New research explores 'co-production without permission' in local hospitals
A new research article explores the role of co-production in the context of three local hospitals. The article presents the idea of 'fugitive co-production' - "where individuals and groups within communities collaborate with local staff in ways which significantly shape the provision of local services, without permission or authorisation from relevant authorities".
The article, written by Dr Ellen Stewart at the University of Edinburgh, is based on interviews with citizens, NHS staff, politicians and journalists, as well as non-participant observation of community and NHS events. It notes:
"Initially focused on community opposition to top-down hospital change, the study identified a surprising range of supportive community actions for their local hospitals, including volunteering, fundraising and innovative co-delivered service models."
The article concludes:
"Acknowledging fugitive co-productive practices means accepting that local services may be tailored in unpredictable ways that shift over time as individuals and groups become more or less active. Embracing the rhetoric of coproduction at a system level thus requires a conscious loosening of expectations of control from the centre...'
