Sharon Brennan

Today is #GlobalMNDAwarenessDay. For 6 months my amazing mum has been living with this awful disease. It's an incredibly tough time but she continues to smile & laugh

@mndassoc.bsky.social has been a great support. You can donate so ppl like mum get help here www.mndassociation.org/get-involved...

Fantastic day so far at Confed - Mackey’s talk about “tearing up” rules to focus on outcomes and results welcome to ensure we are listening to what patients needs and experience - also #SR day so here’s our response: www.nationalvoices.org.uk/spending-rev...

I recently chaired a @nationalvoices.bsky.social roundtable on AI -asking how to make it more patient & health inequalities centric. Recent @nuffieldtrust.bsky.social blog on AI In diagnostics shows the urgency to improve patient involvement: www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/cu... #AI #healthcare

HSJ Podcast: The making of a Health Bill – part 1 The first in an occasional series of HSJ Health Check podcasts tracking the development of the government's planned Health Bill, which is due to bring about the biggest change in the central running o...

Our Director of Policy and External Affairs @sharonbrennan.bsky.social features on the first of an exciting new @hsj.co.uk podcast series about new health legislation, contributing alongside guest Bill Morgan and HSJ's @davewwest.bsky.social and Annabelle Collins: www.hsj.co.uk/hsj-health-c... 1/2

A dark blue background featuring green, purple, and light blue circles. The National Voices logo features in the bottom right hand corner. Centrally, there is a PC monitor graphic; on the screen of the PC you can see Tessa's blog. Tessa is white, with shoulder length brown hair. Text reads: National Voices' Policy Manager, Tessa Fulton, shares her reflections on collaborating with ICSs to learn and improve how community engagement practices can meaningfully address health inequalities.

New on the blog! 📢

National Voices' Policy Manager, Tessa Fulton, shares her learnings on how to meaningfully engage with communities after collaborating with ICSs.

👉 tinyurl.com/2x3yzfpm

It text says “no available appointments at the moment”

Did the online GP referral thing - invited to book an appointment via NHS app - got this message. When the GP practice wasn’t using the app for the same process their website available appointments in 3 weeks+ time so at least you could book something.

As part of Austism Awareness week @cftrustuk.bsky.social has shared this blog written by a social media pal of mine (we can’t meet due to cross infection risks) - loved this bit about small but vital hospital adaptions www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/news/so-much...

Plan for GPs to keep millions of patients out of hospital GPs will work more closely with specialists to support patients closer to home, the government says.

Our Policy Director @sharonbrennan.bsky.social quoted in this piece about the expansion of “advice and guidance” - where GPs can speak with hospital Drs to resolve patient concerns more quickly than standard waiting lists www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

total clarity here from @edwardluce.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/4c4b...

Following on from my evidence session @commonshealth.bsky.social on NHSE abolishment/ ICB cuts we have now published a report with additional evidence and thoughts on Sir Jim Mackay’s letter to systems - i’d love to hear thoughts!
Read the paper here 👉 tinyurl.com/2z8rh45h

For one second Flora had me…

But huge risks - hearing from members cuts to Co production contracts with fears those exp health inequalities won’t be heard - potential ICB mergers will further distance commissioners from local communities- VCSE engagement mechanism already poor and could worsen 2/2

Representing @nationalvoices.bsky.social members today @commonshealth.bsky.social on NHSE abolishment’s and ICB cuts - real opp to refocus on patient exp in restructure - bringing back PE directorate& PE accountability at ICB board level, using national patient surveys to drive improvement 1/2

@sharonbrennan.bsky.social tells @commonshealth.bsky.social "we urgently need to know what the transition plan is" for the abolishment of NHS England, to reduce the risk of disrupting care.

Sharon also called for the return of dedicated patient experience directorate as part of the restructure

26 March 2025 - The work of NHS England - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament 09:15 - Room 16, Palace of Westminster

Delighted to be invited to give evidence at a Health Select Committee session tomorrow on the impact to patients of the abolishment of NHSE. I will share concerns and insights from our membership and wider stakeholders, outlining risks and opportunities:
committees.parliament.uk/event/23764/...

I remembered a piece I wrote for @hsj.co.uk back in the day, leaving this here without comment www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...

Creon shortages continue - given 1/5th of my order today - not clear when more stock will come in - living from one box of Creon to the another without any certainty about future supply is now the norm #medshortages #medsupply #creon

This is what the government did with 120K+ Japanese Americans in 1942.

I know. I was there in those camps.

The 1997 TOTP before this one was amazing - Ant and Dec trying to do britpop 😵‍💫

NEW

Data released today shows the number of collisions on 20 and 30mph roads in Wales have decreased by 26% in the 1st year of the rollout of default 20mph speed limits in residential areas.

There were also 28% fewer casualties compared to the previous year, the lowest since records began.

‘I am so proud’: Joy as Thailand’s same-sex couples can at last get married Thailand’s marriage equality laws come into force on Thursday, with hundreds of couples set to tie the knot in mass weddings in Bangkok

Great to see Thailand's new equality law allowing gay marriage- 1st country in SE Asia to do so, 3rd in all of Asia, (Nepal & Taiwan do). With anti LGBTQ+ legislation in US, great to see progress going in right direction in other parts of globe www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j... #LGBTQ #equality

Was at Harefield hospital last 2 days and looked again as this the amazing pot by Grayson Perry called ‘Urn for the Living’. You can see it from outside and inside the operating theatre - it makes me feel loved and seen that someone has made something so beautiful to honour the transplant process

What a happy dog!

We took mini VG to see this exhib @chris-branson.bsky.social

So it'll be 8 months since i saw consultant just to have diagnostic tests, let alone start any treatment. I could pay to have the same test this month with the same doctor but its £1200. So I've gone back to GP to ask for help with symptoms while I wait #diagnosis #electivewaitinglist 3/3

Got an email saying I was now scheduled for June 9th as I had "chosen" to cancel the last test (I was away on holiday). How am I now at the back of the queue when i never could make the original date? If I'd been given any date other than 30th Dec I could have made it...so its basically pot luck 2/3

With all eyes on elective here's my diagnosis test story part II. So last year was an admin nightmare cancelling a test I couldn't make & hadn't been asked in advance whether I could do... managed to cancel but not reschedule (see previous tweets on saga). 2nd Jan not heard new date so chased..1/3

Belatedly conducted our end of year ritual with my wife, where we pick our favourite books we’ve read. Another strong year… we are SO good at books @sharonbrennan.bsky.social

Bringing you our top 5 books each from 2024 with @chris-branson.bsky.social (bumped into Nick Cave at the Bacon exhib at the National Portrait Gallery today - thanked him for his music but not his book) #books #reading #skylit

May your 2025 be as peaceful as Rosie’s New Year’s celebrations (Picture of a sleepy black and white dog curled up on her bed)

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year with a message from Rosie (for you and the wider world)