“Doing PPI at scale”. Exploring the impact of public involvement in the NIHR Greater Manchester Primary Care Patient Safety Translational Research Centre: Interim findings of a formative evaluation

2014 Conference

Abstract: The Greater Manchester Primary Care Patient Safety Translational Research Centre, funded by the National Institute for Health Research for five years, undertakes research to improve patient safety in primary care. Approximately 8% of its £6.5million budget is devoted to public involvement and engagement. A key element of the Centre’s approach to public involvement is its Research User Group (RUG). The RUG is made up of 12 patients, carers and service users with an interest in patient safety. The RUG works in partnership with the Centre’s researchers, advising on, and assisting with, research developments. The Centre is keen to evaluate the impact of the RUG to ensure that RUG members are involved appropriately and meaningfully, and to ensure that its budget for public involvement and engagement is being spent wisely. As such, an evaluation of the impact of the RUG is currently underway.

This presentation will outline:

• How (if) the RUG works in partnership with the Centre’s researchers
• The methods used in the evaluation of the partnership working between the RUG and the Centre’s researchers
• How RUG members are actively involved in the evaluation, through their membership of the evaluation advisory group
• Some interim findings, based on interviews with key stakeholders, as well as impact feedback forms completed by both RUG members and Centre researchers

We will provide a number of examples of the impact of RUG members, as well as discussing the challenges of undertaking meaningful public involvement within such a complex organisation.