Rounding up 2023...

As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on the progress and achievements of the last 12 months.

2023 has certainly been a busy year for the James Lind Alliance (JLA). We’ve had a record number of new PSPs starting both in the UK and internationally, new and thought-provoking enquiries have been received in abundance, we’ve supported two PSP refresh exercises and welcomed new members to our JLA Adviser and Co-ordinating team.

A total of 25 PSPs have started since January 2023 in topics ranging from Breathlessness through to Vision Loss (Australia). Two of these were refresh exercises following on from earlier PSPs in the same topic area. The Palliative and End of Life Care PSP refresh was following on from the original PSP in 2015 and the Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Adults refresh, updating work from 2011. The work of such refresh exercises highlights how far certain topic areas have come over the last few years and it's exciting to see the interest in revisiting historical topics to maintain their relevance and importance in the current healthcare climate.

As well as new PSP starts, we have celebrated 13 PSPs hosting their final workshops and prioritising their Top 10s. A staggering 285 priorities have been discussed across 13 different topic areas. We’ve seen workshops hosted face-to-face, online and using a hybrid methodology, and have seen individuals of different ages, backgrounds and cultures come together, sharing their passion and experience to ensure the right voices are heard.

This year, we have bid farewell to longstanding team members, but we have also celebrated welcoming new team members into the fold. We were successful in recruiting 3 new JLA Advisers in September and have also welcomed fresh faces into the coordinating team. Both new team members and old are looking forward to continuing to work with you on ongoing and new PSP projects and are excited to see what 2024 brings.

It’s inspiring to think of the voices that have been heard over the last 12 months and we would like to end the year by thanking all those who have engaged in the JLA PSP process, collaborated on topic area discussions, shared their experiences, and given their time to help shape future health and care research. You are all an inspiration, and the JLA wouldn’t be where we are today without you.

Wishing all the best for 2024,

Your JLA Team.