What is Personal and Public Involvement (PPI)?
Personal and Public Involvement is a term used to describe the active involvement of service users, carers and the public in the commissioning, design, delivery and evaluation of Health and Social Care services, in ways that are relevant to them.
Are there any resources to help me get involved?
Yes, there are a range of resources available to help with involvement. There is an e-learning training programme in place to help understand what PPI is, and how getting involved will make a difference to Health and Social Care.
I want to get involved but am not sure I have the time
You can decide how you would like to get involved to make sure it suits your personal circumstances. There are lots of ways to get involved. Some take less time (e.g. giving verbal feedback to Trust staff at appointments, completing a survey, attending a one-off meeting), while others will require more of your time (e.g. attending multiple meetings, re-designing or helping to deliver a service).
I would like to get involved but am not sure what I could contribute?
Every person’s contribution is valuable. Whether you are a member of staff, or someone who has used our services (or both), we all have unique experiences and ideas that can be used to improve our healthcare services.
Will I get reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses?
Yes, for effective involvement to take place people need to feel supported and that their contribution is valued. Service users, carers and stakeholders who have agreed to become involved and participate in service development and improvement activity, such as meetings, discussion forums, focus groups, training events, interview panels or a defined task or work programme, can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. This will include travel costs and carers.
Further information is available in the Regional Guidelines and Procedures for the Reimbursement of Expenses. Please contact Neil Gillan at neil.gillan@nias.hscni.net
I am a carer for a relative/friend. Can I get involved?
Yes absolutely! Carers bring a wealth of experience and we would love to hear from you too.