NHS Networks is where clinicians, managers, leaders, innovators, Board members, policy makers, as well as patients and communities can all contribute to - and learn from - new thinking and new practice.

Click here to find out more about NHS Networks

We sent out a survey of network leads a few weeks ago to find out what you do and don't like about NHS Networks. The response was good but still represents a fraction of the more than 500 networks listed on the NHS Networks register. So we have sent out a second wave of emails to see if we can persuade more of you to part with your views. If you receive one of these, please take the two or three minutes it takes to complete the online questionnaire. Similarly, if you belong to a network, please bring the survey to the attention of the network lead.

Why should you bother with yet another questionnaire? We can't make you, but we can suggest a few reasons that don't amount to pure self-interest. As David Nicholson observed in his address to the NHS Confederation, networking could be part of the answer to working our way out of the impending crisis.

It would be silly to suggest that better networking alone will make good the shortfall in NHS budgets. But it makes a big difference. Waste is a product of affluence and for the past few years, the incentives to improve efficiency, to be more creative, and to work smarter have been missing.

Initial responses to the survey show a huge appetite for increasing the reach of networks. The ability to connect to other, similar networks, comes over strongly as a common requirement for two-thirds of respondents. The ability to share resources was high on the wish-list for about half. About a third of networks feel the cause they represent is poorly understood. More than 60% struggle to attract new members.

All of this suggests that many networks feel they have yet to reach their full potential. They want to meet more often, but struggle to find the time. They want to reach out further, but lack the resources. They want to join forces with those that share their views and those with a different point of view, but need a map of the landscape and new ways of making connections.

We are committed to improving the NHS Networks web site and the support we provide to new networks getting off the ground and established networks in rising to new heights. So please give us your support by filling in the questionnaire which you can find here.

Our user help tips take you through the most common difficulties, and tell you
what to do if you're still stuck.
www.networks.nhs.uk/uploads/login_help_v2.doc

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