How young people are shaping healthcare

Tabitha Owen, member of Great Ormond Street Hospital Young People’s Forum, London, UK

At 3 years old, I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and have spent more than a decade being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

I am a member of the Young People’s Forum (YPF) (www.gosh.nhs.uk/teenagers/teengosh-community/young-peoples-forum), which is a group of people between the ages of 11 and 25 who are current or former patients, or siblings of patients, who have been treated at GOSH. All of us are immensely motivated to improve the experience of young people who spend time at GOSH, because being on wards with younger children can be lonely and isolating.

We meet six times a year at GOSH and participate in a range of activities—from giving feedback on building redevelopment plans, to working with the head of information technology to improve the Wi-Fi and entertainment system, as well as advising on what food …