Putting Patients First
9 June 2010
The Bromley by Bow Centre was delighted to welcome the new Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, this week. During the visit he made his first major speech as Health Secretary focusing on a personal pledge to put his heart and soul into making patients the driving force of improvements in health and social care services.
Mr Lansley said: "My ambition is that we can achieve health outcomes - and quality health services - as good as any in the world. We need a cultural shift in the NHS. From a culture responsive mainly to orders from top-down, to one responsive to patients. This can only be achieved if patients are put in the driving seat and are informed and engaged in the delivery of their care."
The Health Secretary spoke to an audience of patients, carers and staff at the Bromley by Bow Centre. During his visit he toured the health centre and met members of our Community Care project and ArtEast - a social enterprise that supports people with learning difficulties and creates art products that are sold commercially.
Mr Lansley acknowledged the pioneering work of the Bromley by Bow Centre and praised the unrivalled array of services that are available for its patients. As well as the usual GP services, the Centre delivers welfare support, a specialist children's centre, job clubs, vocational training courses and housing services. It has also become a hub of social enterprise and incubated more than 30 new businesses run by local people in the last four years.
The Health Secretary went on to say: "I want to focus on the first priority - to put patients at the heart of all that we do. And for that reason I am delighted to be here at the Bromley by Bow Centre. It's great to see how you bring together all aspects of health, wellbeing and community in one place. Health is an holistic experience."
Rob Trimble, Chief Executive of the Bromley by Bow Centre, said: "We are delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Health to the Centre. It is an excellent opportunity to focus on our holistic model of healthcare and we are excited to hear about this fresh priority around creating more patient-centred services."
