Co-production is my passion and we started the Shine a Light series of events before the pandemic to bring together and share good practice among people who were using it to improve NHS services.

Our events aim to shine a light on the ‘art of the possible’ in relation to co-production and demonstrate what can be achieved when health care professionals work alongside people with lived experience.

When the pandemic hit, those events were moved online and became an important point of connection for improvers and patients with lived experience determined to continue with co-production despite the difficulties the pandemic presented.

In fact, the first recommendation of a review commissioned by The Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) and the Beneficial Changes Network (BCN) into learning from COVID-19 was about making co-production the default. That is, working with system partners to place co-production – including people with lived experience – at the centre of how the health and care system learns and embeds change.

As the name suggests, our events aim to shine a light on the ‘art of the possible’ in relation to co-production and demonstrate what can be achieved when health care professionals work alongside people with lived experience.

At each event, two to three different case studies of co-production to make improvements in the experience and quality of care are co-presented with people with lived experience of the system. They highlight good practice and offer opportunities for others to learn from these experiences.

Throughout the pandemic, people really enjoyed the connections and coming together every couple of months to listen to one another and share challenges in a free and open discussion. Sessions are recorded and hosted on the NHS Futures platform for further dissemination and learning.

Upcoming events

Throughout the pandemic, people really enjoyed the connections and coming together every couple of months to listen to one another and share challenges in a free and open discussion.

Further events are so far planned for 15 November 2021 as well as 18 January and 15 March 2022 and we’re always on the lookout for colleagues who would like to showcase their co-production stories. If this is you, please get in touch with us at england.eoccoproduction@nhs.net

Upcoming resources

We’re also working to co-produce a suite of resources to support co-production for quality improvement. We’ll publish more details here on Q when the resources are ready.

If you have co-production projects or resources you’d like to point us to in the meantime, please comment below.

Get involved

Book for the next Shine a Light event on 15 November 2021, 13.00-14.30.

Join the co-production SIG to connect with individuals and organisations using co-production for health improvement.

Download a book on COVID-19 and co-production in health and social care research, produced with support of the Health Foundation.

More information

See the five values and seven steps to making co-production happen in this co-production model from NHS England and NHS Improvement and Coalition for Personalised Care.

Read the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) and the Beneficial Changes Network (BCN) review: Health and social care innovation, research and collaboration in response to COVID-19