The article illustrates how collaborative approaches to improving healthcare can be tailored to take account of people’s experiences of trauma. This work builds on learning from Bridging Gaps, a collaborative project between NIHR ARC West and the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol.
Bridging Gaps is a group of women who have experienced complex trauma, for example, experience of addiction, homelessness, mental health problems, sexual exploitation, domestic and sexual violence, and poverty. They are improving access to primary care using co-production and trauma-informed principles, working alongside GPs, researchers and staff from Bristol charity One25.
Co-production is when researchers, practitioners and members of the public collaborate in a joint venture, where everyone is involved in decisions from the beginning. The recently published article illustrates how co-production approaches can be tailored to support people who have experienced trauma.
Bridging Gaps’ key learning points about co-production with people who have experienced trauma are:
- Not having to share personal experiences
- Making changes alongside research
- Collaboration is key
- Balancing safety and empowerment
Read the full NIHR ARC West news item
Paper: McGeown H et al. (2023). Trauma-informed co-production: Collaborating and combining expertise to improve access to primary care with women with complex needs. Health Expectations.