Patient and public involvement (PPI) is important to the work of the AAC, ensuring the innovations we support reflect what matters to the people who will use them. Our aim is for people with lived experience (patients and carers or those with other relevant experience) to be involved in each area of the AAC’s work.

We will be producing guidance, with our partners, on how to involve patients and the public in developing different types of innovation. This framework will also let innovators know what involvement is expected when applying for funding.

We are also developing information for patients and carers, which will explain how they can get involved and what they can expect when they do.

In the meantime, some existing resources from our partners which may be useful can be found in the links below:

• NHS England and NHS Improvement: NHS England Involvement Hub
• NIHR: UK Standards for Public Involvement
• National Voices: National Voices has published ‘I statements’ which outline the values people who use services want to see represented in research and innovation.
• Academic Health Sciences Networks (AHSNs): England’s 15 AHSNs have published guidance on Patient and Public Involvement in a Digital Age.
• INVOLVE: Funded by National Institute for Health Research, INVOLVE’s role is to support active public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research. It has produced a range of guidance and best practice information, which is primarily aimed at researchers but is also relevant for innovators.
• The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (APBI): The ABPI has produced ‘Working with patients and patient organisations – a sourcebook for industry’ to support pharmaceutical companies.