Our recent event, a Mental Health Forum, was a great success with excellent evaluations from all who attended. The breadth and depth of impact of Mental Health issues was clearly highlighted with some very moving personal stories, but the great need for information and signposting, was highlighted.
Overall though a key learning point was the need to empower and support people to challenge, appropriately and effectively, those providing and commissioning services.
Look out for more info on our next event
Interviewed by Matt Bailey at 7.10am on 29th July about NESCHA views on imminent Andy Burnham announcement later that morning. I was greatly encouraged by his feedback ( he said it was interesting and ran over time!) and wrote the paper attached.
I never dreamt that one day I would be living the system!.
Sadly Robert my co-author , died when I was in hospital some years ago but my wife visited daily and then she lived with a diagnosois mixed dementia for over four years, was admitted to hospital last October and, following a rapid discharge to a care home, died peacefully in December .
Despite a professional background in social work and years spent working on improving health and care systems, nothing fully prepares you for living that experience. It brought into sharp focus both the compassion of frontline staff and the frustrations families can face when services are not as joined-up or consistent as they should be.
NHS de-frazzle new book and brilliant review