If you see something wrong, fix it.

I’m not alone in the group of people who are solution focused. Actually, I work with quite a few of those people here at FaithAction. However, I experienced something recently, got involved and I’m now working on the solution. This isn’t just in FaithAction – it’s in the NHS.

Many of you will know that I had my son in December 2012.  Jake is amazing, healthy and gorgeous (I would say that!). However after giving birth and telling some folk of my experience of our local hospital, I realised that my experience was not the best and there were things the local Hospital Trust could have done better.

So I decided to get involved, and I must say I couldn’t have been welcomed more! I knew someone who was the Chair of the local ‘Maternity Services Liaison Committee’ – she told me that my local Hospital Trust is desperate to have more people involved to give the view of a user and so I went along and I’ve never been allowed to leave!

I’m now an official volunteer for the local Hospital Trust, and I know that they are continually keen to have patient and public involvement in their services.  In the NHS England Five Year Forward View, it mentions clearly that there needs to be better partnerships between the voluntary sector and local organisations.  This is clearly something that faith groups and community groups can get involved with – shaping existing and future services the NHS runs locally, and we would be wrong to miss the opportunity.

‘If something is wrong, fix it if you can’ – Ernest Hemingway