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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

@niamhtaohealth.bsky.social

2.4K followers 2K following 110 posts

Personal views on integrated health and care policy and practice worldwide. CE of International Foundation for Integrated Care @ificinfo.bsky.social. Irish woman in the UK. Paeds SLT in the past. Posts about gardens🌱for fun!

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Aug 18

I have been reading lots of posts about the importance of posting & engagement here.We want to build (& keep!) a positive community climate. But communities need the introverts, listeners & observers too. So it's ok if like me you prefer to post only when you have something you really want to share.

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · Aug 6

Tomorrow, 7th August, is the anniversary of the counter-protests that ended the 2024 riots. Asylum is back in the headlines - but has the need to challenge racism gone missing? My Eastern Eye column this week on the need to rebalance the poliitical conversation

www.easterneye.biz/british-ethn...

Are the legitimate concerns of ethnic minorities about racism being ignored?

'Politicians must not ignore threats to racial equality today'

www.easterneye.biz

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · 14d

"Hospitals packed with elderly people whose every problem is magnified by loneliness and a dearth of love and attention. Our costliest medicines don’t touch them and the fleeting kindness of strangers is unfortunately just that." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Why do the children of elderly patients stay away? Loneliness makes them get sicker and stay sicker for longer | Ranjana Srivastava

One of the greatest acts of love is simply bearing witness to the vicissitudes of ageing

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Shibley @drshibley.bsky.social · 18d

World Dementia Day 2025: we need to recognise 'community based rehabilitation' here in the UK, and some progress has been made drshibleyrahman.wordpress.com/2025/09/21/w...
#WorldAlzheimersDay

World Dementia Day 2025: we need to recognise ‘community based rehabilitation’ here in the UK, and some progress has been made

The NHS Long Term Plan commits to integrated, person-centred care, but dementia and delirium must be central to that vision.Delirium, often overlooked, is a preventable and treatable cause of distr…

drshibleyrahman.wordpress.com

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Sep 3

bsky.app/profile/coli...

Colin Elves @colinelves.bsky.social · Sep 3

With alt:

Smajo Beso • Follow
3d • ©
I started school in Newcastle in Year 5 without knowing a word of English. I was nine years old and had arrived as a refugee from Bosnia just a couple of months earlier.
I was one of those strangers our politicians often speak about.
I missed my grandparents and friends. I was having awful nightmares, and I would wake up screaming every single night. I hated going to school. I would sit in my chair, look out of the window, and spend my day daydreaming about ways to run back to Bosnia. I didn't want to be here.
After a couple of weeks at school, my teacher, Miss Webster, and my classmates did something special to help me settle, something that made me feel less of a stranger. That was the first day I went home with a smile on my face.
I have shared this story before, but as tomorrow is start of the new school year, I thought I would share it again.
**

Miss Webster was amazing, but I couldn't understand a word she was saying. She had this ritual where, at the end of each day, we would all sit on the floor around her, she would play the guitar, and we would all sing a song together.
I couldn't understand what they were singing, but I could see she would sing one part of the song, then she would say someone's name or point to them. The next part of the song would be sung with that person's name in it, and they would get to go home first.
My classmates loved this, but I hated it. It annoyed me because I couldn't understand what they were singing, but if I am honest, l hated it mainly because of how happy they all were. I definitely wasn't happy. I cried myself to sleep nearly every night.
I eventually started having separate English lessons, which I enjoyed more because it took me out of the classroom. It was always daunting coming to school because I felt everyone was looking at me or speaking about me. For months, my dad would stand with me outside the school gates in the morning until it was time to go in.

One day I came back into the classroom from my English lesson. We sat down, and everyone was extra-excited, looking at me more than usual for some reason. Of course, I thought it was because I was a refugee, because I couldn't speak English, or because they couldn't pronounce my name. I was bracing myself for another afternoon of my classmates encouraging me to sing. This was probably the closest I came to running out.
So we were all sitting on the floor around Miss Webster. She was holding her guitar, ready to sing. I remember the sun shining through the tall, narrow windows as I slowly drifted into a daydream of being back in Bosnia. She began playing the guitar, my classmates joined in, but this time, everything was different. I froze. I understood what they were signing. Not because I had miraculously learned English in one afternoon, but because they were singing in Bosnian for me. I looked around in shock, and they were all smiling at me, and for a moment I thought I was daydreaming.

While I was having separate English lessons, Miss Webster had taught our entire class to sing this song for me in Bosnian. They sang it terribly, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. I skipped home that day with a huge smile on my face. For the first time, I looked forward to going back to school the next day.
I have often imagined Miss Webster and my classmates rehearsing, struggling with the strange Bosnian words and laughing at themselves. For me, that effort was the ultimate recognition, an act of peace that felt like the opposite of everything I had known during the war. It was special.
I do not know if they realised it then, but that moment helped to give me back my dignity, my belonging, and, for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I was just a refugee or an outsider. I was home.

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Sep 3

Timeline cleanse

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

William Lane @williamjtlane.bsky.social · Sep 2

One thing I really hope we can leave behind in the 2010s/early 2020s is the idea that being cynical = being wise.

If you want to have an impact on the world, that involves being sincere. Yes people will sneer, but sneering has no impact. Genuine sincerity breaks barriers and moves mountains.

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Aug 26

Yet another example of policy being driven by short-term cost-containment NOT people-centred care.

El Gibbs @bluntshovels.bsky.social · Aug 25

Dinner or a shower? Elderly people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Dinner or a shower? Elderly people fear tough choices when Australia’s new aged care changes are rolled out

Advocates warn increased costs for basic assistance like showers and wound cleaning will push older people into aged care or hospital

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Healthwatch England @healthwatchengland.bsky.social · Aug 15

Think there's no power in your feedback? Don't believe it can make a difference to health and social care services? We want to show you that isn't the case. Check out some recent examples of how you made a difference - www.healthwatch.co.uk/our-impact

Thanks to millions of people speaking up about their care, we've been able to champion big healthcare changes.

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Aug 11

What stood out for me:- "Women in Unsung Britain
are twice as likely as men to be both disabled and a carer: 6 per cent versus 3 per cent" - wow, just wow. Not surprising but still shocking.

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · Aug 11

One-in-ten adults on low-to-middle incomes are now carers.

This has widened the gap between lower and higher income families when it comes to caring responsibilities.

Chart showing proportion of working-age adults who are caring for a sick, disabled or elderly person for at least five hours a week, by income group: UK
The chart shows that throughout the 2000s and 2010s, adults in low-to-middle income families were consistently more likely to provide care for at least five hours a week than those on higher incomes, with rates hovering around 8 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. (This can include caring for someone in the same household or a different household, and the person being cared for can be any age, including disabled children and pensioners). Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, caring rates among
low-to-middle income families have increased further, widening the gap; by 2023-24, one-in-ten (10 per cent) low-to-middle income adults had caring responsibilities.

Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Aug 10

This resonated very strongly.... The complex question of what it is to be culturally Irish in 2025 - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The complex question of what it is to be culturally Irish in 2025

Ed Sheeran grew up in England but described himself as 'culturally Irish,' prompting debate about what that really means

www.bbc.co.uk

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Aug 3

Solidarity is not a uniquely female trait but we have been left with no choice for a long time. We will continue but we will fight hard & noisily for recognition.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

UK has got ‘fat’ on decades of free labour by women, says MP Jess Phillips

Minister points to ‘sexist’ practice of country relying on women to provide services so government did not have to

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Healthwatch England @healthwatchengland.bsky.social · Jul 24

Today’s date is 24/7, which is #SamaritansAwarenessDay. Remember that when life is difficult, @samaritans.bsky.social are there to listen 24/7.

Every hour, every day, every life.
Let's prevent suicide today.
Because tomorrow's too late.
24/7 Samaritans awareness day

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Bylines Network @bylinesnetwork.co.uk · Jul 21

🧵 Part 2: post-op.

Joint replacement surgery is not the end. It’s the beginning.

Post-op recovery is a full-time job – on crutches, physio, pain management. And unless you have help, it’s almost impossible, writes Liz Crosbie.

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @lizcrosbie.bsky.social

The truth on orthopaedic recovery: logistics of after care

With hip and knee replacement operations successfully completed, the journey of orthopaedic recovery starts – on their own, at home

eastangliabylines.co.uk

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Eli Friedman @elifriedman.bsky.social · Jul 18

"Thirty-two percent of Koreans born between 1981 and 1986 still live with their parents... the figure [in the greater Seoul area] is 41.1 percent."

One of the grimmest stats I've read in a while

Young Koreans are 'taking breaks' from their jobs — and their parents aren't sure when they can retire

A growing number of young Koreans are exiting the work force, impacting older generations and contributing to labor market challenges and potential social isolation.

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Hannah White @drhannahwhite.bsky.social · Jul 14

We at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have coordinated a letter in @thetimes.com today in which numerous individuals and organisations call on the government to withdraw its mistaken rules which are having a serious chilling effect on civil servants speaking in public…

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jul 15

The days when British Airways was one of the best airlines to fly with are long gone... Just spent an exceptionally frustrating 1.5 hrs trying to get my eticket receipt because their system failed AGAIN! But as long as the shareholders get their dividends, hey?!

Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Andy Cowper @hpiandycowper.bsky.social · Jul 9

It seems that @samfr.bsky.social is not a total fan of the NHS Ten-Year Plan samf.substack.com/p/optimism-o...

Optimism of the will

Evaluating Labour's plan for the NHS

samf.substack.com

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Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

lucygobag.bsky.social @lucygobag.bsky.social · Jul 8

Emergency Alert day has been confirmed as 7th September. If you have a secret phone for safety go to settings and turn off all government notifications. Setting it to silent or airplane is not enough 🚨 (guidance on each step is on the internet). Spread the word

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jul 6

This is excellent news & hopefully just a start of more coordinated investment in children & young people www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

One-stop family hubs to be opened in all English council areas

Government announces £500m project to provide single-point of access for health, education and wellbeing services

www.theguardian.com

Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jul 1

app.hsj.co.uk/2025/06/24/t...

The patient voice is being silenced

Patients are being shut out of the NHS conversation, as lived experience and recovery support are increasingly ignored

app.hsj.co.uk

Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · Jun 30

Fascinating piece on (another) unseen health timebomb, which also helps explain a lot about both pressures on A&E and arguably on sickness benefits www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Britain in 2025: sick man of Europe battling untreated illness crisis

As poverty deepens across Britain, the Guardian visited some of the hardest-hit places where leaders are aiming to shift healthcare from hospitals to communities

www.theguardian.com

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jun 29

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Britain’s ‘medieval’ health inequality is devastating NHS, experts say

Exclusive: Health service estimated to be spending £50bn a year on effects of deprivation and child poverty

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Niamh Lennox-Chhugani

lucygobag.bsky.social @lucygobag.bsky.social · Jun 23

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Look at Labour’s cruel attitude towards disability benefits, then tell me Keir Starmer cares about 'human dignity' | John Harris

These proposed cuts will turn people’s lives into a nightmare. No wonder they are scared about where this all might lead, says Guardian columnist John Harris

www.theguardian.com

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jun 18

It always amazes me how wide & deep our international network is. It was fully on display today at out first Scientific Committee meeting for @ificinfo.bsky.social #ICIC26 in Birmingham
integratedcarefoundation.org/conference-p...

ICIC26 Conference Scientific Committee - IFIC

ICIC26 Conference Scientific Committee

integratedcarefoundation.org

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Niamh Lennox-Chhugani @niamhtaohealth.bsky.social · Jun 18

Looking forward to this very much! @ificinfo.bsky.social

University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care GPCC @gothenburgpcc.bsky.social · Jun 18

2nd Global Conference on Person-Centred Care GCPCC 2026
Keynote speakers: Niamh Lennox-Chhugani, Chris Graham, Juan Bornman, and Erna Haraldsdottir!
Pre-conference workshop Brendan McCormack.
➡️ Abstract submission open until 25th August!
➡️ Conference Registration will open in August
➡️ Info gcpcc.org