Improved healthcare through innovative solutions

Patient Stories

Health First Europe is comprised of patient organisations and believes that patients should be at the centre of all health policy in order to facilitate a better patient experience for every European citizen.  HFE continuously works to ensure improved healthcare through innovative solutions so that is it the patient who benefits from all policy derived at the European level.

Health First Europe values understanding how policy affects every day patients and welcomes your contributions concerning the experiences had in healthcare systems across Europe.

Click here to share your story with us.

  • Live with Sinus Cancer - Lymphoma

    11 July 2011

    Even telling her story now still brings tears to my eyes, because Catherine was such a beautiful person. It has been more than 10 years now since she passed away from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but the memory remains the same. And it did not start with that form of cancer either. The [...]

    Author : Catherine Bear's husband

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  • 'A stroke changed my life overnight'

    11 July 2011

    Before June 17 2000, Jane Stokes CBE was a successful lawyer with a 25-year career in the civil service. She was highly driven and passionate, working up to 15 hours a day as a legal advisor in the Treasury Solicitor’s Department. That stopped suddenly one Monday morning. Jane, 52 at the time, was getting [...]

    Author : Jane X.

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  • Dementia patient's hospital treatment 'degrading'

    31 May 2011

    A Scottish hospital has been severely criticised over the care of an 80-year-old woman with dementia. The woman, known as Mrs V, has not been named to protect her family's identity. Mrs V was admitted to a ward for the elderly at Ninewells in December 2008 after she developed a chest infection, [...]

    Author : Mrs V.

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  • 'Take every opportunity to vaccinate your child'

    31 May 2011

    Janine Dunbar tells how her son’s brush with meningitis has strengthened her views on immunization. By the time Janine Dunbar’s five-month-old son Joseph was being examined in hospital, she knew something serious was wrong. Janine had first noticed that her baby was not well when he awoke on a winter’s morning just [...]

    Author : Janine Dunbar

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  • Dream holiday turns into a nightmare

    24 March 2011

    Have you ever had an unpleasant experience on vacation? Jean Schmit has a story to rival the worst holiday nightmare... “The story started when I took my wife for a holiday in Limassol, Cyprus. It seemed like the ideal location: fine food, warm climate and friendly people. “In fact, we had a [...]

    Author : Jean Schmit

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  • ‘Home in a day’ hip replacements

    23 March 2011

    Surgeons say a pioneering operation could allow patients to be able to go home the day after they have a hip replacement. Patients who have standard hip replacements have to stay in hospital for an average of eight days. Developers of the new procedure say it could cut waiting lists and [...]

    Author : Morgan Allen Moore

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  • I wasn’t going to let it pull me down

    02 April 2009

    It began in 1973. Diethelm Meuser had just turned 26 and was in the prime of life. But a strong persistent pain in his bladder began to disrupt his everyday life – he couldn’t fulfil his tasks as a business manager in the wood trade and all of his regular [...]

    Author : Diethelm Meuser

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  • I can be on the stage again

    30 May 2008

    Mike had a chronic wound which refused to heal – with the help of a special bandage he can now live a normal life again Mike Granowksi was always a person who enjoyed life. Mike has been a singer in several bands since the 60’s, and nine years ago he finally [...]

    Author : Mike Granowki

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  • How it was ... When our Jenny got diabetes

    15 November 2006

    Our Jennifer was just seven when, nine years ago, she suddenly fell ill from diabetes type 1. It was in summer when our Jenny was examined and diagnosed by our GP. Previous to this, there had been some days when Jenny had suffered from nausea, headache and similar symptoms, but [...]

    Author : Diana and Berthold Broll

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  • Diabetes never stopped me achieving what I wanted

    15 November 2006

    Lesley Molloy grew up in London and was first diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 13 at Barts Hospital. She had symptoms of weight loss and thirst. However her only concern at the time was "I won't be able to eat sweets." Social problems developed for Lesley though "I [...]

    Author : Leslie Molloy

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  • I Awaken to Glory

    18 September 2006

    Distinguished delegates, look at me! I am nearly sixty years of age. I do not smoke, very rarely drink to excess, and have never attended a first class football game in my life. But I enjoy the fresh air, I sing in a choir and am happily married with two [...]

    Author : John Hills

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