MEC_Impact Report_2026 - Flipbook - Page 23
Shape national policy on eye health research
Young voices
shaping research
through lived
experience
The importance of lived
experience is equally evident
in our support for Eye-YPAG,
a youth patient advisory
group that gives young people
the opportunity to influence
research and help make it
more accessible and relevant
Dr Vijay Tailor-Hamblin
to children and young people.
For Muminah, a patient at
Moorfields Eye Charity helped
Moorfields Eye Hospital,
fund Eye-YPAG’s attendance,
realise the burden that
becoming involved in Eye-YPAG
enabling participants to
research can take on a young
transformed how she viewed
work with young health
person, so having people
her eye condition. She said:
advocates from around the
from different age groups
world to create a position
and different backgrounds
paper that will be shared with
ensures that their voices are
– not only has it given me
researchers, hospitals, schools
heard and understood.
insecurities – but it’s also
and policymakers.
I feel like my eye condition
Researchers don’t always
Our funding is helping people
made me feel like there’s not
a society where I’m welcome.
The summit demonstrated
move from being recipients of
Becoming part of Eye-YPAG
the value of involving young
support to becoming influential
has shown me that there’s
people directly in research
contributors. By investing in
always a community there
and healthcare decision-
lived experience, we are helping
for you.
making. As Dr Vijay Tailor-
shape research, policy and
Hamblin, a research orthoptist
practice in ways that respond
Through the group, Muminah
at Moorfields Eye Hospital,
to the priorities of the NHS and
developed communication,
clinical educator at the UCL
the needs of patients.
design and research skills
Institute of Ophthalmology
before representing young
and co-facilitator of Eye-
people on a global stage at
YPAG, explained:
the International Children’s
Advisory Network (iCAN)
summit in Canada.
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