Give your views on the NHS

The exercise aims to shape future NHS policy

NHS patients and staff are being asked for their views on how health services should improve.

The consultation exercise, which will run in England, aims to gather "new ideas" and influence future health policy.

The consultation will run until November and is being headed by Harry Cayton, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society.

Nigel Crisp, chief executive of the NHS, said the exercise was about finding out what patients wanted out of their health service.

"The NHS is growing fast, and will continue to do so over the next few years.

We need creativity and new ideas Nigel Crisp, NHS chief executive

"As we grow, we have the opportunity to offer people more choice over their care and more involvement in decision making; we can become more responsive to patients, design services better, and tackle inequalities.

"To do this, we need to know what patients want in terms of choice, involvement and flexibility.

"We need to involve not only patients, but also their carers and professional staff.

"We need creativity and new ideas, as well as to know what is working well now.

"It is also important to think about social care as well as health, because so many people use both services."

Mr Cayton said: "We are really committed to working with patients and patient organisations to ensure that the NHS is responsive to their needs, and works towards providing them with the choices that they really want."

The Department of Health said the consultation would let patients, voluntary groups and health and social care staff "help shape future national policy and plans in this area".