NHS launches new bid to beat cancer and save thousands of lives
NHS England today (Sunday 11th Jan’ 2015) announced a new independent taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives…
To read my views, follow this link http://www.england.nhs.uk/2015/01/11/beat-cancer/#comment-442122
I am looking for a voluntary speaker to attend SEAPs IMHA (Independent Mental Health Advocate) Focus Group on Thursday March 5th 2015 in Bristol.
The focus group is made up of IMHA’s, all at varying degrees in their career, myself and the South West Area Manager, Chris. The group size can be anything from 5+(max. 15).
At this focus group we will be concentrating on the Mental Health Act Code of Practice (MH CoP), in particular the amendments which come into effect in April this year.
I am looking for someone who would like to come along and share working knowledge with us, experiences of advocacy and all other things related to Mental Health and advocacy.
Are there areas in your community group, business market, expertise etc. where you would like to see an advocacy service being developed and introduced? Is there something you would like to share with us to enhance our professional skills? Do you have specific knowledge and experience on the MHA CoP? How are you implementing the changes in your workplace?
Do you like to think out of the box and would like to speak to us about something you are passionate about?
You can be as creative as you like. At SEAP we embrace and encourage innovative ways of working, developing and supporting others. We currently have a Storytelling Project, perhaps you can work on delivering your thoughts, ideas and experiences to us as a story teller.
If you have other ideas and would like to run them by me, please contact me here sarah-jane.summer@seap.org.uk or by messaging me through this blog.
I look forward to speaking with you and arranging a great day at our focus group in Bristol.
Follow this link for a very interesting read.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/deputy-prime-minister-launches-search-for-mental-health-heroes
A client explains what advocacy support did for her.
Thanks to the work SEAP did acting on my behalf with the medical profession, from emails to telephone calls, there is now a Patient Pathway set up for East Sussex hospitals regarding Adolescent Mental Health. Without the knowledge of your organisation I would not have known where to start.
There were times when I was so exhausted trying to deal with my step sons mental illness that I felt I didn’t have the energy to continue the fight. But Pamela would email me with some small bit of news or ring me and it would give me the strength to carry on.
I cannot thank you enough for the support and amount of hard work you have put in to help me. I would not have been able to achieve the result without your help. The Patient Pathway was set up because of my persistence but you must also take the credit as without you I would not have known where to start.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. You gave me the confidence to fight for what I believed was truly necessary in the Mental Health Service.
SEAP’s annual review on their advocacy services is now available to read/download here http://www.seap.org.uk/
Aaron is my daughters partner and he is taking on his 2nd fundraising boxing challenge (White Collar Boxing) for Cancer Research, this Christmas.
When our lovely Aaron took up the challenge again this year, to show cancer who is the boss, little did we know how poignant this would become.
This week my sister Alison has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is in her brain, kidneys, liver, spleen, lungs, stomach and Pancreas.
Needless to say she has a very short time (weeks) left with us all.
We are devastated.
Alison is petrified.
What I want to know is, why are melanoma skin cancer patients not given body scans as routine, once the melanoma had been removed and patients are considered to be in remission, as happened to Alison 4 yrs ago?
Surely a contribution of monies raised can be given to fund body scanning, alongside funding vital research.
It is not good enough that now Dr’s say there was perhaps just one cell that got away, causing this secondary cancer.
I intend to campaign for this to become standard practice, and I want to hear from you if this has been yours or a loved ones experience.
I want Cancer Research, Macmillan, NHS Trusts and anyone else to talk to me and explain why funds are not given to the screening of the human internal system.
I want an open dialogue to engage with people on levels where understanding, awareness and vital equipment are all in the realms of possibility. Can you help me?
Please support Aaron and anyone else you know who are taking part in fundraising challenges to show cancer who is boss.
Please share this again and again. Let us get our voices heard about this and begin to make an impact. Skin cancer is killing far too many people.
You can support Aaron here:
https://www.justgiving.com/Aaron-Meek1/
Please email me, Sarah-Jane @ madame-butterfly@live.co.uk or post your comments, thoughts, experiences on here.
Thousands of people, worldwide, are making a commitment to play their part in standing up to condemn violence against women.
Make your pledge here.
http://www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk/
An honest and open account.
People suffering from clinical depression are often likened to an innocent in hell by medical professionals and their loved ones. It almost always stems from a well-meaning attempt to lift the depressed individual from the quicksand of self-loathing and self-beratement. You are not any of those things you say you are. You are not evil, you are not selfish. I know you. You are an amazing person and you are suffering due to no fault of your own. Basically, an innocent in hell.
I disagree. Yes, it was never my fault that I was depressed, but I am in many ways flawed, and so are you. I am not innocent, and neither are you.
The only difference is that those who are depressed feel the weight of their flaws, and the flaws of others (though mostly their own), far more intensely than those who are not depressed.
While deep in depression…
View original post 599 more words
Raising mental health awareness and challenging stigma.
This is the most simple and powerful telling of a mental health story I have seen, heard and shared.
It moved me to tears.
Please watch and help give a voice to mental ill health and everybody living with it.
Anxiety and Depression. My Story, My Finest Hour.: http://youtu.be/Ecy7rQlyAtM
The sound of two feet 