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Healthwatch “biggest single source of knowledge” on patient experience

The local Healthwatch network is the UK’s biggest single contributor to collective intelligence on patient experience, according to the Patient Experience Library. 

The Library has just issued its annual Digest, listing all the currently stored patient experience reports published in the UK during 2015.  The listings show that of 2,458 reports published over the year, 1,764 came from the England-wide local Healthwatch network. 

“We expected that Healthwatch would be a major contributor to the total knowledge base on patient experience”, said the Library’s Director, Anthony McQuillan.  “But we were surprised to find that the network accounted for nearly three times as many reports as all other sources of intelligence put together”. 

McQuillan is clear that quality matters as much as quantity.  “Biggest is not always the same as best.  The Healthwatch body of work is of an excellent standard overall.  But there were some real gems published last year from other organisations that were also able to gain real insight.”

The Patient Experience Library (www.patientlibrary.net) holds reports from government bodies, charities and health and social care think tanks, as well as from Healthwatch.  Its 2015 Digest, with full listings and detailed statistics, is available as a free download from https://www.patientlibrary.net/cgi-bin/digest.cgi