Since its inception in Norway in 2014, ‘What matters to you?’ day has grown into an international phenomenon, and this was the seventh time it’s been held in Scotland.
Two years after its launch, in 2016, Scotland was the only other country in the world to join Norway in the groundbreaking initiative.
Since 2016, an ever-growing number of countries have taken part in ‘What matters to you?’ day. New countries are signing up every year, as nations in different continents have joined in the global event, such as Argentina, Germany, Kenya and Pakistan all registering to take part.
It has truly become a global movement.
The purpose of ‘What matters to you?’ day is to encourage and support more meaningful conversations between those that provide health and social care and the people who receive care and support, as well as their families and carers.
In essence, it’s about encouraging healthcare professionals to move the conversations they have with patients from ‘What’s the matter with you?’ to ‘What matters to you?’.
We have published our latest report, looking at the events which took place in Scotland, featuring a case study from NHS Tayside’s Surgical Acute Frailty Team at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.
In his introduction, Shaun Maher, Strategic Advisor for Person-Centred Care, Healthcare Quality and Improvement Directorate, Scottish Government, says: “This is the seventh year that we have participated in the annual ‘What matters to you?’ (WMTY) event on or around June 6th. Much has happened since our Norwegian friends first came up with the idea of having a special day to promote and celebrate the importance and value of the WMTY conversation.
“The movement has grown both at home and abroad with teams from more than 50 countries joining our movement. In Scotland, the awareness of, and focus on the WMTY approach has become widespread in many health and care settings. Thank you to all of you for all you have done and the work you are doing every day to make sure we provide care and support that is compassionate and effective.
“I would like to thank the team at Healthcare Improvement Scotland for their hard work over the past seven years, supporting and coordinating this work, and preparing these reports. We look forward to continuing that relationship and building on this important work in the years that lie ahead.”
You can read the 2022 ‘What Matters To You’ report here: