Blogs

Our blogs highlight the voices of people working across the health and social care sector, talking about a range of timely issues.

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- 14 February 2022
Elective doesn’t mean optional
Sue Brown
On 8 February the NHS published the plan for tackling the backlog of “elective” care built up during the COVID-19 pandemic. The term elective seems to me to be a bit misleading, as though this is care you might elect, or choose, to have. Something which might be in some way optional. What we are in fact talking about is care that is essential, but not urgent or an emergency. What impact does the use of this term have?
- Hospital waiting lists
- Person-centred care
- 25 January 2022
Valuing Lived Experience: Learning with National Voices
Lizzie Cain
Lizzie Cain is part of Co-Production Collective, an open community based at UCL which exists to support co-production across research, policy and practice. Whatever our identity and experience, we work together in equal partnership to create better outcomes for everyone.
- Voices for Improvement
- Lived experience
- Health inequalities
- 10 January 2022
A new chapter in the journey for change
Ezra Ben-Yisrael
My name is Ezra Ben-Yisrael, and I am a British-born, Caribbean descendant who has lived in the UK all of my life. I have been married for 19 years and have two children. My passions are unlocking insight for others within my professional and personal life and championing wellbeing.
- Health inequalities
- 16 December 2021
Introducing Sherone Phillips
Sherone Phillips
Sherone Phillips tells us more about herself, and what motivated her to apply to become a National Voices Trustee
- Lived experience
- 9 December 2021
Introducing Kalu “Kaz” Obuka
Kalu Obuka
New Trustee Kalu “Kaz” Obuka, tells us what motivated him to apply to become a National Voices Trustee.
- Lived experience
- 3 December 2021
‘Elective Surgery’: Linguistic Issues with Trans and Non-Binary Care
Finn Grice
Content warning: discussion of surgery, discrimination (specifically transphobia) and suicide. ‘Elective surgery’ is a term irrelevant to many people’s experiences. Few would argue that their surgical needs are a choice. For trans and non-binary communities, the term may be especially marginalising, and contribute to negative perceptions of those seeking gender-affirming healthcare.
- Hospital waiting lists
- Health inequalities
- 2 December 2021
Not just a day job
Clare Woodford
Hello, my name is Clare. I’m incredibly proud to have been elected as a National Voices trustee. A little bit about me and what I stand for.
- COVID-19
- Health inequalities
- 25 November 2021
Broadening our horizons to improve our work
Helen Buckingham
We’re all familiar with the rhetoric that diverse boards make better decisions. And most boards have made some sort of progress on gender diversity by now. But when we at National Voices took a good hard look at ourselves ahead of recruiting new trustees earlier this year, we realised that if we were serious about having a truly diverse board we needed to do something different. As the saying goes, ‘if you always do what you’ve always done; you’ll always get what you’ve always got’.
- Health inequalities
- Lived experience
- 11 November 2021
The story of Long Covid is the story of patients
Aleyah Babb-Benjamin
“As someone living with Long Covid…you want somebody to believe what you’re going through.” – Davine Forde
- Long Covid Project
- COVID-19
- Lived experience
- Health inequalities
- 3 November 2021
Why covid:aid is building a collaborative charity platform to support organisations around Covid-related issues – and how you can help
Michael MacLennan
covid:aid is the UK’s charity for all those significantly affected by Covid-19, and has been uniquely set up to act as an open and collaborative partner and platform for healthcare providers, charities, and other groups – ensuring people and organisations can find and access support tailored to their needs, wherever that may be.
- COVID-19