Here's an opportunity to have your say about health research innovation in the UK #PPIBreakingboundaries

The UK's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is keen to reach people who really don't know very much about it. If you'd not heard of 'NIHR' before or don't know what it is without googling them then this might be for you. (Also, scroll to the end for info about a job with them).

NIHR is a "UK government body that coordinates and funds research for the National Health Service (England)" and they decide, with input from others (perhaps you), what healthcare research to fund. This is an opportunity to contribute to the decisions about what the money should be spent on, but with a particular focus on innovations and "new approaches that will help the NIHR break new ground" (the NIHR has had a programme of patient and public involvement (PPI) for quite a while).

"The mission of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is to maintain a health research system in which the NHS supports outstanding individuals, working in world class facilities, conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.

The Institute manages its activities through four main work strands: 

• NIHR Faculty: supporting the individuals carrying out and participating in research
• NIHR Research: commissioning and funding research
• NIHR Infrastructure: providing the facilities for a thriving research environment
• NIHR Systems: creating unified, streamlined and simple systems for managing research and its outputs."

An email sent round to members of the CHAIN group (Contact, Help, Advice and Information Network - for anyone working in the fields of health and social care) alerted me to this consultation that might be of interest - here's the email.

Over the next six months, the National Institute for Health Research http://www.nihr.ac.uk (NIHR) is carrying out a strategic review of public involvement in health, social care and public health research to ‘examine future options for building an active collaboration with the public and making best use of their skills, knowledge and experience in the work of the NIHR.’  It is expected to define a vision and set clear goals for the next ten years.

Patients and the public, researchers and clinicians, the NIHR and other organisations, are being asked to contribute their views with a particular focus on the innovations and new approaches that will help the NIHR break new ground plus the barriers and challenges to be overcome in this important area. The review is keen to hear from people outside the NIHR – including those who don’t know much or anything about the NIHR. Please contribute your views to this review (Deadline: 26 June) and / or cascade this information more widely to others who might be interested.

More information about the review: http://www.nihr.ac.uk/awareness/Pages/StrategicReviewofPublicInvolvement.aspx
 Online questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NIHRbreakingboundaries
 Twitter hashtag: #PPIBreakingboundaries

They also have a job going in the Central Commissioning Facility, in Twickenham, for an Assistant Programme Manager (closing 23 June).