Ireland’s health services are being urged to make patient and public involvement a routine part of decision-making, rather than something confined to individual projects. The message emerged from the HSE Patient Partnership Conference, where people with lived experience shared how their knowledge can improve health and social care.
The fourth annual conference took place at Croke Park on Thursday, 15 October, and brought together more than 300 participants. Organised around the theme “From Islands of Partnership to System-wide Practice and Policy,” the event highlighted the growing role of patients, service users, families, carers, communities and healthcare professionals in shaping services.
HSE Patient Partnership Moves Towards Everyday Practice
Presentations and discussions examined how partnership can influence the design, delivery and evaluation of services across Ireland. Speakers explored the importance of listening to people who use health and social care, particularly when identifying gaps or designing more accessible supports.
Topics included:
- Equity and partnership in population health
- Digital health decision-making
- Traveller mental health
- Disability services and cancer support
- Community participation
- Integrated health and social care delivery
The conference also marked Lived Experience Day, recognising the expertise patients, service users, families, carers and communities bring to the health system.
National structures to strengthen participation
The HSE has introduced several structures intended to make involvement more consistent. These include a National Partnership Council and six Regional Partnership Councils, which bring lived-experience perspectives together with professional expertise on strategic and operational issues.
Other initiatives include the HSE Partnership Hub, which provides resources, training and event information, and a Partnership Scholarship Programme. Seven partners are being supported to complete a professional diploma in participatory research through the University of Limerick.
The HIQA-HSE National Care Experience Programme also gathers and analyses people’s experiences across different healthcare settings, helping organisations understand what is working and where improvement is needed.
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Why patient experience matters to health policy
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said partnership should become a consistent part of how services are governed, designed and delivered. HSE Chief Executive Anne O’Connor similarly said that lived and living experience can help identify weaknesses and support better decisions.
Patient partner Mary Vasseghi described people’s experience of the health service as a form of knowledge the system needs. That perspective is particularly relevant as the Health Service Executive develops services involving digital care, mental health, disability supports and integrated community provision.
More than 50 poster presentations at the conference demonstrated practical examples of partnership improving communication, identifying service gaps and making supports more responsive to people’s needs.
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What happens next?
Conference discussions identified the need for sustained investment in leadership, capacity and organisational culture. Participants also highlighted the importance of a national policy framework so that effective patient involvement is supported across regions and services, rather than depending on local enthusiasm.
For the HSE, the challenge is to turn successful examples into standard practice. That means involving people early, explaining how their contributions influence decisions, and evaluating whether participation leads to better outcomes.
Conclusion
The HSE Patient Partnership Conference reinforced a clear message: patients and communities are not simply recipients of care but essential partners in improving it. Making that principle part of everyday governance could help Ireland build health and social care services that are more equitable, accessible and responsive.
Article/Image Courtesy: HSE