New Statutory body as an alternative to the NHS for mental health and hidden disability

Any massive change is going to be difficult simply because of lack of money. Certainly if experts-by-experience were tapped into, and given some kind of certification, that would reduce local bills. Andy Burnham seems keen on having the budget spread more evenly through the country. I do think more localising of services would be a good idea, but some things need to be centralised, for example research centres and specialist services like operating theatres or cancer centres or where experts need to be close together to share research and experience. 

I get that specialist centres are good for those who work in them, but are they good for patients? Having been in a hospital  a 100 miles from friends, feeling really unwell and incredibly lonely was horrible, everyone else in the ward was local and had herds of friends and family every day and I had no one, I used to shut my bed curtains and cry through most visiting times. Then when I left hosptial, I couldn't have any after care from them, as I couldn't get there, I couldn't drive as I was post surgical, I couldn't face bumping along on on a bus for a 100 mile journey and then having to get another one to actually get to the hospital and patient transport didn't come out as far away as I was and some numpty had decided that you could only have patient transport for your first appointment and not any subsequent ones.

I was tested for cancer which luckily came back negative, or I would have been haivng to travel nearly 100 miles for treatment. It might have been a lovely centre full of caring experts and support, but if I couldn't have got there it would have been useless.

So many of these centres are to far away for many people to get to not just for treatment but for visitors, having visitors helps your mood so much, having some one who can bring you something like a newspaper or a magazine, a clean nightie is really important. So many hospitals think that everyone has herds of family and friends all local, who can run around after you at the drop of a hat and don't know what to do when you haven't. It's esepcially bad when you have to go to multiple distant sites for treatment.

Specialist centres are brilliant and offer brilliant treatment, if you can get to them

I get that specialist centres are good for those who work in them, but are they good for patients? Having been in a hospital  a 100 miles from friends, feeling really unwell and incredibly lonely was horrible, everyone else in the ward was local and had herds of friends and family every day and I had no one, I used to shut my bed curtains and cry through most visiting times. Then when I left hosptial, I couldn't have any after care from them, as I couldn't get there, I couldn't drive as I was post surgical, I couldn't face bumping along on on a bus for a 100 mile journey and then having to get another one to actually get to the hospital and patient transport didn't come out as far away as I was and some numpty had decided that you could only have patient transport for your first appointment and not any subsequent ones.

I was tested for cancer which luckily came back negative, or I would have been haivng to travel nearly 100 miles for treatment. It might have been a lovely centre full of caring experts and support, but if I couldn't have got there it would have been useless.

So many of these centres are to far away for many people to get to not just for treatment but for visitors, having visitors helps your mood so much, having some one who can bring you something like a newspaper or a magazine, a clean nightie is really important. So many hospitals think that everyone has herds of family and friends all local, who can run around after you at the drop of a hat and don't know what to do when you haven't. It's esepcially bad when you have to go to multiple distant sites for treatment.

Specialist centres are brilliant and offer brilliant treatment, if you can get to them