Get involved: Public Participation Panel

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) we value the opinions of our service users, so it is essential that we take every opportunity to listen to them and understand their perspective.  We believe that involving and co-producing service developments with patients and the public will help us to continuously improve the care, experience, and services we provide.

Our Public Participation Panel (PPP) is comprised of patients, carers and members of the public who work with the Trust to ensure that the views and experiences of patients and carers continue to reflect the needs and perspectives of service users.

Some projects that our PPP members have taken part in include:

• Working with the Trust to support a project to develop a Covid rehabilitation pathway
• Providing patient representation to the Nutrition and Hydration Steering Group and the End of Life Care Strategy and Operational Group
• Working with the Trust to support a project around advanced care planning

Public Participation Panel Shortlisting as a Star Awards finalist

The PPP was named as a finalist for the 2024 annual Star Awards in the SPE+ Improvement category for their Quality Improvement Project – “Taking a look back – the role and effectiveness of the Public Participation Panel.”

The purpose of this project is to look back at the role and effectiveness of the PPP since it was first established in 2019 and identify key areas of focus for improvement. A primary aim is to enable the PPP to measure the impact of their involvement in key improvement priorities/other Trust activities. Also, to be more integrated and visible throughout the organisation and ensure that they are representative of all patient voices within local communities.  

Although the PPP did not win the award, being shortlisted is a testament to the outstanding dedication and commitment the PPP have shown and continue to show. Being recognised for the award amongst all the candidates speaks volumes about the impact of the panel’s contributions and support to the Trust.

As a member of the PPP you will:

• Work with the Trust to ensure that patients and the public are involved in shaping services to meet the needs of individuals and the local community.
• Offer feedback on the patient perspective, working with staff using a co-design approach to ensure that the patient voice is embedded within improvement projects.
• Help build better working relationships and networks between the Trust, local communities and individuals.
• Positively influence change and actively engage with people in helping to develop services, meet standards and provide information.
• Review patient information to ensure it is as user friendly as possible.
• Take part in the inspection of services in conjunction with staff, for example; Quality Walk-rounds, CQC style mini inspections and the Patient-Led Assessment of the Care Environment (PLACE) - providing an opportunity to visit wards and departments, meet with staff and engage with patients.

Please click on the role profile button to find out more about the role of a PPP member. On a mobile this may be at the bottom of this page, or if on a tablet or a computer it may be on the right hand side of this page.

Prior to my retirement I worked as a company director with experience in project management, service delivery management, quality management, customer satisfaction and transition/transformation leadership.

Since retiring, I wanted to contribute my skills and experience to give something back to the NHS, in recognition of the fantastic service they have provided to myself and my family over the years.

I am therefore developing a portfolio of roles, focusing on areas where my skills and experience enable me to make a worthwhile contribution. I have a particular interest in the effective delivery of public services and ensuring those services reach the vulnerable and excluded.

I have been a member of the PPP since it was established in 2019 and was Vice-Chair before becoming Chair of the Panel in June 2021. During my time as a member of the PPP I have been involved in several ELHT Quality Improvement projects, been involved in review and corrective action management for ELHT patient safety incidents and participated in recruitment and interview panels for PPP and ELHT Board.

Other roles include:

• Chair of Darwen Healthlink Patient Participation Group
• NHSE PPV Partner – currently assigned to Electronic Referrals optimisation programme
• Patient Safety Partner on the National Patient Safety Team
• Patient Safety Ambassador for Health Innovation in NW England
• PPI Lead for National Institute for Healthcare Research
• Member of the National Digital Clinical Safety Advisory Group

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I am a retired Technical Director with experience of managing MDT’s, Chairing BSI committees which prepared British Standards to Manage Innovation & Design for Products and Services.

Having received Primary and Secondary care many times during my lifetime, on most occasions, the NHS Service has been excellent. It was during several terms in hospital that I experienced, observed, or overheard many examples of less than excellent Patient Experiences.

During my career in industry, I worked with and helped develop Management Systems to ensure Excellence of Service provision therefore believed I could contribute to Continuous Improvement activities in the NHS.

After many years contributing to Clinical Commissioning Group workshops I was invited to participate in a UCLAN project to evaluate the use of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams across Pennine Lancashire. These are in essence Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT’s) in Primary Care and the purpose was to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Teams to develop a best practice core model. I researched Best Practice across the NHS and applied my knowledge of managing MDT’s and writing Standard Operating Procedures to support the project.

UCLAN then invited me to co-author an Evidence Synthesis Collaboration to evaluate the Effectiveness of Continuous Quality Improvement for Developing Professional Practice and Improving Healthcare Outcomes.

I was pleased to join the Public Participation Panel for ELHT which allows members of the public to offer a patient’s view on a variety of projects. In essence the PPP gives us the chance to payback in a small way the lifetime support that we receive.

Since I joined the PPP in 2019, I have contributed to two ELHT projects which were initiated in response to critical harm events, and I am currently helping project manage a QI project to review and improve the PPP.

I joined the PPP when it was first established in 2019 as one of the original members.

My working experience has included developing marketing communications and promotional literature for Domestic and Industrial gas appliances and products, managing a Temporary Recruitment business on a day-to-day basis, and contributing to strategy going forward.

I have participated in a Peer Review Programme across several NHS Trust Hospitals to follow up CQC inspections and evaluate activity and progress in response to the recommended improvements. All related to Cancers of Unknown Primary (CUP). My role was to ensure that patient voices were listened to and acknowledged.

Over the last few years, I have had occasions to use the services provided by the NHS, and was a member of our GP practice Patient Participation Group which gave me an insight into how GP’s service are organised. I also took part in workshops organised by the CCG, covering topics which were relevant to the health of people in the Northwest.

I was invited to participate in a UCLAN project to evaluate the use of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams across Pennine Lancashire. These are in essence Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT’s) in Primary Care and the purpose was to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the Teams to develop a best practice core model. I conducted interviews of staff at several GP practices to compare how Standard Operating Procedures were working in practice.

Since joining the PPP, and having undertaken the Volunteer Induction Programme, I have subsequently participated in various workshops and projects including a new Carers Charter, contributing to a Focus Group for the recruitment of a Senior Manager for the Trust, and participation in virtual Ward Walk Rounds during the Covid restriction. I also attend ongoing End of Life Strategy Meetings on behalf of the PPP and other Task and Finish projects relating to patient experience while in hospital.

I have enjoyed being part of the Panel and being involved in giving feedback to the Trust on ELHT services. I have enjoyed the opportunity to have an influential voice, contributing to the improvement of services provided by the East Lancs Hospital Trust.

I was an original member of the PPP when it was first established in 2019. 

My career was in senior management in manufacturing until 1989.  I was then, until I retired in 2012, Director of Operations at East Lancashire Medical Services (ELMS) providers of Out of Hours unscheduled care across Pennine Lancashire.

I have a wide range of experience of working with IT systems and implementing change in the delivery of medical services and implemented the Pennine Lancashire NHS Exemplar programme to link Out of Hours Medical and Dental Services with NHS Direct.

I have been a parent carer for a person with Learning Disabilities for over 50 years and have voluntarily worked with Disabled Groups in many roles.  I joined the PPP to ensure that the care of those with neurodivergent and / or physical disabilities are given appropriate adjustments in health settings and their family carers are respected as experts by experience.

Other roles include:

• 2016 - 2023 Chair of Trustees Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service, currently Trustee Care Network Blackburn.
• Expert by experience on Learning Disabilities - Health lead for BwD Learning Disability Partnership Board, Representative on the Transforming Care Partnership Board (Reducing the number of people with Learning Disabilities & Autism who are in institutional settings), North West NHS Learning Disability & Autism Strategy Group, ELHT Learning Disability & Autism Operational Group
• Secretary Darwen Healthcare Patient Participation Group
• Patient Representative Darwen Primary Care Network
• Lead Member Healthy Darwen Community Group

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Being born in East Lancashire and living all my life here I was keen to continue my involvement with the NHS after my retirement.  I joined the Patient Participation Panel of ELHT in 2019 bringing with me not only my experience as a patient and carer using their services but also a wider understanding of our local population and their needs and expectations.

Having worked in the private, public and voluntary sector. I bring a wide range of skills and experience as well as an ongoing desire to improve the lives of others. Since my first job in pathology as a teenager through to my role Vice Chairman of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Hospital Trust and then as the first Chair of Blackburn with Darwen PCT I have maintained an up-to-date interest in the NHS and how it could be improved to be even better.

I retired after 26 years as the Chief Officer of Age UK (formerly Age Concern) Blackburn with Darwen with extensive experience in leadership, organisational development, project management and developing inter agency working.    I have listened to and promoted the voices of older people locally, and nationally as the representative of the North West.

Other roles have included:

• Past Chair of Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch and Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living
• Past Board member of Age UK nationally

I strongly believe that all service providers including the NHS benefit from listening to all their “customers” and that through the PPP I can help to promote this.  

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I have been a member of the PPP since it was first established in 2019. 

Following my retirement as an NHS Executive Director, I spent eight years as a NHS Trust/Foundation Trust Chairman. I am also an independent MHA Manager for Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust and Mersey Care Foundation Trust, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of East Lancashire Hospice. 

Having had a long career in the NHS and personal experience as a patient along with other family and friends using the NHS I felt I could bring this experience to the work of the PPP.

My name is Alyson, I am married and have children. So far in my life, I have been a patient, a carer, an employee and a volunteer. I am severely sight impaired and have Rheumatoid Arthritis. Being a northern lass, I tell it as I see it, and I joined the PPP to help give a voice to those people who, for whatever reason, do not feel that they are heard.

As a long-term carer, with my own health issues, I have seen both genuine care given by ELHT staff, and I have raised concerns on ELHT patient treatment, mainly concerning poor planning and communication. “Never complain unless you are prepared to do something about it” was one of my lovely Mum's pearls of wisdom, a rule I now live by. By joining the PPP I feel heard and have seen some of my suggestions acted upon.

Real life experience is what is needed to challenge and improve ELHT. A larger and more diverse PPP will mean we can achieve more. Please join us but be ready to ask what all the medical acronyms mean!

My name is Denis Teulon. Previously, I worked for 30 years in local Government as a Project Manager/Systems and Business Analyst.

I first volunteered as a Marshall when the Covid pandemic struck and enjoyed meeting the public as well as being part of the vaccination team.

Subsequently, I have volunteered at Royal Blackburn Hospital and work in the Emergency Department assisting patients on arrival.

I have joined the PPP to convey the patient perspective which I have gained whilst volunteering, but also as a carer to family members and as a patient myself.

I hope also to use my professional skills to make a difference.

I recently joined the PPP following a 37-year career as a qualified nurse at ELHT. I have worked as a registered nurse, junior sister, senior sister and ward manager across various departments including Orthopaedics and have particular experience in caring for elderly patients with hip fractures and complex needs. I also volunteer for Blackburn with Darwen Healthwatch.

I enjoyed the challenges of ensuring the best outcomes for patients which led to my interest in safeguarding, continuing healthcare assessments, complex discharge planning and end of life care. I have seen vast changes and developments over the years and recognise how important it is to listen to the voices of patients and families in order to provide a valuable patient centred service.   

In an ever-changing and developing NHS it is also important to recognise and value the contributions of all those that work within it. I have loved my nursing career, and it has played a large part of my life. I miss working as part of a team and being able to care for patients and their families.

As someone with lived experience as both a patient and a carer, I always wanted to give back to the NHS.   I was born into the NHS and ELHT and I have always been someone who is constructive in my passion to help, improve and see better healthcare.

During my career, I was a Director of a Mental Health Company and CEO of a health business worldwide, promoting and selling natural supplements across the world. I also worked as Business Development manager for a local company selling Vitamins across the UK to the Fitness industry and Beauty industry.

I have a natural flare and eye to step back observe and give ideas that make working together as a collective a joy, to discuss, share and bring great ideas from people who truly are dedicated to care.

I network to bring in all voices as the people of the ELHT footprint all matter and like me want the best health services for themselves, their families, and loved ones, and this is the perfect opportunity to bring that Equality Diversity and Inclusion vision that I stand and live for, to improve, attract the best staff, help motivate and make services accessible for all.

It’s also a way to bring both that primary care and secondary care journey to work closer and smarter with the common goal of best healthcare service delivery.

As well as being a member of the PPP, I am also:

• Vice Chair of Darwen Healthlink Patient Participation Group
• Public Governor for Pennine Area, East Lancashire and Blackburn With Darwen
• Member of the LSCFT BAME Network

I was also part of the Recruitment panel for appointing Head of Nursing, CEO, Medicines and Consultants across the Lancashire and Cumbria territory.

Finally, being a member of the PPP is the best way to be the Best Ambassador of the patients, carers and service users voice to shape and improve services.