Membership My Medical Choice Advocacy Service

Healthcare advocacy service for My Medical Choice members

UK Healthcare Advocacy Service

We’re very excited to announce that we’re working towards building a national network of trained advocates to attend appointments with our members, as well as a service for telephone advice and support. Having an advocacy service working alongside our members, as and when needed, can give peace of mind when navigating our NHS healthcare system.

This service would provide much needed assurance and support to less confident members, or those struggling to cope with illness or disability.

And you can help us make this happen!

We’re calling on our members to help us raise the funds to complete the national advocacy network by spreading the word about My Medical Choice, so you can help us grow our membership base.

The more members join up to My Medical Choice the more income we’ll have to fund the project – meaning the faster we can roll this service out across the UK.

As a non-profit private members association, we rely on our members to help spread the word and post our links and adverts on social media – so, we’ve included this post for you to copy and paste if you’d like to help us with this project.

Our members can now access all of these services:

  1. A private personal account page for storing legal directives, medical data, and donor details
  2. Our medical alert service that notifies your emergency contact that you’re in hospital
  3. A unique login to enable NHS and emergency services to access your medical and donor data, and your legal documents (in case you are unable to communicate due to accident or illness)
  4. Our portable, wallet-sized Advance Decision Notice (AKA a Living Will) that stipulates which medical treatments and procedures you wish to refuse
  5. A Lasting Power of Attorney document that can be stored on your personal account page
  6. A Pre-op Consultation Pack guiding you through ways to achieve your healthcare wishes at pre-planned appointments and consultations
  7. And, of course:

The national donor database, and
The system of compatible private donors

There is also educational and reference material to help you:

  • optimise your blood for surgery
  • learn the established alternative options to blood transfusions
  • discuss your healthcare wishes with your loved ones
  • deal with Medical Gatekeepers
  • understand NHS patient policies and good medical practice guides, etc.
New to My Medical Choice is the addition of services that complement our own, accessible through our partner organisations, such as:
  • Access to like-minded health practitioners and natural birth services
  • Advocacy and legal support if things go wrong

Full membership is just £25 for the year and includes access to all My Medical Choice services and information.

We’re also excited to announce our goal to build a network of trained advocates to accompany and support our members at medical appointments – A goal YOU can help us achieve!

Understanding how an Advocacy Service can help when it comes to bodily autonomy!

Medical advocacy in the context of UK healthcare and bodily autonomy refers to the practice of supporting and representing a patient’s rights, preferences, and interests in their medical care and treatment decisions. It is a crucial aspect of patient-centered care that aims to ensure that individuals have a say in their healthcare choices, and their decisions are respected by healthcare providers.

Here’s a breakdown of key aspects of a medical advocacy system within the UK Healthcare Sector, particularly concerning bodily autonomy:

  1. Informed Consent: Medical advocacy involves ensuring that patients are fully informed about their medical conditions, treatment options, potential risks, and benefits. Patients have the right to make decisions about their own bodies based on this information. Advocates may assist patients in understanding medical jargon and discussing treatment choices with healthcare providers.
  2. Respecting Patient Preferences: Advocates help patients communicate their healthcare preferences to their healthcare team. This includes decisions about treatment options, end-of-life care, pain management, and other aspects of medical care. Advocates ensure that healthcare providers respect and adhere to these preferences.
  3. Protecting Vulnerable People: Medical advocacy becomes especially important when patients are unable to make decisions for themselves due to cognitive impairments, unconsciousness, or other factors. Advocates may represent the patient’s previously expressed wishes or act in their best interests, as determined by the legal framework in place.
  4. Dispute Resolution: In some cases, patients and healthcare providers may disagree on treatment decisions. Advocates can help mediate these disputes, ensuring that the patient’s rights and autonomy are upheld while also considering the medical expertise of the healthcare team.
  5. Legal Framework: In the UK, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of individuals who lack capacity. This includes the appointment of lasting power of attorney (LPA) for healthcare decisions, where someone can be designated to make decisions on a person’s behalf if they lose capacity.
  6. Patient Rights: Advocates ensure that patients are aware of their rights within the healthcare system. This includes the right to refuse treatment, access to medical records, and the right to a second opinion.
  7. Supporting Vulnerable Groups: Certain groups, such as minors, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, may require extra support in advocating for their healthcare needs. Advocates can play a crucial role in ensuring that these individuals are treated with respect and receive appropriate care.

In summary, medical advocacy in UK healthcare with regard to bodily autonomy is about empowering patients to make informed decisions about their medical care and ensuring that their preferences are respected, even in cases where they may be unable to make decisions themselves. It involves legal frameworks, communication, and support to uphold the principle of bodily autonomy within the healthcare system.

By joining us now, you can help grow our membership base… which means more donations to fund the project… which means a faster roll out of the national advocacy service!

So, if you believe in the right to bodily autonomy for you and your loved ones join www.My-Medical-Choice.org today!

For information on understanding advocacy, visit our page:

Informed Consent Within UK Healthcare System

 

My Medical Choice is all about your Medical Autonomy and making sure the emergency team treating you follows your specific wishes. When used correctly, it is a powerful system that can notify medical teams about allergies, procedures etc., right down to more personalised decisions such as people concerned about mRNA in blood, and/or, wanting a solution to vaccinated blood (as listed in the examples in some articles).

My Medical Choice is not here to judge your decision, it is about empowering people to have control over their own healthcare.

Just a friendly reminder that no information in this publication constitutes legal or medical advice from My Medical Choice or any of our affiliates and the contents of this document are for educational and support purposes only.