Public Partners Advisory Group

I’m Nicola Kingston. I used to work in Tri-borough Public Health with Samira Ben Omar . I worked on the CLAHRC DIMPLE diabetes project, co-produced with patients living with diabetes. I did a fellowship, specializing in Coproduction and did PPIE training with CLAHRC. I sat on the Core group , and am interested in making research accountable to local people. I am now active in Patient Involvement in South London, but still interested in Health Improvement.

My professional career was as a social worker and senior manager in local authority, the NHS and the voluntary sector. I was also a lecturer and trainer in social care. Since retirement, I have been a Lay Member with my local CCG working on commissioning local health services, promoting and monitoring quality and promoting patient and Carer engagement and co-production in health and social care. I am a Lay Member with Imperial Health Care, with Royal Marsden Partners and The Royal Marsden Trust Patient and Carer Advisory Group and the London -wide TCST Patient Advisory Group and Equalities Steering Group. I am a Lay Member of the Imperial Data Access Group, assessing research and evaluation requests for access the WSIC data base. 

My main career was as a civil servant in central government, mainly in the Department Education and the Department of Health. Until May 2020, I inspected health services for the Care Quality Commission. Through this I was privileged to visit many different services including hospitals, ambulance services and community health, and to hear the experiences of a wide range of patients and their families, including children, on their care and treatment. I have been a participant in large-scale research such as Biobank UK and the INTERVAL project, looking at the impact on health of more frequent blood donations. I also review medical research proposals for the National Institute for Health and Care Research and some universities from a patient perspective. I volunteer with my local Healthwatch. 

A Health & wellbeing training professional with 30 years’ specialising in stress management. 20 years’ PPG experience: Ex committee member of first GP surgery Patient Participation Group pilot project in Hounslow Borough, (advised on rolling-out PPGs across borough.) Current PPG member LB Harrow. I’ve worked cross-sector, delivered stress management/wellbeing training for staff, teams, community groups, carers, GP staff, nurses, hospice staff and in dementia care. I also teach communication skills. Worked extensively with people experiencing stress, anxiety and people of all ages, including school children and vulnerable elderly I have lived-experience of chronic health conditions (plus two acute critical-care hospital admissions.) I am a carer for 90 year-old parents with complex multimorbidity conditions. I believe qualitative research and anecdotal evidence can inform/enhance quantitative research, and both are valid channels for feedback. The NHS asks, “How are we doing” I think we should also be finding ways to be asking, “What do you need?” Collaboratively we can find ways to meaningfully engage with all stakeholders to achieve better outcomes and person-centred care.

I have extensive PPI experience from working with Healthwatch, Imperial College Healthcare Trust (ICHT) and NW London Collaborative of CCGs. I am Member of Strategic Lay Forum (ICHT). I am involved in the following Lay Partner Projects:- Food & Retail Transformation; Children’s Look & Feel; End of Life. I am on the PLACE Assessments Steering Group and have been involved in Assessments since 2013. I am on the NW London HCIE (Health Care information Exchange) Programme Board. For research, I was a member of Healthcare Acquired Infection Service Users’ Research Forum (disbanded) at the University of West London and was co-applicant & researcher for a Department of Health research project on patient reactions to MRSA screening and a service user representative on a research project at University College Hospital to test a device to monitor healthcare professionals’ hand washing activity. Consequently I have good knowledge of how to set up and participate in research projects. I am a lay reviewer for research proposals submitted to NIHR.

I am a patient and have also been a carer for many years. I am involved in many patient related groups with hospital trusts, communities and GP surgeries so I am sure I can bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the group.

When I lost my hearing suddenly and knew I couldn't do anything about it some years back, I realised I could at least get involved with advancing the cause of patients. I've since become a columnist for the RNID (Royal National Institute of the Deaf), served and serve on steering groups to do with treatments for tinnitus and Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, take-up of hearing aids and hearing loss in care homes. I was a CLAHRC (Collaborative Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care) Fellow in 2016. I write reviews for the BMJ and am currently involved in seven different projects, two of which are connected with ARC.

Sandra a former solicitor and a trustee for a mental health charity embarked on her journey as a PPIE Public Contributor following her own lived experiences of poor health. She is an Improvement Leader Fellow of NIHR CLAHRC NWL now known as NIHR Applied Research Collaboration NWL. Sandra holds a portfolio of profiles as PPIE lay advisor and or representative for various health care research studies and quality improvement projects. She is the lay chair for Imperial BRC Public Advisory Panel and is a service user advisor for CNWL NHS Quality Improvement Program Board. 

I have several years of PPIE and experience of steering groups, workshops, inspections, research and development. I'm currently part of a multidisciplinary co production group using the sounds of birdsong to provide a user friendly way of encouraging people with hearing problems to seek the help they need. We have recently been awarded a WTO small grant and have several other sponsors. I am a member of Northwick Park Hospital Patient Research Panel. I am an educationalist with extensive knowledge in Developmental psychology, psychometric testing, spld and Education, Health and Care Plans for children with special needs. Mother and Grandmother. I edit a local Harrow Housing Magazine and a member of Harrow Housing Board. Enjoy theatre especially Opera and Plays. I enjoy travelling and the countryside and love going to museums and galleries.

I am the current Chair of the Patient Panel at St. Mark's Hospital, having been a founder member in 2011 and a patient there since the mid-1980s. I am now on several committees at Northwick Park Hospital/St. Mark's. I am a strong advocate of PPI, and have addressed the Clinical Senate Forum at the Kings Fund and delegate at Involve 21 and was a partner in the  award-winning Outpatient Improvement project at the 2018 BMJ Awards. I was a regular CLAHRC delegate and Exchange Control member and contributor to Rachel Matthew's recent publication on PPI.

I am a pension fund investment adviser, having been a long-time City investment manager and also a Local Councillor in Harrow, chairing several committees, including the Social Care Scrutiny Committee plus a unique tri-borough committee within the Northwest London Health Trust area.

With a City legal and merchant banking background and no medical qualification John Norton became a lay partner in 2012 primarily to back integrated and patient- centred care, later progressing to research, joining PSTRC, ARC and the BRC. Also on Imperial's Strategic Lay Forum, NWL's Digital Strategy, Information Governance and CIE Groups, Central London Healthcare Patient Group and the Cavendish Health Centre PPG. Also member of the Royal Society of Medicine, serving on Section Councils for Patient Safety, General Practice with Primary Care and Medicine and Society.