Consumer engagement is increasingly recognised by funders, policy makers, accrediting bodies, researchers, clinicians, and consumers as critical to ethical and high-quality healthcare research and quality improvement (QI). Despite this recognition, the evidence-base requires development to provide a compelling case for enhancing consumer engagement and to identify best practice strategies that support success and prevent negative outcomes. This PhD has focussed on two closely aligned streams of research regarding consumer engagement: staff and consumer capabilities for successful partnerships in healthcare QI, and consumer engagement in research focussing on PhD research. The two streams generated six studies. Co-production with consumer coresearchers has been integral to the ethos and conduct of all six studies in this thesis and is described in each related chapter. […]