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Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and with change comes both opportunity and challenge. The NHS’s 10-Year Health Plan emphasises that patients will need to be more proactive in managing their own health, moving from passive recipients to empowered participants. But how do we bridge the gap and reduce variation between those who can take an active role and those who struggle to do so?

This was the central question at the recent Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber Strategic Advisory Board, where members explored how patient empowerment is key to delivering better outcomes through the NHS’s three strategic shifts: sickness to prevention, analogue to digital and hospital to community.

Patients at the centre of care

Our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Lead Graham Prestwich emphasised that patients are effectively the project managers of their own health. With the right support, they can make informed contributions to care plans and the success of health innovations. But this support must be tailored: not all patients can take the same proactive role, and some need extra help to achieve equitable outcomes. Trust, continuity, compassion, and clear communication are crucial to giving patients the confidence to manage their health effectively.

Technology and innovation can complement, not replace

Digital solutions, personal health records, and remote monitoring are without doubt powerful enablers of self-management. However as Peter Skinner, Programme Director for Digitising Social Care at NHS England highlighted, technology should enhance personal care, not replace it. Co-creation and ongoing patient feedback, as demonstrated by Dr Bethany Williams at the National Pathology Imaging Cooperative (NPIC), ensures that digital transformation is understood, meets real needs, builds public trust, and promotes equity.

Collaboration at every level

Patient empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation. It requires coordination across health providers, local authorities, voluntary organisations, and communities. Hannah Davies of Healthwatch Leeds stressed that digital innovation must be inclusive, while Paul Bollom highlighted the importance of community-led approaches that shape services around lived experience. Real-world examples, like Wayne Booth’s journey with AposHealth, an innovative trainer for people with knee osteoarthritis, show how patient involvement can transform outcomes and quality of life.

Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber: enabling patient empowerment

Patient empowerment is not just a goal or nice to do, – it is essential to delivering the NHS’s strategic ambitions. By combining innovation, collaboration, and a human-centred approach, Yorkshire & the Humber can model a more equitable, patient-centred healthcare system where every individual has the tools, support, and confidence to take charge of their own health or that of a loved one.

Our organisation plays a pivotal role in connecting people, spreading best practice, and amplifying lived experience. We support clinicians, commissioners, and system leaders to co-produce, pilot, adapt and adopt innovations confidently and help ensure patients receive the right support at the right time. Our Framework for Driving Innovation Adoption Through Patient Insight aligns innovation with patient priorities, fostering co-production, equity, and collaboration across the system.

We are committed to supporting you on this journey – through sharing evidence, insights, case studies, and practical support and guidance – helping the region design and deliver the best possible care for all.

Reach out to us for a conversation.