Download Cancer Patient and Public Advisory Group Role Description

Cancer Patient and Public Advisory Group
Role Description
Engaging in Patient and Public Involvement is one of the core ways in which UCLH
Cancer services can achieve its objective to deliver high quality patient experience.
This is the process of engaging with patients and the public as partners in service
improvement. Specifically, it is concerned with exchanging information, mutual
listening and accepting that people should be able to influence the services they
receive in order to improve them.
The UCLH Cancer Patient and Public Advisory Group (CPPAG) exists as an
essential mechanism for embedding the perspective of patients, carers, family
members and the public in the strategic planning and operational management of
Cancer services at UCLH. The purpose of the group is to engage with patients,
carers or members of the public who have demonstrated an interest in working
together to help advice how we plan and deliver cancer care at UCLH.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape our Cancer Patient and Public Advisory
Group. UCLH is committed to delivering the best patient experience and outcomes
and recognise there are a range of improvements we need to make to achieve this
ambition. The aim of the CPPAG is to enable our patients, carers and members of
the public to work in partnership with members of staff to inform how we plan and
manage our cancer services. This will help us to make sure we are considering the
things that matter most to people who have experience of these services.
The group was formed in May 2015 and currently has seven different members,
three UCLH patients, two carers or family members who have looked after someone
undergoing cancer treatment and two members of the public (London residents). The
aim of the group is to work with a work plan which consists of a range of agenda that
has been decided by our members. It also gives the cancer services an opportunity
to listen to the public, careers and patient to see what improvements we can make
together working on the same agenda. The group have already played a very
significant role in the short period that we have spent together and we are hoping to
continue this in the future. The overarching aims are to break down barriers, share
experiences and build a better understanding so we can improve the patient
experience. By engaging with the needs and views of the people who use our
services, we can put ourselves in patients’ shoes, which will help us to deliver care
that is more consistently patient centred.
By listening to patients, we can learn about their needs and experiences to identify
specific areas for improvement. By discussing services with patients, we can ensure
that they are designed and adapted to respond better to the needs of individual
patients and patient groups. By working together in partnership with patients, we
keep patients’ needs at the forefront of every decision we make as well as allowing
alternative proposals to be developed. By reviewing how we are doing, we can see
how our improvement plans and activities are progressing.
Current member's perspective
As an independent member of this group, it provides a unique opportunity to bring an
external perspective to the provision of cancer services. This allows the patient's
perspective to be central in the planning, provision and monitoring of cancer
services. CPPAG, along with the Independent Members, also includes hospital
clinicians and managers and representation from Macmillan Cancer Support. The
group work together on an agreed plan of work which addresses key elements of
cancer services.
Independent members can be anyone with an interest in striving to improve cancer
services. They can be patients themselves, carers or members of the public. All that
the group requires of members is a minimum time commitment of two hours every
other month to attend the main CPPAG meetings. It is up to you how much more you
feel able to be involved in the work of the group. All travel costs are reimbursed and
opportunities are provided for training to support members in working as part of the
group.
Skills and Attributes required
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Confidence to voice your opinions clearly and participate in group discussion.
Ability to listen, understand and respect differing opinions.
Ability to maintain confidentiality where required
Time commitment
Meetings will take place bimonthly and it lasts approximately for two hours, the dates
for 2016 have been set.
Training and Support
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There will be contact with the facilitator of the group through email or
telephone.
We will provide you with any meeting materials at least two weeks before the
meeting
Travel expenses will be reimbursed
Free to attend any Macmillan study days
It is important that the process of appointing members is fair and consistent, to
ensure we involve people with as wide a range of experiences as possible. For those
who have expressed an interest in the CPPAG, you will be invited for a conversation.
This is an opportunity to understand the details and scope of the group, and whether
this represents the kind of opportunity you are interested in pursuing. For us, it is a
chance to have a conversation structured around the person’s application, what
motivates them, explore how their experience of cancer might relate to other
peoples’ experience and how they might approach working as a group on the
CPPAG. Although there is no scoring in this process, the decision on joining the
group needs both parties to be satisfied on it being the right match. We will write
down some notes that reflect the conversation to aid the decision making and also to
ensure that we provide the right feedback to people.
If you have any queries or require further information, please contact Javed Ahmed,
Patient and Public Involvement Coordinator (Cancer Services)
Email: [email protected] | Phone 020 3447 2509
UCLH NHS Foundation Trust | Cancer Division | 2nd Floor North | 250 Euston Road
| London NW1 2PG.
Plus we hope that you’ll gain the satisfaction of knowing you are making a vital
difference to the work of our future patients that visit UCLH Cancer Services.