My interest in health research and improving public health was sparked after early retirement. My job had been leading the co-development and co-delivery of service improvement programs in the public sector. I learned that success depended on involving and engaging the right people throughout. Alongside this I brought up two sons, supported elderly parents through health and social care systems, and found myself as a patient navigating healthcare. My public contributor journey began with the Lay Research Group at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, which I chaired between 2019-2025. This experience motivated me to complete an NIHR research internship, and then co-lead patient focused research projects. I also became an early NW Secure Data Environment public contributor, involving others along the way and subsequently chairing the Lancashire and S. Cumbria Public Advisory and Accountability Group. I joined ARCNW in 2025 and am now looking forward to being actively involved as a Public Contributor Champion.
PPIE Health Research Projects/ Activities 2017-2026
Health Research Impact project
Patient communications along the surgical pathway improvement project
Secure Data Environment project
Equality and inclusion across health research project
Nurse led digital health research project
Understanding public involvement in non clinical research projects
Rapid Conversion of Evidence Summaries
Medimusic project design review
Primary Clinical research study reviews
Tissue and blood bank application reviews
Health Research public communication and involvement events
Health Research design, funding and ethics application reviews