How will patients be supported to take greater responsibility and to exercise informed choices?

The Kings Fund has published a list of 10 questions about the new NHS White PaperThe Kings Fund sent us a list of 10 challenging questions they'd like to ask the Government concerning its new NHS White Paper.  The first seems particularly pertinent.

The coalition government has signalled its intention to put patients at the centre of the NHS and to start an information revolution by publishing more information about quality and outcomes.  While patients want to be more involved in decisions about their care and to be supported to make informed choices, professionals are often too busy to do this, do not see this as their role, and believe that patients want them to make decisions for them.  How will professionals be motivated and supported to put patients first and involve patients more in decisions?  Will patients and professionals be able to make use of the information to drive improvements in care?