NHS England to strengthen the patient voice on four clinical reference groups
NHS England is recruiting additional patient and carer members to four of its influential Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs).
An additional four representatives are being sought for each of the following CRGs:
The 75 specialised services CRGs are the primary source of clinical advice on the development and assurance of specialised services contract products (such as specifications and commissioning policies). They bring together clinicians, commissioners, and Public Health experts with the patients and carers who use the relevant services. Members are volunteers who have a particular interest, knowledge or experience of a specific area of specialised healthcare and wish to contribute to its development.
Each of the CRGs have up to four patient and carer members on them, but the four CRGs described above are each recruiting up to an additional four representatives, bringing the total number on each group to eight.
James Palmer, Clinical Director for Specialised Services at NHS England, said: “Each of these CRGs are concerned with services which face a period of significant and substantial change, such as the congenital heart review, which is looking at the future provision of all congenital heart services across the country.”
“Given the scale of their work, we felt that it was important that we formally hear from as many patient voices as possible, to ensure that we consider a wide range of views. We felt that strengthening the patient voice on these particular groups was the best way of achieving that”.
Any new patient and members recruited to the four CRGs will be in place until the scheduled end of term for all current representatives, i.e. until June/July 2015.
Closing date for applications is 26 January 2014.
For further information about CRGs and how to apply to become a patient and carer member, please go to: https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/survey/cb61e0f3