Elizabeth Morrow is Research Associate at the National Nursing Research Unit, Kings College LondonDr Annette Boaz is Lecturer in Translational Research at the Division of Health and Social Care Research, King’s College, LondonSally Brearley is Chair of Health Link, (a not-for-profit organisation aimed at strengthening public influence on health (www.health-link,org.uk), and was former Chair of The Patients Forum (www.thepatientsforum.org.uk)Professor Fiona Mary Ross is Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, Kingston University and St George’s, University of London