Involving Patients and the Public in Research

In January 2021 the SCEPTRE Patient and Public Engagement panel was formed.  Facilitated by Emily Shoesmith, the panel brings together people with experience of smoking/and or quitting and living with a severe mental illness and the individuals who support them.

The ambition of the SCEPTRE Patient and Public Engagement panel is to ensure that our research addresses issues that are important to people living with severe mental illness, is conducted in a way that is sensitive to the needs of individuals, and that the profile of SCEPTRE and its results reach as many people as possible.

We meet four times a year to provide input to the SCEPTRE programme. Our members come from across Yorkshire and Teesside and we meet online.  

Here are a few things one of our PPI members has said about their involvement with the SCEPTRE programme so far:

What interested you about SCEPTRE in the first place?

"I love a good bit of research, but also research that I can resonate with. For example, struggling to quit smoking. During the difficult last few years (lockdowns), it has been something to get and stay involved with. It feels good to be giving my knowledge, struggles, ideas, and experience. Also, feeling like I'm valued!"

How have you found your experience with the SCEPTRE PPI panel?

“I found it really stress-free with no pressure from the research team. If I was having a bad period, they would understand. It seemed strange to be valued and compensated for my opinions and experience because I didn’t need any qualifications or long-winded applications or interviews to get involved. I had regular communications with members of the research team which I felt were healthy, friendly, and safe. It was/is great to build rapport, get to know the team, and build professional relationships”

Would you recommend joining the SCEPTRE PPI panel?

“The short answer is yes – it is a great project and I wish something like this was happening when I was in hospital as an inpatient. I believe using my experience to help and shape an intervention like this into (hopefully) common practice is satisfying and a good cause”

For more information on the SCEPTRE Patient and Public Engagement panel, or to express an interest in joining us, please contact Emily Shoesmith by emailing dohs-sceptre@york.ac.uk.