Our Community Participation Group (CPG) works alongside NHS colleagues to ensure the lived experiences and needs of patients, carers and communities shape how services are planned and delivered.
This has been arranged by Bristol NHS Group, a partnership between North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) with the aim of delivering high quality care across Bristol, Weston, South Gloucestershire and the wider South West. The CPG brings together people with lived experience of using NHS services, including patients, carers, community leaders and representatives from voluntary and community organisations.
Recruitment of members to the CPG was supported by the BNSSG Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance, helping ensure the group reflects the diversity of our local population.
Members meet regularly to share their perspectives on how services are developed and improved. Their insight helps ensure that changes support fair access to care, more consistent experiences and smoother pathways across the whole Group.
What the group does
CPG members help shape our services by:
- offering feedback on service proposals
- advising on how changes may impact different groups
- reviewing patient information to ensure it is clear and inclusive
- making sure the voice and experiences of communities who are often underrepresented are heard and can influence decision making
The CPG also plays an important role in supporting our Group Clinical Strategy which sets out our aspiration to deliver seamless, high quality, equitable and sustainable care for all our communities.
CPG impact
Since launching in September 2025, the CPG has supported several initiatives aiming to make services fairer, more joined up and easier to access.
So far, this work has included:
- providing feedback and insights from lived experience to inform the development of the Group Clinical Strategy Update 2026
- taking part in a relationship-building event designed to strengthen connections, create a supportive environment, and develop a shared sense of purpose across the group
- co-designing an engagement framework for the Group Clinical Services Programme, helping to ensure future involvement opportunities are inclusive, meaningful, accessible and easy for people to take part in
- sharing lived experience insights and feedback to help shape the development and improvement of Group Clinical Services
The impact so far
The involvement of people with lived experience has brought valuable insight, enthusiasm and positive energy to this work. Bringing together a diverse group of people to share their perspectives at the highest levels of decision-making represents an important and encouraging way of working. By involving people from the outset, we are helping to ensure that a wide range of voices, experiences and viewpoints influence service improvements and strategic developments from the very beginning.
Involving CPG voices at the highest levels of decision making and at the outset of any changes means we can ensure the services and care we provide reflect the needs of all our communities and the populations we serve.
We will be sharing updates in this section and introducing more about our CPG members as the group continues to grow and its impact develops.
Get involved
Please note, we are not currently recruiting new members to the Community Participation Group. However, there are other opportunities to get involved through volunteering roles including Expert by Experience opportunities across our hospitals in Bristol and Weston: