Welcome: If you’ve just arrived as a... - Cloudy with a Cha...

Cloudy with a Chance of Pain

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Welcome

matt profile image
matt
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If you’ve just arrived as a Pioneer member this is where it all begins. HealthUnlocked is a social network for health advocates like yourself to start an online movement. It’s about reaching other people and pooling together a mixture of information, support and experience to empower and change the lives of others. Most people with similar health interests also have something unique in their own experience that can help others. Everything here is designed to help you unlock the power of the crowd.

Back in 2007 I was a resident surgeon in a leading UK hospital. Our government was launching a series of changes to the way specialist doctors like myself were being accredited, and 99% of us felt it was a damaging step for the nation’s health, harmful both to us and future generations of patients we’d be treating. Big health institutions weren’t interested, so myself and a handful of doctors got together online. We started bringing more and more doctors into the group through the web. At first many thought we were crazy but quickly we became grassroots advocates for a generation of UK doctors, and in a couple of months we had a movement of 15,000 that provided support, inspiration and information to each other. We organized the biggest medical rally in UK history, an ongoing media campaign and, eventually, a high profile legal action. We got the health reforms radically changed for the better. See the article: bit.ly/R3tCM4

I learnt a lot about the immense power of togetherness, so when I joined forces with Jorge (our CEO) to dream up HealthUnlocked one of the main goals we shared was to make creating an online movement easier for inspired health advocates like you. From my own experience the importance of the group pioneers is the key.

That’s why you being here and reading this today is an important moment. In my experience if you can summon up the persistence to connect with other pioneers, create some activity, and trigger the spirit of a community, there’s no end to what you will go on to achieve together.

This 3 minute TED lecture speaks volumes about it

youtu.be/RXMnDG3QzxE

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matt profile image
matt
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nickywilliams66 profile image
nickywilliams66

Thank you so much for starting this movement and having the courage to stand up to governmental issues you felt we're fair to your patients. That takes a lot of guts and determination!!! I for one am so appreciative that you had the creative mind and spirit to stand out to be heard by others and start something new and positive.

I loved the TED talk video, it made me laugh!!

I really hope this forum works brilliantly in sharing issues and helping one another.

Many thanks

Nicky

Janet28 profile image
Janet28

Hi Matt,

You are a very brave and clever man, along with Jorge. This is a fantastic idea and the video is brilliant and so true. I thought Facebook was the biggest thing to ever come out of the internet for people to interact.

I am now thinking, maybe the biggest but not the best. This is targeting a specific group and using them all to support and help one another in a kind of professional manner, sharing knowledge and experiences. It's pure genius and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Peace, luv n light

Jan ☺