Working collaboratively while recognising differences: Regional collaboration in PPI (Patient and Public Involvement) in the East of England

2012 Conference

Abstract: Many different organisations work within the sphere of patient and public involvement (PPI) in the East of England. Many of the organisations have distinct roles within PPI and yet some of these roles, especially within the sphere of training and support, tend to overlap. The different organisations also tend to have access to specialised knowledge and resources. It is therefore important to have a platform where organisations can network and share knowledge and resources. The Research Design Service has been creating such a platform by bringing together the different organisations across the region working in PPI.

This presentation/poster explores the organisations involved in PPI in the East of England and explores how these organisations came together in regional forums to collaboratively work together to improve PPI across the region. One of the themes that will be explored will be how the regional working group collaboratively developed a highly successful training programme. Another theme will be the exploration of how the regional forum identified a lack of an organised PPI in research group in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire and proceeded to launch a new PPI in research group called INsPIRE to provide PPI input into health and social care research in the two counties.