The Patients Association’s motto is ‘Listening to Patients, Speaking up for Change’. This motto is the basis on which we build all our campaigns. Via our Helpline, we capture stories about Healthcare from over thousands of patients, family members and carers every year. We use this knowledge to campaign for real improvements to health and social care services across the UK. In addition, our Helpline provides valuable signposting and information for patients and supports them as they navigate the Healthcare service.

We ensure that the opinions of patients are gathered on a wide variety of health and social care issues. This is achieved by carrying out surveys, focus groups, listening events and obtaining feedback from our Ambassador network. We also maintain close contact and regularly discuss issues with other charities, including over 30 health and social care charities, which form part of our Network for Patients, a collaboration of charities who have come together to campaign on common issues. Concerns that we hear via these channels form the basis of our campaigns which are targeted at various stakeholders such as parliamentarians, the media, civil servants, other charities and professional bodies.

The Patients Association Helpline – 0845 608 44 55 – is there to help. This is a local rate number and if a phone provider charges, we are happy to return calls. The Helpline both informs patients and gathers their views. We are of course available online, providing advice, the latest health news, signposting to further information and general advice.

We also have a range of booklets and guides for patients. Especially popular titles include You and Your Doctor, Going into Hospital, How to Obtain Access to your Medical Records, How to Make a Complaint, You and Your Dentist and How to make a Living Will.

We have also produced a number of research reports including our two reports on appalling care in hospital 'Listen to Patients, Speak up for Change', 'Patients not Numbers, People not Statistics', our report on the Health and Social Care Bill 'PAUSE: Patients Association Urges Serious Examination', and various others including 'Public Attitudes to Pain', 'Meaningful and comparable information? Tissue Viability Nursing services and Pressure Ulcers' and 'Malnutrition in the Hospital and Community Setting'.
Please browse the website for booklets, publications and more information.

The Patients Association's charity number is 1006733.