The Patients First Programme provides support and facilitation to clinically based nurse-led teams to help them to develop, implement and evaluate locally focused innovations that improve patient care in any healthcare setting across the UK.

Over a period of 12 months, the Patients First Programme provides:

• Help to keep a central focus on the patient and/or service users and the issues that matter to them the most
• Advice on developing effective project plans/proposals
• Encouragement to identify and make links with people who may be able to offer support locally
• Access to practice development tools and resources
• A workshop programme of support and development that will bring together the nurse-led teams to explore and enable effective strategies for developing and changing practice and provide opportunities for networking and sharing
• Facilitation in the workplace to enable the development of knowledge and skills in leading and facilitating sustainable changes in practice and improvements in care
• Peer mentorship linking up team leaders with those who have completed similar initiatives
• Support with publishing and active dissemination
• Bursary of up to £5000

Who can apply?

Clinically based nurses and nurse-led teams who have identified with patients an aspect of care that needs to be improved and who can demonstrate a commitment to:

• Using a variety of approaches to inform and evaluate the development of practice leading to sustainable improvements in care
• Working in ways that enable the inclusion and participation of patients and other key stakeholders in all aspects of the project
• Using a collaborative and systematic approach to development and improvement

Find out more

To date, 40 project teams have been recruited;  (7 in autumn 2009, 8 in February 2010, 15 in November 2010 and 10 in November 2011). You can find out more about the current Patients First Projects by clicking on the link. A number of project teams have now completed their final reports; to read the summaries of their work, view Volume 6 of the Dissemination Series by clicking on the link.

An evaluation of Year One of this programme that identifies outcomes for patients, participants and practice is available by clicking here.

• See also
• >About the Programme
• >How to Apply
• >Current Projects
• >Participant Information

Closing date 19 September 2012

The RKE Operations team can help you with your application.