Hitting the ground running – news from the NCRI Consumer Forum

The new NCRI Consumer Forum has been formed to take over the role of the former Consumer Liaison Group (CLG), with a more focussed remit. The Forum is chaired by Richard Stephens in his new role as Interim NCRI Consumer Lead.

The forum aims to foster a vibrant and collaborative community to work with NCRI as partners in cancer research; exchanging knowledge and expertise in a coordinated way. Further information on the forum, including its remit and membership can be found at the link below.

» Further information about the NCRI Consumer Forum (internal webpage)

The NCRI Consumer Forum had a strong presence at the NCIN Conference in Belfast in June.  17 members attended, two of them hosting Plenary Sessions, and several asking questions from the floor and contributing to debates. Helen Bulbeck and Margaret Grayson were award-winners for poster presentations as co-authors with researchers, whilst Carolyn Morris, Mat Baker and others produced a triptych of posters about the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

The three posters show responses to  survey questions about awareness of research, and the leading poster, “Keeping the Customer Satisfied #1” won two awards, one from the Conference Committee and also one of the Patient Choice Awards voted for at the conference itself.

Proud of the Forum’s success: Richard Stephens, NCRI Consumer Lead and Karen Kennedy, NCRI Director at the “Keeping the Customer Satisfied #1” poster, 2015 NCIN Conference.

“The [Keeping the Customer Satisfied #1] poster shows that patients who participate in research, or even who just have a conversation about research, are more likely to report satisfaction with their care,“  Richard Stephens explains. “ It is very pleasing that its significance was recognised both by researchers and clinicians and also by the patients and public who were at the conference. The poster’s findings are a powerful message to take into the NIHR networks and the devolved nations.”

All three posters on the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey can be viewed at the links below.

» Keeping The Customer Satisfied #1: Is Taking Part in Research Associated With Better Experience of Care? Findings from the 2013 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (PDF, 2013)

» Keeping The Customer Satisfied #2 It Is OK To Ask – Who Are We Asking, And Who Participates? Further Findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2013 (PDF,2013)

» Keeping The Customer Satisfied #3: It Is OK To Ask – Who Are We Asking? Variations by Type of Cancer Findings from the 2013 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (external website poster abstract: Day 2, poster number P-124)