David Chandler

What essence could not help with is if you live in an area where the local Integrated Care Board do not finance or deliver a service for your condition compared to another area in the UK. It will highlight the difference and allow those residents to then petition for their ICB/ICS to provide that care.

I think Essence empowers the patient or carer. It gives them the information they require.

It should empower the NHS to promote better social care provision in an area where the service is poor. Increase the power of organisations to make change to make a difference for people. Organise better care for patients.

Have a research portal where the organisers of care can easily find a reliable service to improve their own care. Also empowers Gp’s as it gives them information to locate services and to make changes through their local primary care networks and better joined up care for patients.

Also is a good portal for researchers to access for research and promote/deliver better research projects.

Anna Ferguson Montague

I worked for many years in homelessness, mental health, and drug and alcohol services. I cared for my parents who had a range of co-morbidities including visual impairment and severe and enduring mental illness, and later dementia and stroke. I have been involved in a lot of research projects because of my experience, and I’m proud of the difference my involvement has made. I am keen to continue to use my experience to help shape health and care research and make it accessible and applicable to a wide range of people.

Nira Shah

I am a retired Social Worker with over 30 years of experience in both children and adult social care. I have a sensory disability resulting from medical negligence resulting in loss of vision and hearing on my left side. I am also a carer for two relatives who have several long-term health conditions and mental health care needs.

Following retirement from social work in 2017, I wanted to continue to make a difference to people’s lives. I, therefore, decided to become a public advisor so that I could voice my experiences and expertise from both my personal and professional perspectives.

I am a research advisor, and a public contributor on several health and social care projects with several universities. I also review documents for plain language. I am an ‘expert by experience’ inspector for an NHS Trust and carry out annual inspection of residential care for adults with mental health care needs.