1、OCTOBER 2020 Effective patient and public involvement in the work of the medical royal colleges and faculties: A practical guide 2 Effective engagement with patients and the wider public is not just important, it is essential. This is especially the case as the NHS seeks to restore services during t

2、he COVID-19 pandemic. The following offers support for the development of patient and public / lay involvement in the UK and Irelands 23 medical royal colleges and faculties to ensure that their views are heard and acted upon by the medical profession. Each college and faculty member of the Academy

3、of Medical Royal Colleges (the Academy) has a different history and different experiences of promoting and supporting involvement. Therefore, this is to be used a resource to encourage and enhance good practice discussion and where useful, for adaptation according to each organisations own needs, ex

4、perience and resources. In some cases, it will provide a starting point for groups, in others it may provide useful ideas. It looks at engagement and involvement from an organisational view point, a patient and public / lay persons perspective as well as ideas to encourage recruitment. This has come

5、 out of extensive discussions at the Academys Patient and Lay Committee (APLC) and was drafted with the help of a working group made up of APLC members. I am grateful to them and in particular to Kate Tansley for their support with this work. Ros Levenson Chair, Academy Patient and Lay Committee 3 *

6、 By involve or involvement, we mean any process that the organisation has for involving patients and the public / lay people in their work. Introduction All NHS bodies have a legal duty to involve and consult the public about the running of local health services and although colleges and faculties a

7、re not NHS bodies, it is common sense and good practice to involve the very people that are affected by our work. Colleges and faculties are, however, charities and being accountable is central to their work priorities and charitable objectives. UK Government Guidance for charity trustees states tha

8、t the charity must be accountable to those with an interest and that it is important to take account of what your members, beneficiaries, supporters and funders say. Without engaging with patients and the public, it may be difficult to determine whether those objectives are being met. Patient and pu

9、blic / lay involvement* is an important route for the Academy, colleges and faculties to hear and take account of the views of their beneficiaries. They provide a valuable and significant resource, actively contributing their experience, skills and knowledge as members of the public, patients, patie

10、nt advocates, carers or lay people to the overall effectiveness of the how our organisations are run. For the most part involvement takes place via committees, that meet regularly, with a membership made up of predominately patient and public / lay people to provide a non-clinical voice to the work

11、of the organisations. In some colleges and faculties engagement also happens through involvement in other organisational committees and working groups, wider virtual stakeholder groups, responding to surveys/consultations, developing patient facing materials, having lay trustees and through meeting

12、patients and the public in their own locations. 4 The methods of engaging patients and the public / lay people may vary according to the focus and capacity of the college or faculty, but the principle remains the same. If the organisation aims to benefit the public, the public should be engaged. All

13、 medical Royal Colleges and Faculties believe that involving patients and the public / lay people in their work improves what they do. The APLC considers that to do this effectively it is vital to have an engagement plan. We therefore consider that colleges and faculties should address the following

14、 five questions when planning and improving engagement: 1. Have your patient and public / lay people Engagement plan, Aims and Objectives been developed with patients and public / lay members? 2. Are clinician and patient and public / lay members clear about the engagement plan and its aims? 3. Have

15、 you considered how to engage with a wide range of patients and public / lay people? 4. Are patients and public / lay members given sufficient information and where needed, support (including financial and staff support) and/or training, in order to engage effectively? 5. How do patients and public

16、/ lay members receive feedback on how their comments have been used? Context 5 There is no one perfect method of patient and public / lay person involvement (PPI). Different situations may require different approaches and there can be various methods which can contribute successfully. You might cons

17、ider: A permanent patient and public / lay person involvement committee, perhaps supplemented by a virtual group Short life working groups Focus groups and other online or face-to-face engagement activities Social media awareness raising campaigns to gauge the publics response to a particular issue

18、Consultation / partnership work with groups and charities that share your objectives. In practice this means: Regular communication with patient and public / lay members by senior staff and/or officers including the relevant executive directors, the CEO and the President Regular updates with patient

19、s and the public / lay members on key work. Providing them with the opportunity to comment as well as raise their own items for discussion and action Officers and/or senior staff attending PPI meetings Co-opting a PPI member to the college/faculty Council (as well as other areas of work) Having a de

20、dicated Council member liaising with the PPI group Providing a regular report to the Council of PPI activities Engagement for colleges and faculties 6 Being clear what you need and expect from patients and the public / lay members and what they can expect from you Being accountable and evaluating in

21、volvement in your organisation. Publish what you do. Say what has changed as a result of it. The benefits, the challenges. What are the measures of success? This can help encourage and retain involvement, not to mention enhance the reputation of the organisation Sharing best PPI practice from other

22、colleges /faculties and incorporate that in your practices Increasing your knowledge banks by sharing information, from the simple act of reading minutes from the Academy Patient and Lay Committee or college groups to inviting patient and public / lay members to shadow college work for a more in-dep

23、th understanding Patient and public / lay members are volunteers. Recognising and rewarding their contributions. Show the value that you place on their involvement and be creative in ways to share their voice, blogs, events, mentions in reports. As in all areas of life, a thank you goes a long way.

24、7 At the heart of any effective PPI activity there should be an engagement plan. This can be tailored to the specific circumstances in which the organisation operates and should be seen as a fundamental part of the organisations aims and values in improving healthcare for the benefit of the populati

25、on. It is good practice to present this annually to the council or governing body. Colleges and faculties should work with their patient and public / lay members to develop an engagement plan. The plan should consider: The purpose of PPI (work with patient and public / lay members to establish this)

26、 Realistic and manageable objectives and priorities that align to the college or facultys priorities How PPI will be promoted across the college or faculty Support and resources (not just financial) needed for PPI, such as upskilling and dedicating staff to the work and providing them with informati

27、on / CPD / training in understanding PPI Who has responsibility for patient and public / lay member involvement (this shouldnt just be employed involvement workers but should ideally be integrated across the whole college or faculty) and should be reflected in role descriptions. It could also be inc

28、luded on staff Key Performance Indicators and appraisal targets A communications plan how to promote key messages of the PPI group internally and externally. It is always important to work closely with the college or faculties communications leads A recruitment plan. How will you develop, sustain an

29、d if necessary, increase, the diversity and inclusivity of patient and public / lay members? How often and by who the PPI plan will be reviewed? How and when PPI is monitored to check objectives and priorities are being met. Engagement plan 8 Communication is key for success in implementing the plan

30、. The patient and public / lay person perspective needs to be integral to the organisation. Ensure your influence is targeted and effective Know what your college / faculty does and prioritises. Familiarise yourself with the objectives and key policy priorities Know what the PPI plan and priorities

31、are See how you can contribute to and be kept up to date with both the PPI and college / faculty priorities and work plans Get your name on distribution lists Often it is the lead or Chair of the group who will have the greatest involvement with college / faculty staff. The Chair should have regular

32、 meetings and updates with the relevant executive directors, the CEO and the President. (If you are a new Chair, make sure such meetings are part of your induction) Plan in advance. Go to meetings prepared with key points andstrategies Chairs should check with members before meetings, do they have e

33、xpert knowledge in an area, do they have input that should be voiced? Members should know when these meetings are and feed in opinions to the Chair Say if points you raise are shared by others (i.e. patient and public / lay members or other bodies and organisations) Say if there is evidence to suppo

34、rt your views, for example NHS surveys, reports from patient organisations etc Use your networks. The Academy Patient Lay Committee brings all the colleges and faculties together. Utilise this unique position and share information. If another college or faculty is doing something well, see how you c

35、an incorporate it in your own activity. If you need engagement from specific groups can you work in partnership with a college with more experience in that area? Engagement for patient and public / lay person committee members 9 Recruiting members is not an easy task. If possible, you should: Align

36、your recruitment process to that of your host college or facultys HR department where relevant Confirm your selection panel who will decide who you short list and appoint? What criteria will they judge applicants against (usually based on the role description and considering diversity and inclusion

37、(see below) Who will interview prospective applicants, check references and confirm appointment? How will this be done? Put together a Recruitment pack. This should include, Role description and person specification (see Annex 1) Terms of reference and office The PPI group priorities as well as the

38、college /faculty policy priorities Expenses policy Letter from the PPI Chair (and college / faculty President) Be clear about what is expected of the applicant in terms of time and work Advertise the position. Make sure that you have a thorough role description that clearly defines what the job is a

39、nd the skills it requires without any unconscious bias. Include the application deadline and recruitment timeline Survey the diversity of your membership to establish the need for targeted advertising and if so, where (the Academy holds a diversity survey which you can adapt if needed) Where should

40、you advertise: Your college / faculty and the Academy can advertise on their websites, but the reach may be small Use magazines and organisations relevant to your specialty as well as a range of national newspapers Recruiting members who reflect the wider community 10 Consider using social media to

41、reach a wider audience, such a Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook You may also want to target specific members of the population to increase your diversity and inclusion, consider specialist magazines and groups that can reach your desired audience If you are looking for specific members of the populati

42、on, make it clear. For example, We particularly encourage applications from disabled people and people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, as these groups are currently under-represented. The recruitment points above will also apply to Chairs of PPI committees / groups except where th

43、e committee elects a chair from its members. 11 Every person could be a patient at some time in their life and your patient and public / lay membership should aim to be as inclusive and diverse as possible. Does your membership currently include people of different UK regions/countries, upbringing,

44、age, disability, gender identity or gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or any other equality characteristic? What can you do to make your PPI group more diverse and inclusive? Consider: Do you have a diversity target? How does your membership meet it? Can

45、 you direct your materials to specific groups to be more inclusive and diverse? Research with who and how to best engage All materials you produce should use easy-to-read, person-centered, accessible and inclusive language Avoid unconscious bias in your language. For example, avoid using gender bias

46、 such as he/she You might want to consider offering multi-media such as videos or audio presentations alongside written material to help reach a wider cross- section of the population Ensure that venues for meetings are accessible and appropriate alternatives are provided where not For any of these

47、points if you require further assistance please contact the Academy who will be happy to provide advice. Diversity and inclusion 12 Role Patient and public / lay member Committee Insert Committee name (e.g. Patient and Lay Committee) Purpose and remit The Committees principal role is to ensure that

48、it can have the greatest impact possible on improving patient care Patient and public / lay members are a valued and significant resource, contributing their experience, skills and knowledge as members of the public, patients, patient advocates, carers, or lay people to the overall effectiveness of

49、the (insert organisation name) Committee work will be properly aligned with the College/Faculty s (delete as appropriate) purpose, strategy, work plan and priorities. It will do this by ensuring clinicians are aware of patient experiences and their impact on the quality of care As with the College/Faculty (delete as appropriate), there is flexibility for the Committee to respond to new or urgent issues as they arise Committee members are positively encouraged to view their