Health panels: the development of a meaningful method of public involvement

In England, National Health Service (NHS) organisations have a legal duty to ensure public involvement in health service design and delivery, and health panels are suggested in the guidance as one method of involving the public in this way. The Somerset Health Panels were established in 1994 and continue to be used as the main example of health panels – a distinct method for gathering the views of the public about health services. This article provides an analysis of the changes that took place during their development (1994–2003) in terms of their design, the management and organisation of the panels, the impact of NHS reconfiguration and policy, and changes and relationships within the research team and reflects on how they remain a relevant method of public involvement. As the public involvement in health agenda continues to strengthen in England under the coalition government, lessons learnt about the sustainability, adaptability and flexibility of the panels are as important today as they were then.