7 The role of service users in health care
Service users are a key part of the NHS. Often in groups, they provide a resource to inform service improvement, and offer their views to make decisions and changes within organisations.
All four UK nations have service users at the heart of their health planning and health services. The role of the carer or service user in the NHS has been growing for over a decade now. This has led to carers and users of health care services having input at all levels, from policy making to advising on service improvements at ward or unit level.
Many services within the NHS have specific routes for service-user involvement through committees, groups and tools like satisfaction surveys and patient feedback.
Activity 10 The voices of carers and service users
Watch Video 6 and reflect on the following questions.
Why do you think it is important for carers or service users to have a voice?
How do you think service-user involvement can help nurses to deliver better care?

Transcript: Video 6
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Discussion
The young people in this video have opinions about the health service and how they would like to see it changed and shaped going forward. The forums have enabled this to happen.
For nurses, listening to what patients and service users want, and their experiences of the services, helps to shape and develop good quality care.