How Could Co-production Principles Improve Mental Health Spiritual and Pastoral Care (Chaplaincy) Services?

This report reflects on our experiences of using co-production in mental health chaplaincy research and how the lessons learnt can be applied both to research and to service design and delivery in the NHS. A panel of experts by experience was recruited to assist in planning and implementing a research project to explore service user views of NHS mental health chaplaincy (spiritual and pastoral care services). Both the panel and the interviewees provided clear insights into how services could be run in a more patient-centred manner, participants were thoughtful, usually realistic and considered in their suggestions. Recruitment was not difficult suggesting that mental health services users are keen to share their opinions on the spiritual care they receive. Eliciting views from service users in Trusts will show if our findings can be considered representative of the UK.