Top initiatives today…..

Care to learn to care better.  

The NIHR Dementia & Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Network (DeNDRoN) today launched their new ‘Patients in Research’ infokit.  It’s an excellent free resource showcasing work from across health and social care, stories, ideas, tips and tools.  This great piece of kit is all part of a larger effort by DeNDRoN to: create a research minded culture across the NHS; bring together patients, researchers, clinicians and staff to work in partnership and; integrate research into the care and treatment people receive.   

You are never too old to learn.

Talking of learning, if you go to Macmillan Cancer Relief’s ‘Learn Zone’ you can now register for their ‘Building Research Partnerships’ course.  First developed in cancer it has now been developed to be relevant to all conditions.  It has an excellent reputation.  In fact I have signed-up to attend a course myself.

CLAHRCs Learn Well

Those in London who speak quickly might get that very poor pun in the headline.  Our CLAHRCs have been a flotilla of brilliance in public involvement.  So let’s keep it that way.

In May people will be putting in their bids to run the second round of Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs).  Recall that the Government announced squillions of ‘£s’ for these earlier in the year.  Public involvement will be an essential component of the bids as it is for all NIHR stuff.  So, because the tender document was so poor in what it said about PPI, some additional PPI information has been added to the FAQs today.  And if that doesn’t get you taking it seriously, just remember you never know who’ll you’ll face when it comes to the panel!

AHSNs could do better….

Our Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) have somewhat more to learn when it comes to public involvement.  However, some are steaming ahead like the West of England AHSN.  If you don’t want your Network to become the ‘AHSN Wenger’ of innovation with no prizes at the end of the season then check out the PPI section of the West of England’s prospectus.

Learning to love one another…

Pharma and the ABPI have taken a bit of a beating lately.  So credit where credit is due.  They now have a Patient Organisation Forum section on their website which includes details of the last meeting of the Forum.  I aim to get to the next one if I can.  It’s a start.