Working in partnership with people and communities is new statutory guidance for Integrated Care Boards, NHS trusts and foundation trusts and policy for NHS England. It supports them to meet their public involvement legal duties and the new ‘triple aim’ of better health and wellbeing, improved quality of services and the sustainable use of resources.

The NHS has a range of policies, guidance and documents which may be useful to you in developing your plans for patient and public participation.

• The NHS constitution
• NHS England’s Patient and Public Participation Policy sets out its ambition to put patients and the public at the heart of everything it does.

NHS England has published a set of documents to strengthen patient and public participation in the services that it is responsible for commissioning (the process of planning, buying and monitoring). There is one framework for patient and public participation for each area of NHS England direct commissioning:

• Participation framework: working with people and communities in armed forces healthcare commissioning
• Framework for patient and public participation in public health commissioning
• Framework for patient and public participation in health and justice commissioning
• Framework for patient and public participation in specialised commissioning
• The Patient Experience Library contains a range of reports and insight on patient experience.

The Cabinet Office has also produced a document outlining the principles of consultation.