Lived Experience Ambassador, NHS England, England

Cristina Serrão joined the NHS in 2018 as London’s first musculoskeletal Patient Director based at University College London Hospitals. Since early 2020, she has been with NHS England and is now the National Lived Experience Ambassador, working in the People and Communities Division. She champions both the promotion of co-production and the active involvement of people using health and care services and their carers in all aspects of the planning, design, and delivery of care through co-produced clinical pathways across England. Cristina has a strong passion for justice and health inequalities to be faced head on and believes we should treat the whole person, supporting their physical, mental health and social care needs. On a personal level she is a strong believer in supported self-management of both physical and mental health, because of her own multiple chronic health conditions and disabilities. Cristina tackles every challenge with an abundance of energy and laughter – breaking down as many stigmas as possible along the way!! Internationally she is a member of the Global Patient Family Advisory Board (GPFAB) at The Beryl Institute and is also a member of the Health Improvement Alliance Europe (HIAE), Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Cristina is named by The Shaw Trust as one of the 100 most influential disabled people in the UK 2021 and 2022 in the #DisabilityPower100 list.