We have joined the Health Research Authority (HRA) and a host of other leading organisations in a pledge to improve public involvement in research.
Driving up standards of PPI work
We have signed up to the Shared Commitment to Public Involvement, which aims to drive up standards by improving the quality of public involvement across the health and research sector.
McPin joins 25 leading health and research organisations including, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), NHS England, and Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
The evidence is that better research results from involvement, and better research delivers benefits for patients.
McPin truly believes research is done best when it involves people with relevant experience related to the research we are carrying out.
McPin trustee and our executive sponsor in this commitment, Laura Anstey (Chief of Staff NHS North East London)
Our executive sponsor in this commitment, McPin trustee and Chief of Staff NHS North East London, Laura Anstey says:
“I am delighted McPin is part of the shared commitment to embedding public involvement in health and social care research. McPin truly believes research is done best when it involves people with relevant experience related to the research we are carrying out.
“We champion lived experience expertise and leadership in everything we do and ensure this is at the heart of all our work from inception to dissemination. This approach is key to transforming and improving health and social care research and outcomes.
“I am really pleased McPin will be able to share its learning and good practice with others and equally learn from other colleagues in the sector so that together we can deliver the highest quality health and social care research, including creating meaningful change in mental health.”
A response to a reduction in public involvement
The Shared Commitment was developed in partnership with the HRA, leading health and social care organisations and members of the public. It launched in March 2022.
It builds on work led by the HRA in response to the reduction in public involvement seen in studies submitted for approval at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Shared Commitment, which is partially funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) Recovery, Resilience and Growth (RRG) programme, includes a joint pledge to help improve the quality of public involvement, which each organisation signs up to.
Public involvement refers to all the ways in which the research community works together with people including, patients, carers, advocates, service users, and members of the community.
Excellent public involvement is inclusive, values all contributions, ensures people have a meaningful say in what happens and influences outcomes, as set out in the UK Standards for Public Involvement.

Embedding public involvement in health and social care research
The Shared Commitment statement, signed by leaders at each organisation, reads:
Public involvement is important, expected, and possible in all types of health and social care research.
Together our organisations and members fund, support and regulate health and social care research. This statement is our joint commitment to improve the extent and quality of public involvement across the sector so that it is consistently excellent.
People have the right to be involved in all health and social care research. Excellent public involvement is an essential part of health and social care research and has been shown to improve its quality and impact. People’s lived experiences should be a key driver for health and social care research.
When we talk about public involvement, we mean all the ways in which the research community works together with people including patients, carers, advocates, service users, and members of the community.
Excellent public involvement is inclusive, values all contributions, ensures people have a meaningful say in what happens and influences outcomes, as set out in the UK Standards for Public Involvement.
Working together we will support the research community to carry out excellent public involvement. We will provide or share guidance, policies, systems, and incentives.
We will:
- listen to and learn from the people and communities we involve and apply and share that learning
- build and share the evidence of how to involve the public and the impact this has
- support improvements in equality, diversity, and inclusion in public involvement
- promote the UK Standards for Public Involvement.
We will embed this commitment into the decision-making processes of our organisations.
Join the Shared Commitment
Organisations from across the health and social care research sector are invited to join our Shared Commitment.
Find out how your organisation can get involved with the Shared Commitment.