Community and voluntary groups that offer the vital platforms for patients and the public to shape local health services have received a funding boost from the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).

Ten not for profit groups and organisations across the region have been awarded £1,500 each to help meet their essential running costs – supporting them to start or continue vital work to increase patient, carer and public involvement in healthcare across the East Midlands.

All of these groups exist to make sure that the experiences of patients and members of the public are at the heart of future decisions about the planning and delivery of health services and research. Each group has its own specific focus on key health issues, ranging from primary care and long-term conditions to mental health and migrant healthcare.

EMAHSN first launched the fund in 2015 because it recognised that many groups operate on an entirely voluntary basis and find it difficult to cover even basic costs such as travel and members’ out-of-pocket expenses. Now in its fourth year, the bursary scheme aims to support groups with additional funding so they can empower and activate patients in being involved in shaping health services.

“The East Midlands benefits from a diverse network of hundreds of volunteers who commit their time to making sure that patients are listened to and that their experiences and ideas are fed back to local NHS organisations.”

Applications for the grants were considered by the East Midlands Patient and Public Involvement (PPI Senate), an independent group of patients and public with varied health service user experience. The PPI Senate supports health and social care organisations to embed patient and public involvement in their work, adding valuable insight for service planning.

• Self Help UK (Nottinghamshire) is using the bursary to cover expenses for members of the PPI Representatives Group who actively participate in co-production and involvement activities. Many are unemployed or working reduced hours due to ill health and so this will increase the number of people able to participate and contribute
• Northamptonshire Involvement in Innovation (i3) Project will use the bursary to provide training, travel and carer costs for patient volunteers who can provide valuable insight into healthcare innovation and research projects to inform the future of healthcare.
• Disability Network (Lincolnshire) - The bursary will help the Network members overcome the access and transport barriers experienced by many people living in rural areas by funding travel to key meetings for carers and people living with learning disability, sensory disability, physical disability and long-term health conditions.
• Healthwatch Rutland - The bursary will provide start-up costs to develop a new health and social care youth group called Young Healthwatch Rutland (YHWR) to ensure young people are represented and heard in engagement around health and social care. Meeting the expenses of young volunteers means no one will be excluded through lack of income.
• Hungry for Change (East Midlands) – This research project will use the bursary to capture the insight and experiences of people from disadvantaged backgrounds which are seldom heard in research. The study seeks to engage children and young people, parents/carers and families in investigating community solutions to food poverty.
• Diabetic Foot Advisory Group (Derbyshire) - The group intend to use the bursary to strengthen the quality of research into diabetic foot disease by establishing a patient advisory group with lived experience to inform the planning, design, delivery, evaluation and dissemination of local research studies.
• EMBRACE East Midlands Migrant Research Advisory Collaborative – The bursary will support representatives from the region’s migrant communities to attend patient and public involvement group meetings with interpreters where required, giving a voice to a growing population who can experience difficulties and inequalities in accessing services.
• The East Midlands Sharebank plans to widen the diversity of individuals across its network, using the bursary to raise awareness of opportunities to engage in Applied Health Research and Care and support learning and development in patient and public involvement.
• Mental Health Action Group (Derbyshire) will use the bursary to support and empower people with mental health conditions and their carers to have a voice and take action to improve the design and delivery of local health services by contributing to the running costs of community meetings.
• Nottingham City General Practice Alliance intend to use the bursary to expand and grow their recently created Patient & Public Co-Production Group to provide feedback and evaluation of new health services spanning 47 inner city GP practices, with a particular focus on improving access to primary care.

Sarah Collis, CEO of Self Help UK said: “We are delighted to receive this award which will enable us to work with self help group members to build capacity and confidence to more actively participate in patient and public involvement. The funding will enable us to deliver training and support to groups who are seldom heard and whose voice needs to be represented in the changing health and social care environment across Nottinghamshire and beyond.”

Esther Stimpson, Lead Officer for Projects and Engagement at Healthwatch Rutland said: “Young people offer a unique perspective and often see things differently to the adults who are developing and adapting health services for young people. There is currently no formal opportunity for young patients in Rutland and those affected by health services to feedback their experiences. Young Healthwatch Rutland will help commissioners to engage directly with young residents of Rutland and will help close the ‘generation gap’ ensuring services are relevant.”

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