Supporting healthcare professionals is a key part of the Patient Engagement Team’s role. You can find information on useful resources such as how-to guides, patient engagement resources, and more below. If you require more detailed or example documents, please email: ccf-tr.cmcapatientengagement@nhs.net
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Roadshow 2025:
Key insights
- Across all locations, staff were consistently praised, while access to appointments was the most common concern.
- Communication, waiting times and referral delays were recurring themes, with mixed experiences reported.
- Reasons for delaying care were largely driven by difficulty getting appointments, not wanting to “make a fuss”, and self managing symptoms, though this varied by area.
- The roadshow successfully reached people who are underrepresented in formal feedback, particularly in areas of higher deprivation.
What We Learnt
- Long standing system issues (access, waiting times, communication) remain highly visible to the public and continue to affect help seeking behaviour.
- Positive experiences with staff can coexist with frustration about system processes.
- Different communities experience and respond to barriers differently, reinforcing the need for targeted and locally informed approaches.
- While the roadshow remains valuable, repeating the same model is generating similar themes year on year, suggesting diminishing returns for insight alone.
Impact
- The roadshow strengthened trust, visibility and engagement with local communities across Cheshire and Merseyside.
- It led to new patient representatives being recruited, new links with community organisations, and improved awareness of cancer services and involvement opportunities.
- Insights gathered will directly inform future CMCA projects, training and service improvement priorities, particularly around health inequalities.
Next steps
- Transition the roadshow into business as usual activity, embedding feedback into the new 2026/27 feedback platform rather than producing standalone evaluation reports.
- Refresh the approach by targeting large organisations and underrepresented groups to deepen insight and widen reach.
- Improve delivery by implementing a buddy system for volunteers, clearer roles when working with partners, and stronger, more visible signage at events.
- Refine data capture by including an “out of area” option to improve reporting accuracy.
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Readers Panel Process
CMCA Readers Panel ensures that patient-facing documents are clear, accessible, and useful. Here’s how the process works:
- Create the Document – A document is prepared, considering the needs of the local cancer community.
- Submit for Review – The document is sent via email to the CMCA Patient Engagement Team at ccf-tr.cmcapatientengagement@nhs.net.
- Reader Feedback – Panel members review the document, providing feedback on layout, text, images, and readability within 14 days.
- Revise & Finalise – After receiving feedback, adjustments are made to improve clarity and accessibility.
- Approval & Branding – Once finalised, the document is given the ‘Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Voices’ logo, confirming it has been reviewed by cancer patients.
- Completion – The revised document is resubmitted to the CMCA Patient Engagement Team, who share the final version with the Readers Panel.
The entire process takes around four weeks, depending on the workload of panel members. This structured approach ensures documents are patient-friendly, inclusive, and easy to understand, reflecting the voices of those affected by cancer.
Readers Panel Process for Easy Read Documents
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Readers Panel Process for Easy Read documents has been developed with People First Merseyside who offer their time an expertise in reviewing patient facing, Easy Read information, ensuring that they are clear, accessible and understandable.
The process is shown below:
Easy Read Checklist
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) has developed an Easy Read checklist to support the creation of accessible information. The checklist provides guidance on the use of images, document formatting, layout and language, and aligns with the National Easy Read Standard.
The Easy Read Checklist and National Standard can be found below:
For more information on the Easy Read Standard, please visit the website.
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Storyteller Process
The Storyteller Process is used by CMCA to involve patients and carers in shaping healthcare services. It includes a structured five-step approach:
- Conduct an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to determine the need for Storytellers.
- Submit a detailed request to the Patient Engagement (PE) team via email.
- The PE team will advertise the opportunity to current storytellers or recruit new ones.
- Recruitment will adhere to involvement policies and the PE team will share contact details with the project manager.
- Engage Storytellers in the project with clear guidance, supported by the PE team.
This process ensures meaningful participation and the effective use of patient experiences to improve healthcare, ensuring patient voice is at the heart of everything we do.
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) People Panel Process
The CMCA People Panel ensures that members of the public who use healthcare settings are actively involved in shaping cancer services. Here’s how the process works:
- Conduct an Equality Impact Assessment to determine the need for People Panel members.
- Submit a detailed request to the Patient Engagement (PE) team via email.
- The PE team will advertise the opportunity to current People Panel members or recruit new ones.
- Recruitment will adhere to involvement policies and the PE team will share contact details with the Project Manager.
- Engage People Panel members in the project with clear guidance, supported by the PE team.
This process ensures meaningful participation and the effective use of people’s experiences to improve healthcare.
Summary of Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient / Carer Representative Process
The Patient / Carer Representative Process is used by CMCA to involve patients and carers in shaping healthcare services. It includes a structured five-step approach:
- Determine the need for Patient/Carer involvement via an Equality Impact Assessment.
- Submit a detailed request to the CMCA Patient Engagement team via email.
- Advertise the opportunity to recruit suitable representatives, if required.
- Follow the CMCA involvement policy to appoint interested Representatives.
- Provide clear guidance and engage Representatives with support from the Patient Engagement team.
This structured approach ensures patient voices are heard and actively shape cancer service improvements.
A Year of Patient Involvement
Below is a video which highlights some of the ways our Representatives have got involved at CMCA.
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient and Public Engagement – Equity by Involvement
The CMCA Patient and Public Engagement process aims to ensure meaningful involvement of individuals affected by cancer in shaping healthcare services. It involves creating policies, recruitment campaigns, training, and support mechanisms for representatives. Key actions include conducting Equality Impact Assessments, maintaining engagement through newsletters and meetings, recording outcomes to measure impact, and sharing insights with the wider system for collaborative improvements. Recruiting diverse representatives while prioritising consent, confidentiality, and constructive contributions is central to this approach. More detailed documents and examples are available by request email to: ccf-tr.cmcapatientengagement@nhs.net.
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient and Public Involvement Policy Summary
The CMCA Patient and Public Involvement Policy outlines how CMCA engages patients, carers, and the public in shaping cancer services.
Purpose & Scope
CMCA recognises the value of patient voices in improving cancer care. The policy supports:
- Patient/carer representatives involved in projects and decision-making.
- Storytellers sharing personal experiences to drive service improvements.
- Readers Panel members reviewing documents for clarity and accessibility.
- Public attendees at CMCA-led events.
Recruitment & Engagement
CMCA follows a structured recruitment process to onboard patient/carer representatives, ensuring diversity and inclusion. Representatives commit to a minimum of 12 months and take on roles such as advisors, storytellers, or panel members.
Support & Responsibilities
The HIPE Team oversees patient engagement, providing confidential drop-in sessions and ongoing support. Representatives help shape cancer services by reviewing projects, advising on healthcare experiences, and championing patient perspectives.
Compliance & Accessibility
CMCA adheres to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Accessible Information Standard, ensuring all engagement activities are fair, transparent, and inclusive.
Next Steps
The policy ensures patient involvement is structured, meaningful, and impactful, improving cancer care across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Measuring Impact Template
This is a template which helps measure the impact of patient engagement. It is a structured tool used to assess the effectiveness of patient involvement. It helps track feedback and outcomes and can also help to identify improvements and ensure meaningful participation.
Focus Group Advert
This is an example of an advert aimed at Representatives regarding an upcoming focus group, asking if they would like to participate.
Equality Impact Assessment
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool used to help identify and assess how programme / project/ service changes, impact people. There is a legal responsibility to demonstrate protection under the Equality Act 2010 and how action will be taken to promote equality.
People and Communities Experience Toolkit
One of our CMCA Storytellers shared her experience with a breast cancer diagnosis during a session with the Cheshire and Merseyside Provider Collaborative. Her openness and courage in recounting her journey sparked widespread interest, leading to a request for her story to be shared across a broader audience within the collaborative. Inspired by her story, the Cheshire and Merseyside Provider Collaborative developed a People and Communities Experience toolkit. This innovative resource aims to ensure that the voices of individuals and their communities are embedded in all programme projects. The toolkit represents a significant step in highlighting the impact of patient stories and fostering community-centric initiatives.
Patient and Carer Representative Involvement: Standards of Conduct
A standards of conduct document has been created to share with those engaging with members of the public. This should be followed to ensure all patient and carer representatives feel valued, supported, and treated fairly throughout their involvement.
By listening to those effected by cancer including, patients, families, carers and staff talk about their experiences, it can help identify barriers and difficulties faced and highlight areas in which services can be improved. Sharing patient stories ensures we are always thinking ‘How will this impact our patients’ and that their voice is at the heart of everything we do!
Below is a library of stories which may be utilised in your work. This library is always growing, and more stories will be added over time.
The Q Factor
Web page hosting The Q Factor training package, project information and Pride in Health videos: LGBTQIA+ cancer care
YouTube link to The Q Factor training film:
Additional support services and LGBTQ+ specific support links: https://www.whittington.nhs.uk/default.asp?c=44994
'Limbo land' - sharing personal experiences of living with cancer
'limbo land' - sharing personal experiences of living with cancer :: Kent & Medway ICS
What I’d like to change
YouTube Video:
Report: What I'd Like to Change - Report & Findings — Involving People
Personal Stories from Cancer research UK
Personal Stories - Cancer Research UK - Cancer News
Living with Cancer Macmillan
Living with cancer - your stories | Macmillan Cancer Support
The Impact of Storytelling
This video explores 6 significant changes which have happened as a result of sharing Patient and Carer Representative Stories.
Kelly - My Pancreatic Cancer Experience
CMCA Patient Representative Kelly shares her experience of being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Fiona - Access for diagnostics
CMCA Patient representative Fiona talks about the difficulties she faced when accessing diagnostic and treatment scans due to being a wheelchair user.
Vinny - My Experience
Vincent talks about his experience of Lung, Bladder and Throat Cancer.
John - Diagnostic Tests
CMCA Patient Representative John shares his experience of his experience after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and the tests he underwent.
Scanxiety
A CMCA Patient Representative shares their experience of Scanxiety.
BBC North West Tonight - Cervical Screening Awareness with CMCA patient representative Rita Doyle
Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance patient representative Rita Doyle speaks about her cervical cancer diagnosis and the importance of cervical screening in an interview on BBC North West Tonight.
With Dad – the unseen realities of caring for someone with cancer
This video has been created by Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance and shows the unseen realities of caring for someone with cancer. The video is also accompanied by 3 short (3 minute) video workshops for healthcare professionals.
The patient engagement team at Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance took part in cohort 6 (24-25) of the Cancer Experience of Care Improvement Collaborative (CIC) collaborating with Lead Cancer Nurses, patients and a Macmillan engagement officer to improve admin and communication for cancer patients and their families in the region (this was the theme for cohort 6). Here you will find useful documents to support future CIC projects:
Project Initiation Document (PID)
This is a CMCA approved project initiation document (PID). It details the aims, objections, milestones and expected outcomes for the project.
Visual minutes
These are visual minutes drawn during our CIC feedback event with 58 patients, carers and staff in November 2024. The visual minutes highlight themes and discussion points during the event and have been shared regionally and nationally.
CMCA CIC Video
CMCA produced a CIC video to highlight the benefits of getting involved in the CIC. This video has been shared by the national CIC team to promote CIC involvement for future cohorts.
CMCA CIC poster
This poster was created to share at the CIC celebration event in May 2025. There were 16 other project teams and posters displayed on the day.
CIC 6 Evaluation report
This evaluation report details the methods used to gather feedback, the outcomes of the project and recommendations.
CIC 6 listening event poster
This poster was created to advertise our CIC6 listening event.
Best Practice Guide for Appointment Letters
A best practice guide for appointment letters have been developed with a suggested ‘important details’ section as requested by patients.
You Said, We Did Poster
A You Said, We Did poster has been created and shared with listening event attendees.
About Me
An About Me communication tool for patients to take to appointments with them has been created and is available digitally on PKB (patient knows best).
QoL Promotion Video
As more people are living with and beyond cancer than ever before, it is important we understand how we can best support patients in caveating the negative impact a cancer diagnosis can have on their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. The Cancer Quality of Life Survey is a national survey run by NHS England. The survey is for people in England who have had a cancer diagnosis. People are invited to complete the survey around 18 months after diagnosis.
Please share this video to help us raise awareness of the survey and why it is important to complete it:
Example Patient Engagement Newsletter
This Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient Engagement Newsletter provides updates on patient involvement opportunities, success stories, and ongoing projects aimed at improving cancer care.This newsletter serves as a monthly update for patient representatives, encouraging active participation in shaping cancer services in Cheshire and Merseyside. It is also shared with the wider CMCA team to provide an update on Patient Engagement.
Patient and Carer Representative Handbook
The Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient Representative Handbook serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals participating in patient engagement initiatives within CMCA. It provides an overview of roles, responsibilities, and expectations for patient and carer representatives.
Patient Involvement Expenses Policy
The Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) Patient Involvement Expenses Policy outlines how CMCA supports and reimburses patient representatives, carers, and storytellers for their contributions to cancer service improvements.
People Panel handbook
The Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance (CMCA) People Panel Handbook serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals participating in engagement initiatives within CMCA. The People Panel consists of members of the public who may not have had direct experience with cancer, but who do utilise healthcare settings. They play an active role in shaping cancer services by providing valuable input and perspectives. The handbook provides an overview of roles, responsibilities, and expectations for People Panel Members, ensuring they are well-equipped to contribute effectively.
Top Tips
A top tips document for involving members of the public in online meetings.
A local cancer lived experience survey (LCLES) has been co-designed with lived experience partners and healthcare professionals in order for individual Trusts to gather feedback and make improvements based on themes identified.
The CMCA Patient Engagement team delivered this 2 year project with the aim of listening what matters most to those with lived experience with regards to providing feedback. Focus groups were held and Trusts in the region are now in the process of rolling this local survey out.
You will find a black and white copy of the survey, a colour copy and also a guide for Trusts to follow to support role out.
Should you have any questions regarding the LCLES, please contact Jenny on ccf-tr.cmcapatientengagement@nhs.net.
Get Involved Page - Get Involved with the Cancer Alliance :: Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance
Storyteller Consent Form - https://
Involvement feedback form - https://
How can I get involved?
There are several ways for members of the public to get involved with the Cancer Alliance:
- Complete surveys - take part in surveys to support services
- Share your story - in person, recorded or at events
- Be part of a project team - work with a project team to improve services
- Attend meetings - be part of a regular tumour site meeting
- Review public facing documents - to ensure they are suitable for local people
- Attend focus groups - provide feedback on certain topics
- People panel - share your knowledge and feedback from a non cancer experience perspective
