Dear Patient

Kunle Thomas is renowned for his expertise in patient experience, patient and public involvement, co-production, and health communications. For over two decades, Kunle has worked in consulting, project lead and senior managerial roles in diverse organisations, mostly within the National Health Service (NHS) in England. His NHS roles, both permanent and interim, cuts across acute hospitals, ambulance service, mental health, specialist eye care, and commissioning services. Prior to joining the NHS, Kunle worked at the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH), precursor to Healthwatch England, where he played a key role in the setting up and promotion of patient and public forums across England. Trusteeship of a Carers' Support charity and lectureship at a London university were some of his previous roles. Kunle's qualifications include LLM Medical Law & Ethics from Kent Law School (University of Kent, England), MSc Public Relations from the University of Stirling, Scotland, and BSc (Hons) Sociology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Member of the Institute of Health and Social Care Management (IHSCM, UK) and former member of the Institute's regional council for London and the South East. Kunle also holds membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR, UK) and has spoken at patient experience conferences in the UK and abroad.

"A good patient experience is the cornerstone to delivering high quality care; not always easy to get right but can always be improved upon. At some time in our lives, we have all been a patient. Our experiences are shaped, not only by the kindness of individuals and teams, but also how organisations prioritise patient experience. Through real examples, 'Dear Patient' gives us the knowledge and practical tools to ensure all patients get a good experience. 'Dear Patient' is a compelling read for anyone interested in improving patient experience." Professor Steve Hams MBE. Chief Nursing Officer; "The voices of our patients have been underrepresented in healthcare for years. Their voices should be integral to the delivery of any vision and strategy of healthcare providers to ensure the care they receive is inclusive and personalised. This underscores the importance of Kunle's 'Dear Patient'" Dr Jasmine Leonce. Consultant Obstetrician and National Maternity Improvement Advisor; "... it is wonderful that a long standing IHSCM member, Kunle Thomas, has written this book focusing on patients and, specifically, providing practical advice on patient experience ... reform and improvement in service design and delivery is much needed ... we can use Kunle's book as a reference point from a patient's perspective ... 'Start with the patient and work backwards' must be the mantra for anyone involved in NHS quality improvement and redesign. Kunle's book is at least one key for what is a very complex lock." (Excerpts from foreword) Jon Wilks, Chief Executive, Institute of Health and Social Care Management (IHSCM, UK).

• 1. What is patient experience all about? 2. The need to know: Data collection, triangulation, and analysis 3. The four Cs: Complaints, Concerns, Comments, and Compliments 4. Now that you know, what are you going to do about it? Using data to improve services 5. The synergy effect: Patient experience, engagement, and communications 6. Drivers of litigation: The impact of empathy and accountability 7. Delivering patient experience in a Covid pandemic era: Challenges, actions, and lessons learned.