Why Plain Language Summaries?

“Helping people understand cutting-edge research in healthcare and medical treatments is essential to enabling people to make informed decisions about their health, and choosing the treatment that is right for them. Plain language summaries are key to helping people do this by levelling the playing field with their clinicians.”

Biography

Antony is a someone who has lived with pain for over 25 years. During this time, he lost everything, his home, his job, his relationship fell apart and he found that he had lost his purpose in life. After a number of years and with support, Antony has returned to the workplace and now holds a number of roles where he supports patients who live with pain and acts as an ambassador for patient and public involvement. He has also been co-author on a number of publications where he ensures the patient/public voice is key.

Antony is currently a Trustee and Chair of Pain UK, an alliance of 30 charities providing a voice and support for people who live with chronic pain. During 2015 Pain UK launched its Call to Action to all Members of Parliament and during 2016 they launched a chronic pain charter. Antony also initiated the work on the UK Pain Messages – a set of key messages about the state of pain in the UK.

Antony is the immediate past chair of the Patient Liaison Committee at the British Pain Society, where he was responsible for ensuring that the views of patients are represented within the Society. Previously he was also the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Patient Partnership Group, where he ensured that the patient was at the centre of all the work of the College and was the lead author on “It’s your practice” – a guide to general practice for patients. In 2013 he was awarded the College’s highest award, the Honorary Fellowship. Antony has also published several editorials in the College journal, The British Journal of General Practice.

Antony is the Patient and Public involvement lead and grant holder on a NIHR Programme Grant at The University of Edinburgh, and has similar roles on a number of programme grants and studies at the University of Nottingham, and previously at the University of Birmingham and Cardiff University – all focused on patient safety in general practice. In 2016, Antony won the prestigious “Dangerous Ideas” competition at the Society for Academic Primary Care conference in Dublin.

Antony has represented patients/the public on a variety of groups and work streams during the last 10 years, including working with NICE, the Wellcome Trust and the NHS Centre for Involvement.