Articles
"I'm the mother of twins. They're both disabled and have learning disabilities. And they're 40 this year... It's been one long struggle with health and social care. And I think the main thing is not being heard. "
"When we go into the NHS, we expect that wherever we are in the country– whether you're going to a hospital, an ambulance service, a GP practice – whoever you are, whatever you earn, you will basically get the same service. If you require social care it's a very different...read more
"My greatest concern is the fragmentation of services within health and social care, and the lack of any coordination. I'd really like to see somebody take on the role of managing people's care, which the GP or a key social worker used to do."
"It's still diabolically difficult to actually have a conversation with a hospital consultant. Really, really hard."
"It's such a rare condition. It's so misunderstood. There's not enough awareness, even amongst the medical profession that I genuinely... the only time I feel heard as a patient is when I go to London and I pay the doctor to listen."
"Bits are being privatised without us knowing, and it’s reducing the quality of care."
"I'd like to see much better management within the hospitals, more linkages between all the different departments and a lot less waste of money. I think there's a lot of wastage."
"Especially for women, getting reproductive health to be taken seriously. Because my mum had to wait six months for a hysterectomy after having severe reproductive issues. And a lot of doctors didn't really take her seriously and thought that she was exaggerating her pain."
"Where my son's healthcare is concerned, he's been critically ill twice and he's been seriously ill on many, many, many, many occassions. And for the most part of that, the care has been very good. We've had our ups and downs, and we've had times where doctors don't want to...read more
"Why can't we have that system for continuous social care when you need it, rather than having these instances that are just too distressing to witness? And usually at a time when the partner is also vulnerable and ageing, and they don't know where to turn."