Reliable information

14 November 2008

The Brain and Spine Foundation has been chosen by the Department of Health to take part in a new scheme to make sure that good quality information is available across the health and social care sector.

The Foundation was selected from over 120 applications to work alongside charities like Cancer Research UK and Arthritis Care helping patients, the public and professionals feel confident that the information they are using is reliable and accurate.

Providing reassurance and confidence

We already know how important reliable information is to the people who use our services and the accreditation scheme will help to provide reassurance and confidence to anyone seeking our support. As Ann Keen, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health Services, said,

"There is so much information out there it's hard for people to know what can be relied upon. A scheme with a recognisable quality mark will assure them that the information is from a dependable source."

This should, in time, encourage greater use of these materials by people improving access to services across the sectors.

Developing case studies

The work is in its early stages and the Brain and Spine Foundation is helping to test the scheme standards, to make sure that they are both relevant and achievable. We will also share our experiences to support the development of case studies. It is an exciting time, with lots of developments in our information provision, and we will keep you up to date with our work and ways you can get involved.