Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) in the North Midlands CRDC

A dedicated Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) team at UHNM are working in partnership with Engaging Communities Solutions CIC (ECS) who deliver Healthwatch Stoke-on-Trent, to ensure that our local communities are actively involved in the development of public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) at the North Midlands CRDC.

Informal meetings and workshops held with members of the public and community group representatives offer opportunities to share information on what the North Midlands CRDC aims to do and to get ideas from members of the public on how to best deliver the North Midlands CRDC in the community. 

People attending our engagement events can hear about how research active UHNM is and the types of research studies taking place. The events provide opportunities to explore how patients and members of our communities can become involved to raise awareness of the North Midlands CRDC throughout the area served by UHNM and to help the North Midlands CRDC meet its goals. Our work will also provide ways to connect the public voice with the industries and innovation partners who work in collaboration with the NHS to deliver research.

Establishing networks with community groups and other organisations that have existing links throughout communities in the North Midlands can help to bring a greater understanding about how important it is to improve access to research and new treatments more speedily to the people who need them.

We have been working with other services and agencies in the area, for example with the 'One Stoke-on-Trent' campaign that unites the city council, police, fire services, and the NHS and with  many various charities who support many different types of health issues.

Our work with local communities will provide ways for patients and the public, from all backgrounds, to inform our research and influence how our research studies are designed so that research studies are meaningful, address the needs of people especially in our area as well as more widely, and can have benefits for patients and their loved ones more quickly. 

We currently have a core group of six members of the public who are working with us as our North Midlands CRDC public ‘champions’ and we are planning to welcome more members of the public to join us in shaping and delivering out PPIE activities together with ECS. The insights and views of our public contributors  and their ideas for how we can work in partnership are invaluable and key to the success of our North Midlands CRDC.

Watch this space for updates on our public involvement and engagement activities and more news on opportunities in the future. Involvement for our public members is very flexible. 

If you would like to speak with a member of our PPIE team about opportunities to be involved in the North Midlands CRDC and what this could mean for you, please contact Louise Barlow, CRDC PPIE Officer, at louise.barlow@uhnm.nhs.uk.