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Health care is personal. It touches the lives of patients, families, communities, and providers every day. While treatments and systems are important, the real strength of health care is the people involved. Everyone has a part to play in making care better.

To build a safe, high-quality health care system, we need to focus on people—along with the numbers. Data helps us track progress, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. A strong system listens to real experiences, builds trust and creates true partnerships. That means going beyond asking for input—it means sharing decisions and leadership.

Lived Experience Brings Data to Life

The real story of health care comes from the people behind the numbers. Data means more when we connect it to people’s real experiences. That’s how we can work together to improve health in meaningful ways.

Here in BC, we’ve seen how personal experiences lead to better decisions:

  • Decisions based on data become stronger—and sometimes change—when we involve the people affected.
  • Engagement includes patients AND communities – whole communities feel the impact of health decisions.
  • Patients, families, and community members bring valuable knowledge – They help build better care, stronger relationships, and new ideas.

People and communities are at the heart of everything the NHS does. Working with people and communities is critical if we are to create a health and care service which offers personalised care, is tailored to the needs of each individual, and which works for everyone.

Edward Argar, Minister of State for Health – UK National Health Service

By widening the circle—meeting people where they are and listening to more voices—we build trust and transparency. We ask better questions and learn more. It’s not about getting everything perfect. It’s about knowing that we all have a part to play in creating a safe, high-quality health care system. These experiences remind us of one thing: we can’t do this work alone.

From Feedback to Shared Leadership

To make real change in health care, we need to work as a team. That means learning from each other and creating solutions that work for everyone.

It’s important to match decisions with the right kind of participation. But it’s even more powerful to move from collecting feedback to truly co-creating—where patients, families, communities, and health care organizations make decisions together. We need each other.

When we share leadership, we build trust. We learn from each other’s stories and experiences. That’s how we make meaningful change.

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Source: NHS England » Working in partnership with people and communities: Statutory guidance 

True collaboration happens when everyone’s voice is heard. Community builder Peter Block talks about the power of open conversations—where people feel safe to share. That kind of openness is the “secret sauce” that makes things work.

It starts with building confidence and being ready to work in this way. By doing this together, we can build a health care system that’s more responsive, effective and built on real partnerships—where engagement isn’t optional, it’s essential.

When Engagement Becomes Part of How We Work

We build stronger partnerships and confidence in collaboration, something powerful starts to happen. We all want a safe, high-quality health care system. To get there, we need to reflect on how we work together—and what we believe about the value of partnerships.

A good place to start is by asking yourself:

  • What values and actions matter most when involving patients, families and communities as true partners in shaping care?
  • How can I use my role to support meaningful patient and community engagement in health care decisions?

When we connect with others, we build trust and transparency.

Creating a culture of engagement means making space to try new things, learn together, and grow. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but every step builds understanding, awareness, and confidence. Over time, engagement becomes part of the way we work—something that feels natural and necessary. Without this kind of approach, health systems risk making decisions that miss the mark—and that can weaken trust and hold back progress.

Together, We Redefine Health Care

As we grow stronger partnerships and build trust, something powerful happens. We start creating a health care system that truly reflects everyone’s voice. This is more than just a small change—it’s a movement.

When we listen to and include the voices of patients, families, communities and providers, we don’t just improve care—we redefine what care can be. Join the movement for stronger, more connected health care. Your voice matters. Let’s work together to build a system that meets the real needs of every person it serves.

Explore how we’re improving health quality together—and how you can be part of it: Improving Health Quality Together.