NHS England is committed to co-designing national strategies with VCSE organisations and legislation and strategy documents such as the Five Year Forward View 2014, have promoted the role of VCSE organisations in improving outcomes.

And since August 2016 all organisations which provide NHS care or adult social care are required to follow the Accessible Information Standard which is designed to ensure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss receive information they can access and understand.

“I found that talking about and sharing my experiences was incredibly liberating – it was therapy like no other.  I’d not expected it to feel so good and positive; I’d just wanted to get my story across.”