North Sheffield PCT

General Patient and Public Involvement Projects.

North Sheffield Primary Care Trust is proud of the development of various PPI initiatives and this report captures the essence of their approach rather than focusing on one specific project.

This PCT has had patients at the centre since the days of Primary Care Group in 1998. There are PPI champions at Board and Director Level in the PCT. The Chief Executive attends meeting with patients regularly and there is a patient 'observer' at Board meetings. This person is the Chair of the Community Health Advisory Group (CHAG) - the group that has led the development of PPI in North Sheffield. The CHAG was set up in 1999 - they clearly set the agenda for PPI.

From a rapid appraisal process, community activists among the public trained volunteers as advocates and they became more confident and assertive and from these beginning grew the CHAG to its influential level now.

The project feels the critical factors for success are:

•   Resource - money - could be small amounts

•  Pay peoples expenses immediately

•  Give feedback - good or bad

•  Do not presume I.T. is in everyone's possession

•  Give people enough time

• Meeting etc., must be convenient for patients and on their terms

• Deliver what you say you will deliver

Contact Details:

Jeanette Miller
0114 2262360     07974 729391
jeanette.Miller@sheffieldn-pct.nhs.uk