Patient and public involvement

How we're run

Our patient and public involvement strategy sets out our objectives and plans to ensure our organisation listens and responds to the needs and preferences of our patients and communities.

Our goal is for:

all patients to feel that they are understood, heard, and have control and choice over their health and care so that it meets their specific needs.
as many patients, families, carers and local residents to feel encouraged and supported to take an active role in their own health as well as in shaping and delivering the care we provide to help ensure it better reflects patients’ needs.
a core group of patients, carers, and local people to directly influence the development and delivery of our organisational strategy to help ensure we are making the best use of all of the insight, skills and knowledge available to us.

Our strategic lay forum

The strategic lay forum is at the core of patient and public involvement at the Trust, setting and championing a clear vision for effective patient and public involvement. It was established in November 2015 and consists of up to 20 lay partners, senior Trust staff and patient and public involvement leads at Imperial College and Imperial Health Charity. It meets every six weeks and oversees the Trust’s involvement strategy, provides advice and feedback and makes sure that the Trust’s plans and initiatives are shaped by the needs and preferences of the relevant patients and local communities.

Read about our progress on our involvement strategy in the annual review from the strategic lay forum. This also includes priorities for the coming year.

Strategic lay forum minutes:

Meet our strategic lay forum members

Ed Lowther

Strategic lay forum co-chair

Ed is currently a senior manager at consultancy firm PwC UK, where we focuses on workforce practice. Previously, his career spanned business support and consultancy across both the private and public sectors in the industries of mental health and education. His experience also includes eight years with the British military and overseas tours. During that time, Ed developed his interest in giving back, serving local communities and volunteering. As a resident of Hammersmith, he is really pleased to get involved with his local hospital, the Trust and wider healthcare development across north west London and to use his experience and leadership skills to help ensure we listen to patients and communities in all our developments.

Shanaka Dias

Strategic lay forum co-chair

Shanaka currently works in the areas of coproduction and participative design with charities and social businesses on governance. He previously worked as a consultant within IT and data projects, improving their use of data and approach to analysing it to meet their priorities. Shanaka was also a board member for the City of Westminster College, where he also chaired the quality improvement committee. He has spent time volunteering with local charities that support people that have Parkinsons and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He is a patient of the Trust and is keen to support the work of the NHS in how it listens to and engages with patients.

Phayza Fudlalla

Strategic lay forum deputy co-chair

Phayza has 20 years’ experience of working in community development and health promotion in the UK and internationally. She is currently an Engagement and Projects Manager with the BME Health Forum working with statutory and voluntary sector organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of BME communities and reduce health inequalities. Earlier Phayza worked for Paddington Development Trust as a Health and Communities Manager. She was also Head of Community Programmes and co-deputy CEO for the Abbey Community Association & Centre, overseeing programmes to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing a wide range of conditions, tackling the health inequalities of ethnic minority communities and addressing the health impact of social isolation on vulnerable older people from all backgrounds. Previously, she worked with the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP) that supports women by providing advocacy, information and signposting. Before moving to the UK, Phayza worked with international organisations in Sudan including the World Food Programme and Plan International as a researcher and Community Development Programmes Manager respectively. Phayza holds a BSc in Agricultural Economics from Egypt and MSc in International Public Health and Nutrition from University of Westminster UK.

Stephanie Nash

Strategic lay forum deputy co-chair

Stephanie studied at St Martins School of Art. She worked as a designer and art director in music, fashion and luxury brands. She has been a Governor at Great Ormond Street Hospital for the last 5 years and as a parent and family representative for 15 years. For St Marys Hospital she has worked on paediatric projects such as CC4C (connecting care for children) while also working on several projects towards the re-development of the hospital. Stephanie has been a patient/parent representative for The London Immunisation Board as well as a committee member of Imperial charity’s All Smiles campaign, raising money for the new St Mary's PICU. She is a Trustee of Trust Judy Blame, the charity of the late designer. Stephanie has an interest in improving patient experience in paediatrics especially for patients with autism and learning difficulties.