Patient and public involvement

Patient and public involvement

Health and care organisations have a duty to demonstrate patient and public involvement (PPIPPI— Patient and Public InvolvementThe principle that health and care services should involve patients and the public in their design, delivery and evaluation. Co-production is the deepest form of PPI.) in designing and delivering services. The WHISWHIS— World Health Innovation SummitEstablished in 2015 to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through innovation, education and partnerships. Co-developer (with GSPA) of the WHIS Social Prescribing Link Worker programme. competency framework expects SPLWsSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. to:

• know the requirements
• facilitate the gathering of information through patient and community feedback
• apply co-production principles to their work
• identify and support people who want to use their experience to support others or get involved in co-production.

A spectrum of involvement

Not all involvement is co-production. A useful spectrum:

True co-production is rare and demanding. Don't claim it lightly.

How SPLWs contribute to PPI

In day-to-day practice:

• Capture feedback from people you support — quantitative (e.g. ONS4ONS4Four short personal wellbeing questions (life satisfaction, worthwhile, happiness, anxiety) — used widely as a brief outcome measure for personal wellbeing.) and qualitative (their words).
• Use the WHISWHIS— World Health Innovation SummitEstablished in 2015 to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through innovation, education and partnerships. Co-developer (with GSPA) of the WHIS Social Prescribing Link Worker programme. Academy Patient feedback tool to make this systematic.
• Spot people who want to give back. Sometimes a person you have supported wants to volunteer with the SPLWSPLW— Social Prescribing Link WorkerA role that supports people to access community-based services, groups and activities to meet practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing. Used internationally; equivalents in some countries include 'link worker', 'community connector' or 'health navigator'. service, sit on a co-design panel, or train as a peer mentor. Make those routes visible.
• Bring patient voice into MDTMDT— Multidisciplinary teamA team of professionals from different disciplines working together with the person at the centre. discussions about pathway design.

Working with people who want to be involved

The framework references the Peer Leadership Development Programme as a pathway for people with lived experience to develop into formal involvement and leadership roles. Promote it where appropriate.

Avoid tokenism

Common signs you're sliding into tokenism:

• A panel that meets after decisions have been made.
• The same two patient representatives at every meeting.
• Reports that include patient quotes only as decoration.
• Patient representatives who are paid expenses but never paid for their time.

Each of these is fixable.