1. Wessex Voices:
our approach a year on …
Sue Newell
Project Manager

2. Who are Wessex Voices?
NHS England and the five local Healthwatch across Wessex
Funded by NHS England and Clinical Networks (both Wessex)
Our aim: to transform the sustainability and impact of PPI in health services
Clinical Networks, primarily Cancer (2 days)
Public Health (Screening and Imms) and Primary Care (2 days)
Project (1 day)
: STPs and new NHS E performance indicator for PPI
Me and the Steering Group

3. Why do we do it? Our why …. The Wessex Voices why …
Clear link to good governance of organisations
Empower patients to have a voice in service design and ultimately better manage their own health and wellbeing
Empower staff to engage effectively with patients and the public
Transform sustainability and impact of PPI in health services
Support innovation and coproduction in the review, design, commissioning and procurement of services to reflect the needs and experiences of patients (Avoid waste)
Support people and system leaders to have open, honest, meaningful conversations about changes to health services …
Help the NHS meet its legal and performance duties to involve people in a meaningful way

4. What do we do?
Provide independent, expert PPI advice and guidance
Help plan PPI across teams, work programmes or projects
Give feedback on planned approaches or surveys
Provide tailored PPI training for teams or people
Help recruit and support people to be involved
Promote PPI via Healthwatch networks, social media and volunteers
Share local Healthwatch reports and intelligence
Connect you to voluntary, statutory and other partners
Advise on evaluating involvement activities

5. Developing relationships

6. A plan on a page
Once I understood enough about what the network was doing we set about developing a plan on a page to get started.
I spent a lot of time asking them questions …
What did they want to understand
Who were they already talking to
Who did they need to talk to, why and how
What support did they need from WV

7. Support to national screening campaigns

8. Partnership public engagement event
Engagement in area of deprivation / transient community / diverse / drug and alcohol issues etc
Relationships with CCG, GPs, Hospitals, Public Health, Council, community and voluntary sector (CRUK, Mac, Dorset REC, WCT, Livewell and BH Live)
Raise awareness of signs and symptoms; prioritise Networks prevention focus; healthier lifestyles
Pre-engagement … walkabout to lots of the BAME shops and businesses in the area
fun, interactive, engaging … the inflatable colon, mole checks, screening/ awareness info info, kids activities etc … signpost to support … healthy lifestyles
‘Can we talk to you about being healthy’
success on the day – 400 people went through the inflatable bowel, 38 mole checks, 60 plus interactions with healthy lifestyles, etc

9. WESFIT Focus Groups The two Davids …
Network, Southampton University Hospital, Wessex Cancer Trust
Planning and carrying out focus groups
Feeding to the pilot

10. Lessons learnt
Sally Rickard former Network Manager – committed to PPI agenda and demonstrated clear leadership … hugely helpful
There were building blocks in place … involved people in the strategy development … patient chaired the Wessex Cancer Alliance … and team meetings
Assumed that I was coming to support a fully formed Network who were all super keen and raring to go to do PPI …. So I went racing off … leaping at every opening / anyone who looked vaguely enthusiastic … so got some small early wins but in terms of planning PPI into workstreams
Network know their onions when it comes to cancer and willing but not necessarily confident about engaging people in a meaningful way
Need to do together and learn together … Things that felt obvious to me and I wouldn’t have worried about it did to them so just walked alongside them … some things I did but mostly we did it together …

11. What’s next? Longer term plan …. STP bids
Changes in the team - Richard new manager “Engagement is everyone’s job” but needs people to be in post
Refocussing on priorities and outcomes Funding bid to Mac to support a doer to help Networks carry out engagement

12. Sally Rickard, Associate Director, Clinical Senate and Networks
What the Alliance says …
“Patients know best what it is like to experience cancer, so we need to listen to them in ALL we do. We all know that, but putting it into practice and making it meaningful needs expertise. Wessex Voices, and Sue in particular have guided, prompted and helped us to shape our programmes of work alongside patients and the public. I believe the engagement we have undertaken is truly meaningful and we are starting to get our confidence!”
Sally Rickard, Associate Director, Clinical Senate and Networks

13. How to find us …
Any questions?