Author Archives: mmckenz11

Unknown's avatar

About mmckenz11

IT Officer for London School of Osteopathy and a Carer representative for Maudsley. As you can see, I have many interests shown off my blog. I hope to keep it updated with posts and more things to come soon.

Race Equality Week 2025: Taking Action for a More Inclusive Society

In this blog, you can explore the significance of Race Equality Week 2025 and how every action counts in challenging racial disparities and promoting lasting change in workplaces, communities, and society as a whole.

Introduction

Welcome! This blog is inspired by a moving and compelling speech given by Matthew McKenzie, aimed at raising awareness on anti-racism, advocating for unpaid carers, and highlighting mental health issues. Matthew’s message resonates deeply, especially as it concludes Race Equality Week 2025, which was held from February 3rd to the 9th. The theme for this year is “Every Action Counts,” emphasizing that even the smallest actions can contribute to fostering a fairer and more inclusive society.

Continue reading →

Hospital carers discharge toolkit meeting update January 2025

Welcome to the brief update of my hospital carers discharge toolkit meeting. I chair this meeting every two months with support of the carer centres and some hospitals.

The London Hospital discharge toolkit aims to provide a collaborative platform where unpaid carers, hospital carer leads and carer centres can work together to:

  • Enhance support for unpaid carers of patients using hospital services.
  • Improve communication and engagement between hospital staff and unpaid carers especially during patient discharge.
  • Identify and address the needs and concerns of carers within the hospital setting.
  • Share ways to implement London Hospital discharge toolkit to ensure carers are recognized, supported, and actively involved in the care journey of their loved ones while in hospital.
Continue reading →

World Cancer Day 2025: Wes Streeting “In Conversation” with Nick Robinson

Happy World Cancer Day 2025

I recently attended a special event hosted by Macmillan Cancer Support over at Central Hall Westminster for World Cancer Day 2025.

Just so you know, Macmillan Cancer Support provides emotional, practical, and financial support to people affected by cancer, offering services such as specialist healthcare, advice on treatment and benefits, and community-based support to ensure no one faces cancer alone.

Continue reading →

James Longman’s book launch event “The Inherited Mind”

Welcome to a quick event review, which I attended on the 29th of January 2025. The event was James Longman’s book launch for The Inherited Mind was a deeply moving and insightful conversation about mental illness, personal struggle, and the power of community.

The event took place at Ladbroke Hall over in West London, where the evening included drinks and refreshments, for the much anticipated conversation with James and BBC News’ Tina Daheley.

Continue reading →

Empowering Change: Uniting the unique Against Cancer on World Cancer Day

Another blog by Matthew McKenzie for World Cancer Day 2025. Join the movement on World Cancer Day to raise awareness, promote early detection, and support those affected by cancer. Together, we can make a difference in the fight against this disease that impacts millions worldwide.

To watch the 3 minute awarenes video. Click below.

Continue reading →

South West London Mental Health carers group update for January 2025

Here is a brief update to the SW London carers group facilitated by Matthew McKenzie and Ava.

Matthew discussed the importance of engaging with Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) for carers, emphasizing its role in providing support, advice, and information to patients and their families. The group also shared their experiences with PALS and other healthcare services, highlighting the need for transparency, accountability, and effective complaint resolution. Plans were made for upcoming meetings, including a speaker on PALS and discussions on expanding membership and increasing attendance.

Continue reading →

Ethnic mental health Carer Forum Update January 2025

Welcome to a brief update of my ethnic mental health carers forum for January 2025.

Quick recap

The meeting focused on discussing the Patient Care Race Quality Framework (PCREF) and sharing experiences and ideas among participants. The importance of incorporating equity and inclusion into organizational operations, particularly in relation to patient care, was emphasized, along with the need for better community engagement and the importance of making Personalised Care Framework more meaningful and reflective of people’s lived experiences. The meeting also highlighted the importance of education in addressing and understanding bias in mental health care, and the need for culturally competent care.

Continue reading →

Empowering Health Literacy: Unveiling the Impact of Health Information Week

Here is a health and wellbeing blog by carer champion Matthew McKenzie. On this blog post, we can explore the significance of Health Information Week in providing reliable health information, empowering individuals to make informed decisions, and combating health misinformation online.

Learn how this annual campaign promotes health literacy and supports patients and carers in navigating complex health systems.

Continue reading →

National Triangle of Care community meeting – January 2025

Welcome back to a brief update of the National Triangle of Care Commnity Group. A meeting organised by myself as a carer of lived experience to give a chance for mental health carers to find out developments on Triangle of Care. The online group is attended by unpaid mental health carers, Carers Trust triangle of Care leads and NHS carer representatives and mental health staff.

Agenda of Meeting

The meeting focused on discussing the Triangle of Care program, gathering feedback from carers, and addressing challenges in mental health care. Attendees shared experiences and insights on carer involvement, communication issues, and the need for improved support systems. Key topics included progress updates on the Triangle of Care implementation, the importance of carer perspectives in healthcare decision-making, and strategies to enhance carer engagement and representation across diverse groups.


Continue reading →

Countering Trump-Inspired Rhetoric: Strategies for Combating Discrimination

In this latest blog by Matthew McKenzie, writes on how to counter the rise of hate speech, xenophobia, and discrimination inspired by Trump’s rhetoric. Here in the video and blog post, people can discover basic legal, educational, and community-based approaches to protect human rights and promote inclusivity.

The video has a more indepth lecture, but parts of the video had to be cut since it went on too long. The video also has an index so people can skip to specific parts.

Continue reading →