Lay Advisory Group Committee Members

If you or a loved one has ever spent time in an Emergency Department, you know how important it is to receive quality care swiftly and efficiently. This is an opportunity to use your experience and skills to help improve the quality standards of care and training in Emergency Medicine. Consider joining the Lay Advisory Group of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, where you can provide valuable insight and advice on behalf of patients.

Applications close Monday 22nd January 2024. 

Location: London, SE1 1EU

Who we are

Are you interested in healthcare, emergency medicine and helping to improve the quality of standards of care and training in Emergency Departments? We are looking for new members of our Lay Advisory Group (LAG) to join The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM). We are not looking for medical or clinical professionals but people from a variety of backgrounds, skill sets, and sectors, who can act as a critical friend to the College, offering strategic advice, and personal perspectives and who can champion the voice and needs of patients in Emergency Departments.

RCEM is a membership body working to ensure high-quality care for patients by setting and monitoring standards of care in emergency departments, as well as providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to emergency medicine. To be able to guarantee we are providing expert advice, we need to ensure the voices and experiences of patients are heard. It is essential to our work that we ensure we are seeing our activities through the lens of the patient and the public.

The RCEM provides expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to emergency medicine. It looks to support emergency departments through advocacy and policy work, such as promoting the end of ambulance queues, overcrowding in hospitals, and overall improving the patient journey. With the upcoming general election and the ever-changing political landscape surrounding the NHS, this is a vital time for the RCEM and its members.

The College now numbers over 10,000 fellows and members registered internationally and works to represent both its members and the interests of patients. Our turnover is circa £10 million and is funded mainly from subscriptions, examinations, the Emergency Medicine Journal and course and conference fees.

RCEM engages in training and education for trainee Emergency Medicine professionals, CPD activities, support, and publication of research in emergency medicine, setting and monitoring professional and clinical standards within Emergency Departments and providing advice to external bodies.

The College supports and takes an active interest in the work of the European Society for Emergency Medicine and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine.

About the Lay Advisory Group (LAG)

RCEM has a board of trustees and Council, as well as Vice Presidents representing the national boards of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.

The LAG Committee has an advisory role, which reports to the Council and the Chair of the LAG Committee is a trustee, sitting on the Council. The role of members of the LAG committee is to combine being a supportive member of a decision-making panel and providing independent guidance and constructive challenge to current ways of thinking at RCEM. This is an opportunity to join the LAG committee as members come to the end of their terms and to utilise your personal experience, skills, and experiences to support and challenge the College to ensure the best standards of care and training are set.

We are looking for Lay Members who can grow their confidence and experience of working with a variety of people, including

clinical colleagues, especially on our College committees. We have over 60 committees across a wide range of issues from governance, examinations, assessment, CPD, clinical quality, research and many others. It is critical, that the decisions committees make are informed through the lens of the patient and public and so it is essential our LAG members join our committees.

With this in mind, we are looking for a variety of people from across the UK with an emphasis on ensuring our LAG Committee has representation from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. To provide a Lay perspective, it is vital our LAG members are not currently employed within healthcare services or involved in current healthcare policy or clinical decision-making at a local or national level and can act independently.

It is essential our LAG Members have an interest in and awareness of current medical issues, especially those affecting emergency care and the NHS.

We are looking for people who can bring perspectives from outside our sector and bring experience and skills including but not limited to education, knowledge of awarding bodies, an understanding of health policy, campaigning, scientific research, legal, academia, marketing and communications, and customer engagement.

This could be a first committee role for someone looking to utilise their patient experience and skills. Having a diverse group of individuals who can bring fresh perspectives to our LAG Committee from a variety of backgrounds and experiences is beneficial. Having prior committee exposure and understanding is helpful but not essential.

Time Commitment

It is important our LAG Members can articulate a lay/patient perspective on our organisation and can participate in our committees, engagements, and activities.

There are usually four LAG meetings per year, held virtually, and one is held face-to-face in RCEM’s offices in London. LAG members are encouraged to join two College committees, which meet on average four times a year virtually and hybrid. We expect the overall time commitment for members of the LAG Committee to be the equivalent of 12 days a year this includes allowance for reading preparation for meetings, and travel.

Please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you can find full details of the candidate profile and register your interest to apply.

Applications for this role close Monday 22nd January 2024.