Are you a patient (or carer) with the Royal Marsden and would like to get involved with an active role in shaping the Trust’s future research projects?
Dr Natalie Pattison, Trust Lead for Patient and Public Involvement, explains that it’s important to hear the views of the people the research will potentially affect, to ensure the patient is at the heart of the decision-making process: “This is about empowering individuals and communities so that they can play a greater role in shaping healthcare research.
“Patient and public involvement helps us identify what’s important to patients and the public, and how we can improve the way we run clinical trials.”
The panel was set up in 2011 and has already improved research projects being carried out at The Royal Marsden. The panel of up to 20 people meets four times a year to discuss research ideas presented by investigators and to discuss priorities. They also undertake email reviews of documents to make patient information more comprehensible for laypeople.
They are currently looking for people to join the panel. I have been a member of the panel since it was started and it is a fascinating experience and it’s a way I feel I can give something back for all the care and expertise I have been lucky enough to receive from the Royal Marsden.