use the DVD to promote both choice and equity within your local health system.