I am passionate about holistic health care gained from working with a leading self-management charity, for 17 years - roles covering trainer to executive team. My final role, before redundancy (September 2017), was Policy and Projects Manager, where I had the privilege of being external consultant to over 32 health and third sector organsations, using a co-productive methodology to develop self-care programmes, this ensured that individual preferences – where they live, how they live, knowledge of condition, goals and aspirations are considered in a holistic way. In 2017, I completed my master’s degree in Health, Ethics and Society.
 
One of the projects was the Active Self-Management Programme where a group of trained volunteers with lived experience presented to healthcare students. Topics included over the 8 years of the programme: what is self-care/self-management, how HCP’s can have meaningful conversations with patients and what skills should be used, the role of the pharmacists from a patient perspective, carers role in health, role of stress for all, and working within the social model.
 
I strongly believe that supported self-management has an important role in putting patients at the center of care.  As it is a systematic process of learning, practice and adoption of specific behaviours which are central to managing a condition, making informed decisions about care, and engaging in healthy behaviours to reduce the physical, and emotional impact of a condition with or without the collaboration of the health care system. Very much the right support, at the right time, in the right place, with the right person and the right intervention.

Other things I am involved in: volunteer peer reviewer for the British Medical Journal and European Journal of Public Health, like to attend meetings at the Kings Funds whenever possible.