From 2013, the Hôpital du Valais has put in place a permanent platform for exchange and discussion with patient and family associations, the “patient forum”. The purpose of these meeting spaces is the establishment of a participative and collaborative process with partner associations and institutions. This approach is aimed at providing an optimum organisational structure for the hospital, taking into account both the evolution of context and strategic factors, as well as the needs of the population.

Those concerned by this forum are the population, institutional and associative partners, hospital professionals, as well as decision makers and elected representatives.

The forum enables:

• The reinforcement of links of partnership and trust between the hospital and those intervening in the community sector,
• Identification of the needs and assessments of participants in order to develop or adapt the implementation of healthcare initiatives in accordance with their best interests.
• The problems of healthcare institutions evolve alongside social, political, and environmental changes. For this reason the Hôpital du Valais organises these forums on a permanent basis, twice a year, in spring and in autumn.