6 July 2020

This week (6 to 10 July 2020) is National Co-production Week, where we celebrate the impact different groups of people have in influencing public services, when they work side-by-side with healthcare professionals.

Co-production means service users, carers and staff working together to develop and shape services, rather than staff making decisions alone.

Co-production suggests that to provide truly effective public services, we need equal partnerships between users and providers of a service.  It encourages transparency about how and why things are done.

This is especially important now, as we review our Covid-19 response; discussing what worked, what didn’t, what we want to keep and how we want our services to look in the ‘new normal’. Genuine co-production is a way to make sure we provide services that our service user, patients, carers and supporters really want.

Co-production with clinicians and experts-by-experience should also be at the heart of commissioning and service design, and involve working in partnership with voluntary and community sector organisations.  -Five Year Forward View

Our Patient and Carer Involvement Strategy confirmed CNWL’s commitment to co-production in the design and improvement of services and many teams have embraced these ideas. Now is an excellent time to do even more to grow co-production across all areas of the Trust.

CNWL has been committed to improvement through co-production over 10 years, particularly through the phenomenal growth in the peer workforce, staff networks, and participation of people using services, their friends and families.  Many people using our services and working in them have appreciated the difference this can make. 

We have a programme of events planned to celebrate National Co-production Week:

  • Robyn Doran, our Chief Operating Officer, launches the week with a film where she calls for us to be innovative, bold and brave
  • Staff to make a co-production pledges
  • The Recovery and Wellbeing College is hosting a co-production webinar, describing what co-production can look like, its history and ideas.
  • We will also have an article written by Vittoria on her fantastic collaboration with the Psychiatric Liaison team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, reflecting on her experience and what a difference it is making for her to be making decisions alongside staff.

Miriam and Waldo from the Recovery and Wellbeing College will also take over CNWL’s Twitter account on Tuesday 7 July and Thursday 9 July, tweeting all things co-production and national contributions to co-production week.

You can join the conversation on Twitter too using the hashtag #CnwlCoPro

For more information about the history, ideas and examples of coproduction, visit: