Enhancing patient understanding of integrated paediatric services: Developing patient-facing information for Child Health Hubs

Background: The NHS is increasingly moving towards a Neighbourhood Health model, as outlined in the NHS Long Term Plan, aiming to deliver integrated, person-centred care closer to home. Connecting Care for Children (CC4C) is an integrated child health model in North West London that brings together general practitioners, hospital paediatricians and community health teams to deliver joined-up care through local Child Health Hubs. We have identified through reviews of formal patient feedback that many families do not fully understand the purpose or structure of the service, leading to some confusion and uncertainty about what to expect from appointments. This lack of clarity can affect patient engagement, preparedness, and confidence.

 

Approach: A total of 53 Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREM) were reviewed across multiple Child Health Hubs in North West London, with 40% of respondents indicating that they did not fully understand the service or were unclear about what to expect from their appointment.

 

To address this gap in understanding, we have co-designed a clear and accessible patient-facing poster explaining the service, and what to expect from appointments. The resource has been designed with input from service users as well as clinicians involved with the service. It has undergone several refinements to ensure all relevant information is included, while maintaining readability for the general population.

 

Results: The poster is now being distributed across participating Child Health Hubs as part of standard appointment communication. Further evaluation, with feedback from patients and staff, assesses the impact on patient understanding, experience and engagement with integrated care as part of a continuous improvement cycle. The work is being undertaken through iterative Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles, supporting continuous learning and improvement. Feedback from GPs has informed revisions to the poster, including streamlined text and enhanced readability. Feedback from patients and families is currently being gathered and will inform further adjustments to ensure the poster effectively supports communication and engagement across the integrated paediatric care pathway.

 

 

Implications: As health systems increasingly adopt neighbourhood-based integrated care models, it is essential to support patients in navigating these new ways of delivering care. Simple, co-produced communication tools can bridge the gap between service design and patient understanding. This low-cost, scalable approach is adaptable to other services implementing or expanding integrated, multidisciplinary care.