In the autumn of 2018 a diverse group of Scottish Citizens gathered over three days to make recommendations on shared decision-making in health and social care.
24 people shared ideas, opinions and experiences and questioned outside ‘experts’ before attempting to reach some consensus. The Citizens Jury was facilitated by Peter Bryant and Jez Hall of Shared Future CIC.
The Citizens’ Jury presented their 13 recommendations to Dr Catherine Calderwood, Chief Medical Officer and other key stakeholders in health and social care at an event in Dundee on 6 February 2019. These stakeholders discussed the implication of the recommendations, and the outputs of the event will be incorporated into a final report on improving Shared Decision Making, due within just a few months.
The question the Jury was asked to consider was:
‘What should shared decision making look like and what needs to be done for this to happen?’
On Wednesday 6th February the Scottish Health Council and Chief Medical Officer’s Realistic Medicine Team launched the Recommendations from Scotland’s Citizens Jury on Shared Decision Making
At this event, held in the Steeple Centre, Dundee participants explained the recommendations and the rationale behind them. Conversations began to look at how the recommendations could be taken forward by changing how services are delivered or to inform policies that encourage people to take an active part in maintaining their health. Thereby contributing towards both preventing and treating illness.
The Scottish Government made the following clear commitment:
‘The Scottish Government is committed to carefully consider each of the jury’s recommendations and reply to them all, either with a commitment to action or an explanation as to why that recommendation cannot be taken forward’
The Our Voice Citizens Jury on shared decision making presenting their recommendations to Scotland's Chief Medical Officer.
‘We have done the task we were set and now rely on you to take our recommendations further’ were Citizens Jury member Brian’s final words.
