Graham Tanner
I am a retired local authority welfare officer and current Royal British Legion welfare case worker with a large amount of experience of working with people in respect of their health, social welfare and the economic impacts of adverse health.
On a personal note I am a diabetic who suffers high blood pressure and is dependent upon medication. Whilst the GP and Diabetic Clinic consultation is satisfactory I have some concerns. There has been no explanation of the side effects of the medication prescribed and I have since discovered that there can be a very debilitating effect upon one’s social life. The lack of a specialized dietitian hampers my approach to the disease and causes me a number of problems both at home and socially.
Unfortunately a large number of relatives and friends have suffered healthcare infections both acquired in hospital and the community. Many of these have sadly lost their lives.
Antibiotic resistance to therapy for healthcare and other infections represents the greatest single threat to patient safety at the current time with the distinct possibility of epidemics occurring.
As a member of the National Concern for Healthcare Infections I work in collaboration with government and non-government organizations to raise awareness of patient safety and promote improvements in our health service. Personal experience informs me that there is a fundamental problem in communication between healthcare professionals and patients. I believe that for improvements to be made the “blame and denial culture” has to be replaced by a system of openness where patients are able to express their concerns without fear and healthcare professionals learn from errors made.
I am committed to the principles of the London Declaration and strive to ensure that best practice is implemented and that harm to patients is reduced to minimal levels.