Austerity is denying patients and care service users a voice | Peter Beresford

Decades of progress on public participation are being lost as grassroots organisations face financial problems and closuresFor years, the mantra in public services has been that patient participation and user involvement are key, and that service providers should listen to what their customers want. Here lies the route towards empowerment and cost-effectiveness. A whole literature and new ways of working have developed, and requirements for such involvement are enshrined in law.Over the past 40