Patient and Public Advisory Group member

Please note:

This role is for the Cheshire and Merseyside Data into Action Patient and Public Advisory Group. To be eligible for this opportunity you must be a resident of Cheshire or Merseyside.

Data into Action uses health and social care information to improve services across Cheshire and Merseyside. It is a programme of work which sees our NHS, local authorities and the University of Liverpool working together to make things better for all 2.6 million people in our region.

When people see a GP, go to hospital, or receive care in a care home, information is recorded to help them receive the best possible care.

Data into Action uses this information to see what our health and social care services are doing well, to identify how they can improve, and to support them to make positive changes.

Please note:

Applicants must live in Cheshire or Merseyside to be eligible for this role.

Below are examples of the types of activities you may be asked to carry out as a member of the PPAG:

• Providing recommendations on the programme’s public engagement plans.
• Advising on public and patient priorities and perspectives in relation to core issues in health data sharing and usage.
• Advising on public and patient priorities and perspectives in relation to individual health research projects.
• Providing a patient and public perspective at meetings with leadership and operational teams for the Cheshire and Merseyside Data into Action programme.
• Reviewing and contributing to documents.
• Providing comments on messaging and design for communications, e.g., websites, leaflets, posters, social media graphics, etc.
• Evaluating how public engagement is being used to influence the Data into Action programme.

This list is not exhaustive. You may be invited to be involved in other areas of work.

PPAG members will need to attend and contribute to PPAG meetings, which will take place every other month and initially will be held at the Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) at Liverpool Science Park, in the city’s Knowledge Quarter (L3 5TF
). However, there may be opportunities to attend virtually instead.

There will be opportunities for further paid involvement on an optional basis to take place in between meetings. This could include attending conferences and workshops, both virtually and in person.

We will support you to be prepared for meetings and events however we can. For example, we will send you briefing documents before meetings and offer you pre-briefing meetings if you need them.

Members of the PPAG will be rewarded and recognised for their contributions through payment and reimbursement of expenses. Members will be recompensed in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) public contributor policy.

No formal qualifications are required to join the PPAG as a member. Here are some of the things we are looking for in our PPAG members:

• You live in Cheshire or Merseyside (this is essential)
• You have a strong passion for improving patient care.
• You have an interest in the use of healthcare data for research.
• You can work well with lots of different people with different backgrounds.
• You are good at working in a team.
• You can contribute to discussions.
• You are good at seeing both sides of an argument.
• You are good at listening and explaining your ideas.
• You think it is important to make healthcare fairer.
• You can bring your experiences or those of your family or friends into discussions in relation to healthcare.
• You have experience of being part of a network or forum (this is not essential).
• You have worked well with healthcare leaders before (this is not essential).
• You have experience of working with other groups and representing your community (this is not essential).