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Minister Byrne launches the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee Public Involvement Framework
The Minister of State for Health Promotion and the National Drugs Strategy, Catherine Byrne TD has this morning launched the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee Public Involvement Framework in the Department of Health. Addressing members of the Committee and patient representatives the Minister said,
“I am delighted to be here today to publically announce the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee’s Public Involvement Framework. This Framework will be a key resource in supporting clinical effectiveness and improving public involvement.”
The Minister added,
“Patient involvement is important because it helps to develop priorities and make improvements in healthcare based on public identified needs rather than assumptions. Public involvement informs decision-making and ensures issues that the public are interested in are addressed.”
“The Department of Health is committed to clinical effectiveness through the programme of work of the NCEC supported by the Clinical Effectiveness Unit, now part of the Department’s National Patient Safety Office.”
In 2015, the NCEC invited 2 patient advocates to join the membership of the NCEC. This mirrored what was happening internationally with similar bodies such as the UK’s National Institute for Clinical Excellence. In 2016, the NCEC, commissioned some work to help it understand the why and how of what is called ‘public involvement’ in guidelines and audit processes. It was also interested in how best to support this as a strategy. Today, the launch of the NCEC’s Public Involvement Framework demonstrates a significant milestone.
Prof Karen Ryan, Chair of the NCEC, confirmed,
“This Framework provides practical guidance to achieve a clear purpose, a structure and a commitment to the process of public involvement during design and development stages of clinical guidelines and clinical audit. Though prepared for NCEC’s National Guideline Development Groups and National Audit Governance Committees, this information will also be useful for other NCEC public involvement activities e.g. clinical guidance development, and also to wider interest groups looking to work together with public, such as researchers, educators and regulators.”