London Patient Advisory Group (PAG)

Enabling people who provide cancer services to hear from people who need these services

Authority, purpose and membership

The London Patient Advisory Group (PAG) is a sub-group of the Cancer Transformation and Improvement Board for London – the governance body of London’s cancer system.

The London Patient Advisory Group (PAG) provides a forum where a broad and diverse group of cancer service users from across London can ensure cancer improvements are made through effective collaborative working.

It is constituted to give a service user (patient and carer) perspective to the issues it considers and the advice it provides. Through its members, PAG uses its knowledge to promote the needs of Londoners and advocate improvements in quality, outcomes and best value.

PAG supports the development of London’s cancer services and the delivery of safe, sustainable, high quality care by providing independent strategic advice and leadership to assist making the best decisions about cancer care in London.

It is considered the primary forum on issues of cancer patient experience by NHS England (London region).

Role and main duties

The responsibilities of the group are as follows:

  • Ensure London cancer strategies and outcomes are influenced by the views, experience and requirements of people living in London who are affected by cancer;
  • Influence the improvement of the experience of people affected by cancer and the quality of care they receive;
  • Work to strengthen relationships with local user groups e.g. Healthwatch, Integrated Care Systems, London Cancer Alliances;
  • Provide a service user advisory forum where strategic issues in relation to the delivery and improvement of cancer services can be discussed;
  • Provide robust advice to the Cancer Transformation and Improvement Board for London (CTIBL);
  • Maintain a strategic oversight of the cancer strategy for London.

Objectives of the group

The key objectives of the group are as follows:

  • Ensure the programme remains aligned with broader national and London strategies;
  • Provide objective advice from a service user perspective regarding cancer policy and strategy to the Cancer Transformation and Improvement Board for London;
  • Provide a service user perspective on proposed changes to the way cancer services are delivered across London and contribute to improvements in the experience of patients within the capital;
  • Ensure a diverse and pan-London geographic representation of service users on PAG;
  • Deliver and review annually a work plan which supports and provides the service user perspective to the delivery of the Transforming Cancer Services Team (TCST) work programme and identifies opportunities to improve service user experience in London;
  • Review National Cancer Patient Experience Survey results;
  • Develop a network of key cancer user engagement stakeholders from Healthwatch, the third sector, Integrated Care Systems, London Cancer Alliances.

Core membership

Patient Advisory Group role
Chair
Deputy Chairs x2
Integrated Care System / Cancer Alliance service user representatives
Appointed service users and carers
Deputy Director – Transforming Cancer Services Team for London
Administrator – Transforming Cancer Services Team for London


Frequency of meetings

Meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis.

Secretariat

The Transforming Cancer Services Team provides managerial and secretariat support to the meetings.

Join us
If you would like more information about the group or are interested in joining us, please contact deborah.mcneill1@nhs.net 

Or take at look at our PAG Information Leaflet .