The importance of embedding lived experience into the heart of healthcare decision-making

At the NICE Conference in March 2026, I had the opportunity to speak about the importance of embedding lived experience into the heart of healthcare decision-making. This was as part of a session focused on the role of people and communities in improving national health outcomes. 

Attending the conference also gave me space to reflect and deepen my understanding of some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the system. 

A renewed focus on prevention and inequality 

One of my biggest takeaways was the urgent need to prioritise prevention in healthcare. A consistent theme throughout the conference was that health outcomes are shaped long before people enter clinical settings. 

It really reinforced for me that unless we address the wider determinants of health — such as housing, employment, education and the cost of living — health inequalities will continue to persist. I came away with a stronger sense that we need to shift NHS investment towards prevention, recognising that early intervention not only improves lives but also reduces long-term costs across the system. 

The importance of working with communities 

Another major learning for me was the value of genuine partnership with communities. The conference repeatedly emphasised that improving health outcomes requires working with people, rather than designing solutions for them. 

Building trust with communities takes time and consistency. It means creating safe spaces where people feel heard, valued and able to contribute meaningfully. 

This strongly aligns with my focus on co-production, but it also deepened my understanding of what effective partnership really involves. Building trust with communities takes time and consistency. It means creating safe spaces where people feel heard, valued and able to contribute meaningfully. 

At Public Voice, we know that without that trust, engagement risks becoming superficial and not delivering real impact. 

Learning from the NHS Race and Health Observatory 

I also developed my understanding of the NHS Race and Health Observatory and its work to tackle ethnic inequities in health and care. A key takeaway for me was the importance of moving beyond surface-level understanding. 

What really stood out was the emphasis on long-term relationship-building. If we want to truly understand people’s experiences, we must invest time in building trust and listening deeply. Only then can we begin to address the root causes of inequality. 

The idea of being a ‘critical friend’ particularly resonated with me — building partnerships that are strong enough to hold honest and sometimes challenging conversations in order to drive better outcomes. 

Choosing partnerships and building relationships 

At Public Voice, we understand the importance of choosing the right partners and investing in those relationships. Strong relationships create the conditions for open dialogue, shared learning and better decision-making. This is especially important when tackling complex issues like health inequality, where no single organisation has all the answers. 

Learning from good event practice 

Alongside the strategic insights, I also took away some very practical learning from how well the conference itself was organised. The level of preparation and support made a real difference to my experience as a speaker. 

Having pre-event planning meetings to discuss accessibility, sound and logistics helped everything run smoothly. On the day, being welcomed and guided by staff made me feel calm and prepared. 

It’s something I think we can learn from and build into our own events—creating environments that are inclusive, supportive and set people up to contribute confidently. 

Meaningful change requires more than consultation. It requires genuine co-production, where communities are actively involved throughout the process.

Moving forward with co-production 

Overall, the NICE Conference 2026 reinforced my commitment to embedding lived experience into healthcare decision-making. For me, the key message is that meaningful change requires more than consultation. It requires genuine co-production, where communities are actively involved throughout the process. 

If we are serious about improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities, we need to build trust, strengthen partnerships and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are truly at the centre of decision-making.