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PCC launches ‘People to Partners’ Report at NICON Conference
The Patient and Client Council (PCC) and the Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) have today launched a new report, ‘People to Partners – Developing a Unique Approach for Northern Ireland’, at the NICON Annual Conference.
The report is the outcome of a high-level roundtable hosted at Hillsborough Castle on 3 September 2025, where senior health and care leaders, thought leaders, representatives from local government, the Community and Voluntary sector and leaders from wider Northern Ireland Government departments came together to explore the potential collaborative advantage of a new relationship with the public in delivering public sector goals.
Participants strongly endorsed the “People to Partners” approach, recognising it as a key opportunity to reshape services by embedding citizens as active partners in decision-making, design and delivery.
Ruth Sutherland CBE, PCC Chairperson: “At PCC we believe that shaping health and social care services that are high quality, sustainable, and meet the needs of the public, requires a shift in the relationship between the public and services to one of partnership.
“Our health and social care services, and indeed all public services, should be designed, delivered and assured in partnership with the public, through a collaborative approach that embraces people as the assets they are.
“Our communities hold significant knowledge and experience about their needs, and what works. People are experts by experience in their own health and in the care and treatment they receive. By fostering a partnership model that actively engages citizens, health and social care (and wider public sector) organisations can leverage the collective knowledge, skills, and resources of the community that they serve to deliver better outcomes. This is of particular urgency if we are to tackle persistent health inequalities, meet contemporary demands and expectations, and support people to stay well by taking an active role in their health.”
Meadhbha Monaghan, PCC Chief Executive added: “Within health and social care, the PCC has been making the case for a more strategic approach to public participation, and for building a new relationship with the public, through which healthcare, and wider public services, ‘does with’ (and not ‘to’) to collectively tackle the challenges we face.
“We welcome the recommendation from this report of developing a government-wide framework for a people to partner approach. Key elements of this approach include collaborating closely with communities, gaining a deep understanding of the people within them, their perspectives and expectations and developing versatile responses tailored to individual needs. Next steps require socialisation of this idea and further engagement to identify the best way forward.
“The PCC and NICON are committed to working with stakeholders, policymakers and communities to take forward the People to Partners agenda. The report will serve as a resource for leaders across Northern Ireland to drive meaningful change and should be considered a step in the journey towards shaping a new relationship of partnership, between the public and health and social care services.”
The report is available to read and share from today: PCC Reports
