Public and Patient Engagement

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Membership

Dr Laura Waters Chair / Dr Patrick French, Past Chair

Dr Michael Ewens Vice-Chair

Dr Jennifer Dhingra Secretary

Third Sector Organisation Representatives:

• The African Advocacy Foundation (London)
• Trade Sexual Health (Leicester)
• The Terrence Higgins Trust
• National AIDS Trust
• Brook
• FPA
• The Sexual Health Company (Wales)
• The Herpes Viruses Association
• Sexpression
• BHA for Equality / BHA Skyline (Manchester / Leeds)
• Sex with a Difference (Dorset)
• Positive East (London)
• Association for Lichen Sclerosus and Vulval Health
• NAZ
• Blackbeetle Health (Manchester)
• Enhance the UK (Brighton)

Six lay members

Professional members

• BASHH CEG
• Sexual Health Advisers
• Sexual Health Nurses.

Objectives

To offer a lay and community opinion, voice and perspective on clinical guidelines, audit proposals, and related public materials and leaflets developed by BASHH. In addition to this, the joint THT / BASHH Research Panel offers lay advice to researchers. Significant activities The panel has met four times this year. It has continued to increase and diversify its membership. Three new third sector organisations have joined or re-joined the panel and two new lay members have joined.

Performance/Outputs in the year 2023-2024

• The panel has provided feedback on four clinical guidelines and three patient information leaflets. It also contributed to the BASHH social media strategy and panel members were involved in checking on the FPA’s leaflets.
• The research panel has provided lay in-put and assessment of several research proposals.
• Two panel members joined BASHH clinical guideline working parties as lay representatives.
• Panel members played a prominent role in the BASHH Conference in June 2023.

Future plans

• The panel will continue to provide a community and lay perspective to the work of BASHH. The panel will become more involved in commenting on and helping to shape the BASHH social media strategy.
• The Panel will have more input into the content and chairing of sessions at the BASHH Annual Conference.
• The Panel will work with the People First Charter to provide language guidance related to Sexual Health and pleasure.
• The panel will organise a BASHH stand at the national NAIDEX disability event in Birmingham in April 2024. Representatives of the panel will be part of the planning committee for the BASHH 2024 Spring conference