8 Ways To Be A Health Activist & Staunch Ally
Activist: A person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.
Ally: A person or organisation that cooperates with or helps another in a particular activity.
To those of us in the system, the current health crisis is no surprise.
Over the last ten years, I’ve regularly witnessed one nurse doing the job of three, medicine ward rounds running two hours late, and gurneys stacked up in A&E corridors with bleeding patients curled against rubber crash rails. I’ve seen patients die without the dignity of dignity curtains, waited over a year for referrals with worsening symptoms, and suffered the impacts of understaffing, underfunding, and chronic mismanagement.
But now, the NHS plight is affecting everyone, from reported reduced access to GP services for a simple urine infection, to three year waiting lists for ADHD assessment. Change is not just an ideal. Change is a necessity.
It’s easy to feel despondent when listening to the news. The reports are overwhelming. How can we extricate ourselves from this mess? Can one voice contribute anything to a crisis so complex? A crisis decades in the making?
So, in acknowledgement of that, I’ve surmised for you eight ways to be a health activist and staunch ally. If, like me, control is your personal brand of self-care, this one might resonate with you.
Even if you take one prompt from this post, amazing. You’re part of the solution.
1. Money Talks
Sad, but true. If financially able, you might consider donating to relevant charities. This could be your local NHS charity, or a condition specific non-profit that’s important to you, such as Crohn’s & Colitis UK. For your money to go as far as possible and reach all the right places, ensure you’re donating directly, rather than through third parties that may claim fees.
Subscription packages are often available, which offer perks, such as freebies, event discounts, or access to community boards.
Not forgetting, there are ways to donate at no extra cost to you i.e. shopping with AmazonSmile, ticking the Gift Aid box, fundraising, or nominating your personal fave for your employer’s charity of the year.
Another way to donate indirectly is by purchasing your usual products from ethical companies that donate a percentage of their proceeds to charity.
Of course, all of the above is caveated by the gentle reminder that charity is a failure of government. And given the cost-of-living crisis, charities are having an even harder time than usual. Make of that what you will, friend, and see below point six…
2. Time is Priceless
Trust me, I know we’re all being pulled in a million different directions, but volunteering comes in many sizes. Offering your precious time can be as huge as hosting a local support group, manning an advice helpline, speaking at events, or marshalling charity fundraisers. But it can also be as simple as signing up for a sponsored walk, or reposting content on social media.
When it comes to supporting strike action for nurses and doctors, the British Medical Association suggest bringing hot drinks and food to those at the picket lines, and downloading free materials from the RCN (Royal College of Nursing) website to help get the word out about fair pay and patient safety. You might also consider contacting your local RCN branch for advice on how you may be able to help with local campaign groups.
3. Awareness is Key
Raising awareness doesn’t have to be shouty. My introvert pals might consider spreading a message simply through chatting to their inner circle. Whether the message concerns challenges specific to a condition close to your heart, the abysmal state of UK gynaecology services, or a health survey requiring participants, there’s no need to disturb the carrier pigeon. Post on Instagram, start a blog, or amplify other voices already doing the work. Sharing is free, easy, and can be incredibly effective.
4. Feed It Back
If your surgery was smoother than butter, you’d want to give all the compliments, buy donuts, and write a sparkly thank you card. So, against all British instincts, if you aren’t happy with your care, speak up.
Complaining may not guarantee action or change, but an unknown problem has zero chance of being fixed. Doing so might feel like a betrayal to well-intentioned NHS staff, but trust me, it’s not. They absolutely need management to understand the dangers of conditions in the trenches. They need criticism to be loud enough to reach government. They need shame to drive action.
For hospital services: call or email the PALS or complaints team at your local trust, contact the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service, and request a review by the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) if you’re unhappy with the response.
For GP services: Complain to the practice manager, escalate to your local clinical commissioning group, approach your local Healthwatch (Independent Health Complaints Advocacy), and request a review by the PHSO if the response wasn’t up to scratch.
5. Education, Education, Education
Google can be a terrifying place, and so can Twitter, so pick your sources carefully. Learn as much as you can about the current healthcare crisis, the basis for recent strike action, and what’s really happening. Listen to healthcare professionals and patients courageously sharing their lived and often traumatic experiences. And for the love of God, don’t question them.
To learn about a specific condition, look to national and international charities and organisations, expert podcasts, and medical journals. Talk to patient experts and peer groups – they’ve learnt a lot along the way, and often want to share their wisdom. You may need to filter out some of the emotional weight this can bring, but provided you’re able to think critically and bear in mind everything is subjective, you’ll be grand.
To learn about your healthcare rights, look to NICE guidelines, the NHS Constitution, and organisations such as Citizen’s Advice. Understanding your rights empowers you to participate in your own care.
6. Get Political
You’re right, this shouldn’t be necessary. Politics should be for politicians, and we should be free to moan about our bosses, eat tacos, and go for winter strolls around the countryside. But in the post-Brexit, post-pandemic, conservative hellscape we’re leaving in, there are a number of ways to get the attention of those in power.
Firstly, write to your MP. You may receive a somewhat formulaic response, drafted by a very nice secretary, but alas, your letter will be on record. If enough contact of the same nature passes your MP’s desk, they may begin to take notice. They may even be persuaded to take action.
Secondly, sign petitions i.e. to increase funding for women’s health, or reduce waiting times within a specific department. If demanding changes to law or government policy, 10,000 signatures require a response from government, and 100,000 must be considered for parliamentary debate.
Attend marches if they’re accessible to you. Large gatherings aren’t exactly appealing to the chronically ill, but if you feel safe masking up, hitting that picket line is tried and tested. Exercise your right before it’s taken away.
Finally, make sure you’re registered to vote. And when the time comes, do it. Whether it’s via post, at your local school, or community centre, showing up is so crucial. In doing so, try to look beyond your immediate future. Think outside yourself. Your concern for social care cuts and neglect of elderly constituents may not be your priority right now, but it will be one day. Will you find yourself with voting regret? I sure hope not.
7. Patient Participation
This could involve acting as a lay assessor for accreditation bodies, volunteering in patient participation groups for research trials, offering beta reader services for patient pamphlets, or attending patient feedback forums at your local GP or hospital trust. These opportunities often come up in specialist or local Facebook groups, so keep an eye out. If you’re actively seeking to get involved, there’s no harm in dropping an organisation or your GP surgery an email to see how’s best to go about this.
Particularly regarding patient feedback forums, when it feels as though your voice has been muted forever, and suddenly someone asks for your opinion: give it. Your thoughts are valuable, and could be a catalyst for change.
8. Clinical Trials
If you’re already under a hospital clinic, consider asking your consultant if there are any active trials or research projects that would be suitable for your involvement. This needn’t be as drastic as a drug trial. It could be as simple as consenting to use of your data to inform future care.
Many have already been contacted by the NHS to partake in the Our Future Health programme, myself included. I, for one, will be signing up. My data may terrify them, but hey, that’s their cross to bear.
Phew, that was long.
I have to remind myself, that with effective government intervention, none of the above activism would be as crucial as it is today. But ordinary people throughout history have summoned just enough defiance to move mountains and achieve extraordinary change. Not everyone is able to take a stand without compromising themselves. If you are, perhaps consider taking action or showing moral support.
No matter how tiny your contribution may seem, it’ll feel pretty sweet to sit on the right side of history.