Co-production benefits long-term health conditions

The report, published by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), shares the knowledge and experience from 6 sites in the East of England region which have successfully adopted co-production to develop support for long-term health conditions such as progressive neurological disease, mental health and learning disabilities. Two years after the inclusion of Co-production into the Care Act, the report has been particularly helpful in consolidating common challenges in co-production that are faced within the health sector.

Lianne Jongepier, Head of Clinical Network – Mental Health in the NHS England, Midlands and East (East), said: “The East of England (EoE) Clinical Network (CN) commissioned the project to “understand the impact of a co-produced and personalised approach on implementing change and/or addressing local service issues or challenges.” Co-production is an ethos where organisations and local citizens work together, as equals, to design, deliver and improve opportunities, support and services that enable people to have a good life and communities to flourish. The EoE CN wanted to test ways of embedding and evaluating co-production by involving people from the very start and working collaboratively with the health system to shape local healthcare.

It is hoped that the learnings from this project will benefit and impact on other services as a cascade effect, with co-production principles being embedded into organisational workings and strategies. Lianne added: “We hope to see that co-production, as a way of working, begins to filter through into all levels of decision making, for both providers of healthcare services and those who design and commission them. Through this we can benefit from the skill-sets and lived experiences of the service users to shape future healthcare.”

The 8 Lessons are summarised in a two page insights document which can now be downloaded here. The full report can be read here.