This article is taken from the Spring 2015 issue of LymphLine, the LSN's quarterly newsletter available to all LSN members.
For details of how to become a member, click here.
For many years, the Lymphoedema Support Network has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of lymphoedema within the patient population and the medical profession. Many
of you will have read about our work in LymphLine and recognise that we are very well known and respected in the lymphoedema community and have won several awards for our work.
Over the years, the LSN has had meetings with Department of Health officials and politicians, carried out political and healthcare campaigns and each campaign has taken us a few steps forward in our work to ensure that all lymphoedema patients receive appropriate treatment. However, without robust evidence-based research, the NHS is reluctant to provide treatment for many patients. Therefore, we have also worked together with The British Lymphology Society (BLS) and The Inter- national Lymphoedema Framework (ILF) to help to produce the building blocks for this evidence-based research to show that lymphoedema treatments do work and
are cost effective within the NHS. More recently, we have worked with these organisations to produce a document calling for a National Strategy for Lymphoedema Care in England, which was sent to NHS England. The LSN also had a meeting with the Domain 2 Lead, Dr Martin McShane, but despite all of our hard work, this document was turned down. Nothing is easy in the lymphoedema world!!
Our colleagues in The British Lymphology Society have now launched an online petition, once again calling
for NHS England to develop a national strategy for lymphoedema. At the time
of going to print it has almost 1,500 signatures; the LSN is fully supportive of this action and with the help and support of patients, we would like to see this number rise dramatically! Whilst there are no guarantees that it will bring about any change at all, we would encourage you to sign this petition and also ask your friends and family. Let’s support our healthcare professionals and see what patient power can do!
Thank you!
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-nhs-100-for-every-1-spent-on-lymphoedema-treatments
or http://tinyurl.com/peacyau
|
