Amy and Westley share how they collaborate with HDR UK’s Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Central Team to ensure the public voice is at the heart of our programmes.
Effective public involvement thrives on collaboration.
At HDR UK, our PPIE Central Team works closely with colleagues across the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Data Science Centre and DARE UK (Data and Analytics Research Environments UK) to ensure good practice standards are upheld, unexpected challenges are tackled, and valuable learnings are shared across the data science community. This collective approach strengthens our ability to meaningfully involve the public, fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and inclusivity within data research.
In this blog, we hear from two dedicated colleagues, Amy Hodgkinson and Westley Igbo, who share how partnerships have enhanced their work and the wider impact of public involvement.
Advancing public involvement through collaboration: Amy’s approach
Amy Hodgkinson, HDR UK’s PPIE Manager, coordinates the involvement activities across the BHF Data Science Centre, ensuring public voices shape health research decisions and projects. Last year, she led a co-produced update of the Centre’s PPIE strategy, working with public contributors to tailor it to “the needs of those directly impacted by heart disease and related conditions”. This approach ensures all PPIE activities are “directly informed by those with lived experience”, making them more meaningful and impactful.
Collaboration with the PPIE Central Team has been key to expanding engagement, particularly in reaching wider audiences. A standout example was last September’s Orkney International Science Festival where Amy, public contributors, and colleagues ran interactive sessions to make science accessible and engaging. Events like this help build trust in health data research and highlight its role in improving patient outcomes.
For Amy, partnership is essential to embedding involvement effectively. She says,
“By collaborating, we can learn from each other, reach new public audiences, and discover innovative approaches to support public involvement at all levels.”
Strengthening public involvement through partnerships: Westley’s insights
Like Amy, Westley Igbo, has seen firsthand how collaboration strengthens public involvement, especially in overcoming challenges. As a Senior Communications Manager at DARE UK, he leads communication and involvement strategies to ensure the public is at the heart of building a secure, national network for sensitive data research. Westley explains,
“Public involvement is essential to our work because we believe the public should be front and centre of our vision—since it’s their data we’re talking about!”
Collaboration has been key to strengthening involvement efforts. Working with the PPIE Central Team has provided invaluable support, from established policies and resources to direct engagement with HDR UK’s Public Advisory Board. Westley says,
“We benefit immensely from the PPIE Central Team’s wealth of experience… and the different dynamic their involvement brings to our work.”
For organisations looking to enhance public involvement, Westley advises a dual approach: “always look within AND beyond”. Internal partnerships, like those between DARE UK and HDR UK, provide essential support, while external collaborations with funded initiatives and community groups help expand reach and impact. By sharing expertise and resources, organisations can embed meaningful public involvement without starting from scratch—ensuring efforts are both effective and sustainable.
Source: Health Data Research UK
