Abstract
Award category: Strengthening the foundation The Patient as Coach Team (PaCT) initiative at the University of Greater Manchester is a pioneering model in nurse education that places lived experience at the heart of learning. Coproduced and led by service users and carers, PaCT transforms students’ understanding of compassionate, personcentred care by embedding emotional intelligence, ethical awareness, and the 6Cs of Nursing throughout the curriculum. Delivered in small, safegroup settings across all three years of the adult nursing programme, PaCT combines immersive workshops with reflective learning. Students consistently report increased empathy, confidence, and accountability, with longevidenced in their professional development portfolios. The term impact initiative has also been successfully adapted for other disciplines, including Social Work and CBT. What makes PaCT stand out is its authentic coproduction, longitudinal structure, and tangible influence on practice. It elevates service users from contributors to educators, creating a culture of dignity, partnership, and emotional intelligence. PaCT is not just a teaching tool — it’s a blueprint for how we must train the future health and social care workforce.