GO Hildas
Improving Women’s Cancer Care through Co-production

Who are GO Hildas?

The Dame Hilda Lloyd network was founded in memory of Dame Hilda Lloyd, the first female president of any UK medical royal college. Dame Hilda Lloyd was a trailblazer and made a real difference to the lives of women in Birmingham. We operate as a consortium with other patient involvement groups within the network.

We are looking to create a group of volunteers who share Dame Hilda Lloyd’s ethos and are eager to make a real impact on women's cancers here in the West Midlands.

The group has been named ‘GO Hildas’, which signifies Gynaecological Oncology (the phrase means “issues related to women” and “the study of cancer”, respectively).

Supported by the UCL Co-Production Collective, GO Hildas has established its Terms of Reference in December 2023.

We are actively looking for new group members who have been affected by gynaecological cancers, regardless of their background and gender. The following are some of the reasons why you may be interested to join:

You have a personal experience with gynaecological cancers
You are known to have higher risks of gynaecological cancers
You have another cancer (for example, breast cancer) which could be linked to higher risks of gynaecological cancers
You are a carer, family member or friend of patients affected by gynaecological cancers

The group of volunteers will share their experiences with clinicians and researchers who are developing clinical improvement and research projects to advise them on the direction of their project to improve gynaecological cancer care.

What does GO Hildas do?

GO Hildas is a newly developed co-production group, co-led by Jaki Mills (patient representative) and Elaine Leung (clinician and researcher).

In addition to external involvement activities we support, GO Hildas aims to host meetings every 3-4 months as hybrid workshops (both in-person and online option simultaneously).

Each meeting is approximately 3-4 hours, with:

Updates on GO Hildas and the Hildas
Discussions related to initiatives we are co-developing
A skill development session for our patient and public partners

Our first hybrid meeting starts in April 2024. For further information- Click to join our mailing list!

We offer remuneration for local public travel and involvement time for our main workshops.

The list below highlights some examples of activities that will give you a flavour of what to expect as one of GO Hildas:

Discussing topical issues related to women's cancers
Advising on lay summaries
Assessing patient documents
Advising on recruitment and dissemination
Reviewing research proposals

Participants who get involved in our public and patient involvement and engagement activities can take part in a wide variety of activities of the Dame Hilda Lloyd network based on their interests and preferences too.

What has the team done before?

Previous work led by the GO Hildas organisers (as part of a project called DEMO) led to the development of a multi-language multi-media information package on genetic testing after ovarian cancer diagnosis as one of the IMPROVE-UK Awards funded by Ovarian Cancer Action (see below highlights).

The DEMO project was the winner of the University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences Patient and Public Involvement and Impact Award in 2023.

Our commitment to co-production and inclusivity

Co-production in healthcare refers to the collaboration between healthcare providers, patients, families, and communities in the design, delivery, and evaluation of healthcare services. It involves recognising patients and families as equal partners in healthcare decision-making and that their experiences are key to improving the quality and outcomes of care.

We are especially keen to reach out to volunteers from underserved groups, such as individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds, to be a part of GO Hildas. We also actively seek out these groups via different community and faith groups.

Underserved groups, such as ethnic minorities and patients from deprived are often not as well represented in research as we would like. You can be part of changing this going forwards by working with us to ensure that our research better reflects Birmingham and society as a whole.

We are committed to diversity, equality and inclusivity, so please get in touch if accessibility is an issue, as we would like to reduce any barriers to your involvement to the best of our abilities.

How do I become a member of GO Hildas?

To express your interest or find out more, please complete this form to join our mailing list.

Alternatively, scan the QR Code:

If you want to speak to a member of the team or need help joining, please email dhlnetwork@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Acknowledgements

The initial development of GO Hildas is funded by the Ovarian Cancer Action IMPROVE-UK award to the DEMO team. Details about the IMPROVE-UK awards and DEMO can be found here.