10 QUESTIONS
10 Questions with… Philip Lee
Each issue, we ask an industry professional the Tomorrow’s Care 10 Questions. This month, we spoke to Philip Lee, Chief Executive at Epilepsy Action.
Q4 Q1
How did you get into the care industry?
I joined British Epilepsy Association, as Epilepsy Action was then known, as a fundraiser in 1988. The powerful stories soon grabbed me and I developed a real desire and commitment to making a difference to the lives of people with epilepsy. I had no expectation then that I would still be with the charity after all this time.
Q2 Q3 - 52 -
Who, in any other industry, do you most admire?
Neurosurgeons, generally. What they do is so incredibly delicate, complicated and potentially life-changing. The pressure of responsibility when operating on someone’s brain cannot be imagined, especially when things don’t go according to plan.
How would you improve the care sector?
I would involve service users much more in the design of care and its delivery.
It’s important to really listen
to what they have to say and be much more responsive to their real needs.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
Q5 Q6
What did you want to be when you were eight years old?
I was a typical young boy who loved climbing trees and playing all kinds of sports. My dream would have been to become a professional footballer, although I drew the line at being a goalkeeper.
What is the biggest challenge facing the care industry today?
Providing appropriate care with limited resources and determining priorities.
If you could have a dinner party with any three people,
dead or alive? David Cameron, whose son Ivan had a rare form of epilepsy and died aged six, and any person with epilepsy with a story to tell. Big Data has its place in the evidence base but a condition like epilepsy is ultimately about the individuals who have to live their lives with its consequences and implications. It’s hard not to be humbled, inspired or outraged by what some people have to endure. Hopefully, David Cameron would feel the same and do something about it. My third choice would be Heston Blumenthal to do the cooking.
Q7
What is the best advice you could give to someone new
coming into the care profession? The nature of the work can exhaust your reserves so find time to take care of yourself. It’s important to do this or you will be unable to help the people who need your support.
Q8
What would you like to see in a future issue of Tomorrow’s Care?
I’d like to see an interview with a health and social care professional about the challenges on the ground of caring for someone with epilepsy. It would be great to see them review our latest online health and social care learning package to show the positive impact this can have – both from a staff and patient point of view.
Q9
What do you think the future holds for the care industry?
Care needs are only likely to increase. I would like to see a developing role for the third sector as public service is forced to withdraw due to financial constraints and commercial providers cherry pick only the profitable areas.
Q10
How do we galvanise our older population in a way
that they can influence health and social care policy for the future? The older population needs to develop a more defined group political consciousness – a sense that they as a group have a common identity and that they possess the power to influence change.
epilepsy.org.uk
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