The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) is offering a funding boost for community and voluntary sector groups that provide vital support in shaping local health services.

The EMAHSN has opened a fourth round of funding totalling £15,000, after three successful years of providing bursaries to support East Midlands groups.

Applications to the scheme are now open at www.healthinnovation-em.org.uk/public-involvement/patient-and-public-involvement-grants - with groups able to apply for funding up until midnight Friday 14 September 2018. Up to ten awards of £1,500 will be made to support patient involvement and co-production work.

The EMAHSN launched the bursary scheme in 2015 in recognition that many voluntary groups find it difficult even to cover basic costs such as travel and members’ out-of-pocket expenses. This is a vital contribution for many groups and will provide assistance towards meeting running costs.

Many community and voluntary sector groups exist to make sure that experiences of patients and public are at the heart of future decisions about health services – central to the values of the EMAHSN and something it wants to encourage and sustain across the region.

The funding will support existing and future work to involve public, patients and carers in promoting innovations and the adoption and spread of best practice in healthcare delivery and health research across the East Midlands.

Even small amounts of funding can make a big difference and help ensure these essential groups can continue to sustain and develop their contributions to new models of healthcare and innovative approaches. Many East Midlands health and care organisations are benefitting from the patient involvement and co-production of new services facilitated by these groups.

Mike Hannay, Managing Director of The EMAHSN, said; “Patient and public involvement is at the very heart of health service improvement. The East Midlands has a great network made up of many hundreds of volunteers who commit their time to making sure that patients are listened to.

“They reach out to many people who otherwise may not have the opportunity to contribute, including many minority groups.

The EMAHSN recognises that the community and voluntary sector plays a crucial role in representing diversity and improving equality. They facilitate important conversations and feedback on patients’ experiences and ideas, to inform innovation, service planning and delivery. These small grants will help to ensure they can continue to represent the views of patients, carers and the public on some of the biggest health challenges facing our region.”

One of last year’s beneficiaries, the Derby Stroke Patient Involvement Group (SPIG), used their grant to support the growth and development of the group.

Said Jo Haste, Lead Occupational Therapist within the local Acute Stroke Unit: “The group aims to advise and influence the development of stroke services across our pathway. It is a gratefully received recognition for the hard work both volunteers and professionals provide to optimise the care we provide to our Stroke patients."

Applications for the grants will be considered by a panel including representatives from the East Midlands PPI Senate, an independent expert group of patients and public with varied health service user experience. The Senate supports health and social care organisations to embed patient engagement across the region.

For full details and to apply for a bursary award visit: www.healthinnovation-em.org.uk/public-involvement/patient-and-public-involvement-grants 

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Note to editors:
In 2017, grants were awarded to:
• All Nations Diabetes Group (C/O Self Help UK) – Nottingham
• BrightSparks: Arts in Mental Health Group – Leicestershire
• Connecting Together (Young Healthwatch) – Northamptonshire
• Nottingham University Hospitals Genomic Medical Centre, East Midlands Genomic Medicine Patient and Public Involvement Group (EMGMC PPI Group) – Nottingham
• Marisco Patient Participation Group – Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
• Young People 4 Change (YP4C), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - Nottinghamshire
• PHABS: PHysical Activity Behaviour changerS, Loughborough University - Loughborough
• Slumgothic Limited, Gainsborough Peer Link Workers (Mental Health) - Lincolnshire
• Stroke Patient Involvement Group (SPIG), Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Derbyshire Community Health Services - Derbyshire
• EMAS Patient Voice, East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust - East Midlands wide
- The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN) is one of 15 Academic Health Science Networks in England. EMAHSN brings together the NHS, universities, industry, patients, the third sector and social care to transform the health of the region’s 4.6M residents and stimulate wealth. Current priorities focus on identifying and spreading proven innovations that address challenges including cancer, obesity, diabetes, mental health, respiratory disease, liver disease and support for older people living with frailty. 

- For more information about the EMAHSN visit www.healthinnovation-em.org.uk 
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