RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences will today mark its participation in the national public and patient involvement ‘Ignite’ Network, as part of the official launch of the network, co-funded by the Health Research Board and the Irish Research Council.

The PPI Ignite Network is a collaboration between seven Irish universities and a total of over 60 partner organisations, including patient organisations, participating at both national and local levels.

Public and patient involvement (PPI) in research involves people with lived experience of a healthcare condition or health service working in partnership with research teams to determine research priorities and how best to carry out that research.

RCSI is one of seven lead PPI Ignite Network sites, coordinated by NUIG and including TCD, UCC, DCU, UCD and UL. Through the network, RCSI will build its internal PPI capacity and develop innovative new PPI programmes both locally and across the network.

RCSI will co-lead a work package that seeks to embed PPI locally and nationally; sustaining existing successful initiatives and developing new, innovative forms of PPI implementation. The university has established an interdisciplinary advisory committee inclusive of patient advocates.

Local RCSI partners include FutureNeuro, the SFI Research Centre for Chronic and Rare Neurological Diseases hosted by RCSI, HSE Digital Transformation, Alpha-1 Foundation Ireland, RCSI Clinical Research Centre and the Irish Heart Foundation.

Professor Hannah McGee, RCSI Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said: “RCSI's singular focus as a university is on healthcare - healthcare education, postgraduate training, research and service for the benefit of human health. We welcome the opportunity for RCSI academics, clinicians and students to contribute to this national public and patient involvement partnership, creating a shared voice and vision for PPI in Ireland.”

Professor Gianpiero Cavalleri, RCSI PPI Ignite Network Site Lead, commented: “Involving the patient and public in our work provides an important means to ensure the health research conducted in institutes across Ireland delivers the maximum impact for our society. The Ignite network represents a fantastic opportunity to share experience and resources across institutes, in a manner that speeds effective and impactful integration of the public and patient voice to health research.”

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Director of Research and Innovation at RCSI, said: “As a health sciences-focused university, RCSI recognises the importance of placing the voice of the patient at the heart of its research and education activities. Deepening patient engagement is one of our core strategic objectives and we look forward to continuing our collaborations to involve patients and the public in our research through the PPI Ignite Network.”

Commenting on the network launch, Lorna Kerin, RCSI PPI Manager, said: ‘It is a privilege to support the strategic and operational development of policies, procedures and practises that will embed Public Patient Involvement throughout RCSI and to work with the many network partners, our local partners and patient advocates.”