Celebrating the people who support NICE: International Volunteer Day

International Volunteer Day is an opportunity for NICE to celebrate the people who help us to be part of a system that constantly learns.  This year we would like to applaud the members of the Public Involvement Programme expert panel who support us to improve outcomes for people using the NHS and other public health and social care services.

What is the expert panel?

NICE is committed to building partnerships with members of the public who are interested in supporting and influencing NICE, and we do this via our expert panel. Our expert panel is designed to make public involvement simple and effective, and provide people interested in supporting NICE with an opportunity to do so. It is designed to provide flexibility to enable people to engage how they want to, and when they can. Essentially, it’s designed to meet the needs of each panel member.

Panel members get involved in a range of opportunities depending on their interest and availability. Whether this is joining a guidance committee, participating in a focus group, joining a project working group, completing a survey, or attending a panel members’ meet up.

Since 2020, panel members have supported NICE in over 200 projects, with 48 members joining a guidance committee as a lay member. We would like to thank every single panel member for their continued interest and enthusiasm. Their positive contribution has enabled public involvement to be further rooted in NICE, and the views of patients and the public incorporated in all that we do.

The success of the expert panel could not have been achieved without the 3 members who also sit on the expert panel steering group. They make key operational decisions and ensure panel members set the direction of the panel.

Meet the 3 Steering Group members

Carole Pitkeathley

“I wholeheartedly believe in the ability of the expert panel to bring a wide range of lived experience and expertise to help NICE ensure that its work is anchored in real life as it seeks to improve outcomes for people using the NHS and other public health and social care services. I joined the expert panel steering group to help deliver that vision and to ensure what matters to people is treated with the same importance as what is the matter with them.

"I am especially proud of the way we have helped NICE to develop the expert panel focusing on the skills and abilities of those already part of it and seeking to recruit new members to give the widest range of experience possible. I am also proud of the way the expert panel has developed beyond the usual guideline and technical committees to provide members with a wide range of opportunities to contribute to the work of NICE and other areas of the NHS and to develop their own skills while doing so.

"I would urge anyone with an interest in health and social care to find out more about the expert panel. There is space for all sorts of experience and expertise, there are opportunities to get involved in a range of areas which need different experiences and expertise. The team is great, very supportive and interested in hearing your story and helping you understand how you can contribute. Definitely worth a few minutes of your time to find out more.”

Diane Davies

“I joined the expert panel because I believe that NICE needs an enthusiastic and motivated group of people who have lived experience of health and social care issues to support the vital work that NICE does – and I wanted to be one of those people.

"Our perspectives are vital in steering the expert panel as it navigates its way through to being truly embedded in the work of NICE. I’ve been particularly pleased with the way we have developed the expert panel to be a fantastic resource that NICE teams see as a vital part of their work. We have worked hard to highlight the amazing range of skills and experiences that members possess, and to offer opportunities to members to make a real positive difference around innovations in health and social care.”

Matthew Moore

 "I joined the expert panel steering group because I’m passionate about representing patient voices and being able to use my own lived experience to help inform changes, developments and improvements. I wanted the opportunity to work at a strategic level alongside a respected and incredibly important organisation that is ensuring patients are part of their decision-making process through their expert panel."

How do I join?

To join the panel or to find out more visit the Public Involvement Programme expert panel page on the NICE website and click on the ‘apply to join the expert panel’ button. If you have any queries, please write to us at pipexpertpanel@nice.org.uk.