Recently two people got in touch with me and asked me a question about my thoughts on the future of hospices and hospice care. I spent about 2-2.5 hours thinking, brainstorming, and writing everything down in an email response. However,…
I’ve been writing this blog for a few weeks now but got interrupted by my admission to hospital with sepsis last Sunday. Then yesterday I saw a blog by Tracey Bleakley, CEO of Hospice UK, talking about the very subject…
So, continuing my series about the NHS Peer Leadership Academy, here’s an update on Day 4 (aka day 2 of the second two-day residential, the first residential being in September, the final residential being in November). I am now home…
This week it’s Hospice Care Week. All of you know I am a palliative and hospice care advocate having been a beneficiary of such services since I was 17. You all know my story, being born with health problems and…
On Friday 21st September 2018 I received a prestigious accolade: I was awarded an Honorary Degree of Master of the University from the Open University, for commitment to public services. What an incredible thing to receive, to be recognised in…
NHS Peer Leadership Academy Day 1 Well, what a day today has been. I write this late as we’ve been on the go all day. I am shattered. But it has been absolutely amazing. Meeting so many incredible people on…
We awoke today to the news that one of our greatest minds, Professor Stephen Hawking, has passed away age 76. Stephen was an incredible person, he had intelligence that knew no bounds, determination and inner strength that would rival any…
Today I had the greatest pleasure of a personal meeting with Dr Tedros, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding my palliative care advocacy work and ensuring that palliative care gets included in universal health coverage packages. The…
Charlie Gard. A little boy whose care has polarised the world. A little boy with a severe condition called infantile encephalomyopathic Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome. He sadly passed away last week. His doctors for months had wanted to remove his…
On Tuesday 4th April, my hospice nurse Nicky and I sat down and talked the nitty gritty. We talked about how I am, what I've been up to, what's troubling me - the same as always. Then the conversation got…