Vision to reality: using patients' voices to develop and improve services.

The NHS is being transformed into a patient-led service requiring radical new ways of gathering patients' views. Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust (TPCT) demonstrated its commitment to this change by introducing an action research project in parallel to the introduction of a new nurse-led urgent care team (UCT). The project used a qualitative methodology to collect views from initial UCT service users, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Views were analysed using a thematic framework analysis. A multi-disciplinary action research group considered emerging themes and literature finding solutions and taking action to deliver service improvements. The research provides evidence of the quality of the new service and highlighted a service gap for housebound patients with chronic disease. This needs to be used positively to make improvements for patients in line with the NHS Improvement Plan and long-term conditions agenda.