Wednesday 11 March 2026 | 14:30-15:15
Stream: Change
Session format: Workshop
Chair: Tracey Herald Lived Experience Panel Member; England

From projects to practice: making co‑production the way we do change every day in health and care

Co-production is often seen as an "extra" activity or project within health and care improvement work, yet its true potential lies in becoming the everyday practice of change. This session explores how organisations can move from isolated initiatives to embedding co-production as a consistent way of working. Co-production is defined here as a collaborative approach where people who use services, carers, and communities partner equally with people who work in the system from the outset to shape, deliver, and learn about services. When lived experience and professional expertise combine, we create the conditions for genuine transformation in health and care systems. Through case studies and interactive discussion, participants will examine how co-production can be integrated into change frameworks, leadership practices, and improvement processes to deliver meaningful outcomes. The session invites participants to consider not only the “what” and “how” of co‑production, but the deeper cultural and relational shifts required to make it a routine way of working—something we always do, rather than something extra we do when time and resources allow.

Learning objectives: 

• Explore how co-production can be embedded into everyday change and improvement processes to make a big difference in outcomes.
• Identify principles and practical "enablers" that support sustained co-productive practice.
• Be inspired by real examples where co-production has delivered measurable impact.
• Reflect on the leadership and cultural shifts needed to make co-production "business as usual".