#hellomynameis

When Andy was first diagnosed with cancer I found myself trawling the internet, trying to find good news stories about people who had survived a stage 4 diagnosis.  It was during one of those searches that I found Dr Kate Granger.

Kate is an NHS doctor, she also has terminal cancer.

Being both doctor and patient has enabled Kate to see her profession through different eyes, as carer and cared for.

During a hospital stay in 2013, recovering from post-operative sepsis, Kate was struck by the fact that so many staff looking after her didn't introduce themselves before delivering her care.  As she said, it seemed incredibly wrong that such a basic step in communication was missing.

Kate and her husband Chris decided to start a campaign, to encourage and remind healthcare staff of the importance of introductions in healthcare.  And so the hashtag #hellomynameis was born.