Staff, volunteers, patients and partners from across Walsall Healthcare and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trusts came together for the Hear, Learn, Change: The Future of Patient Experience Summit 2025.

Hosted by the Trusts’ Patient Experience Team, the full-day event, held at Brownhills Community Association, focused on how the two organisations can work collaboratively to enhance patient experience across hospital and community services.

Attendees explored how listening, learning and acting on feedback can drive real change – ensuring patients and families remain at the heart of care.

Inspirational speaker Anthony Bennett opened the summit by sharing his remarkable story of survival and teamwork following a life-threatening illness. Delegates also heard from the Housing Association Charitable Trust (HACT) – a national innovation charity – which presented draft findings on measuring social value in volunteering and youth engagement.

The 13 November event also marked the official launch of the Patient Experience Enabling Strategy 2025-2028, led by the Chief Nurses and the Patient Voice Team.

Interactive breakout sessions gave participants the chance to discuss topics such as Learning from Feedback, Co-Designing Care, Digital Innovation, Youth Engagement and Volunteering for Impact, with powerful personal stories from patients, carers and volunteers.

Garry Perry, Associate Director Patient Voice (Experience) for both Trusts, said: “This summit has been a true celebration of partnership and shared purpose. We’ve listened to incredible stories, learned from each other, and committed to making meaningful change together. Every piece of feedback matters – and this event reinforces our promise to turn those insights into better experiences for every patient, every day.”

The summit reflects the Trusts’ joint ambition to embed a culture of listening, learning and continuous improvement, ensuring that patient and community voices shape future healthcare delivery.