Patientfriends www.patientfriends.org.uk
"A local support group that, campaigns for patient rights and improving patient care in the NHS."
More information about Patientfriends.
- What is Patientfriends?
- What need or problem is Patientfriends addressing?
- Who is Patientfriends for?
- How can Patientfriends help you?
- How does Patientfriends operate?
- What are the policies and FAQ of Patientfriends?
- How does Patientfriends campaign to improve healthcare?
- Does People Power make any difference?
- How do you think the NHS could be improved?
- How Patientfriends works
Meetings and local activities in Brighton and Hove area.
How can Patientfriends help you?
Patientfriends can help by offering moral support and be encouraging to patients to help them get the best quality of health care. It's most likely that if you have a health problem it will be treated quickly and efficiently. However if your health problem is complicated or difficult to diagnose. Or requires a lot of effort from the doctor or specialist, you might find yourself getting a very poor standard of health care.
Everyone's situation is different, some people might have a large social support network of friends and family. And other people might be quite on their own for all sorts of reasons. Maybe not wanting to bother or cause concern to friends or family.
We are all capable of great strength and also great weakness. I'm not a particularly strong person and I think it's best not to assume anyone else is. I started Patientfriends and have designed it on the basis of what I would have liked at the time, when I was being treated by the NHS.
I was sort of worried about my health, I was glad to be seeing a hospital specialist. But during the appointment I felt like a second-class citizen. I really felt that the consultant barely noticed I was in the room. I was really hoping to be asked some questions and for there to be some discussion, I left understanding very little about what was causing my symptoms. I felt as if I had been given a really poor quality of health care.
I was left with the feeling that my health and well-being was priority zero. Actions speak louder than words, and is there any clearer message that a person does not matter, than if they are given poor quality health care?
I would have really liked an independent support group like Patientfriends. I would have liked for there to be an independent group that was interested in helping people to get the best possible health care. Someone who I felt was really on my side. That offered some moral support, that helped me to believe that my health matters were important and that I deserved a higher quality of healthcare.