Healthcare advocacy service for My Medical Choice members
UK Healthcare Advocacy Service
Healthcare advocacy refers to practical support that helps individuals navigate complex medical systems, understand their options, and ensure their preferences are heard during healthcare interactions. It is most often sought when people feel overwhelmed, unwell, or uncertain about how to engage effectively with healthcare professionals, particularly during periods of stress, illness, or rapid decision-making.
Advocacy can take many forms, from helping patients prepare questions and understand medical information, to supporting communication between families and clinical teams. While it does not replace professional medical or legal advice, effective advocacy can play an important role in reducing confusion, supporting informed consent, and easing the burden on patients and their families.
This service would provide much needed assurance and support to less confident members, or those struggling to cope with illness or disability.
And you can help us make this happen!
We’re calling on our members to help us raise the funds to complete the national advocacy network by spreading the word about My Medical Choice, so you can help us grow our membership base.
The more members join up to My Medical Choice the more income we’ll have to fund the project – meaning the faster we can roll this service out across the UK.
As a non-profit private members association, we rely on our members to help spread the word and post our links and adverts on social media – so, we’ve included this post for you to copy and paste if you’d like to help us with this project.
Our members can now access all of these services:
- A private personal account page for storing legal directives, medical data, and donor details
- Our medical alert service that notifies your emergency contact that you’re in hospital
- A unique login to enable NHS and emergency services to access your medical and donor data, and your legal documents (in case you are unable to communicate due to accident or illness)
- Our portable, wallet-sized Advance Decision Notice (AKA a Living Will) that stipulates which medical treatments and procedures you wish to refuse
- A Lasting Power of Attorney document that can be stored on your personal account page
- A Pre-op Consultation Pack guiding you through ways to achieve your healthcare wishes at pre-planned appointments and consultations
- And, of course – The national donor database, and The system of compatible private donors
There is also educational and reference material to help you:
- optimise your blood for surgery
- learn the established alternative options to blood transfusions
- discuss your healthcare wishes with your loved ones
- deal with Medical Gatekeepers
- understand NHS patient policies and good medical practice guides, etc.
How Advocacy Fits Within Broader Healthcare Support
Healthcare advocacy does not exist in isolation. For many people, effective support involves a combination of clear information, practical assistance, and access to wider support networks. In practice, this may include signposting to aligned healthcare professionals, advocacy organisations, or legal support services when navigating complex or challenging situations within the healthcare system.
Some individuals seek advocacy alongside complementary forms of support, such as access to practitioners whose approaches align with their personal values, or services that focus on patient-led decision making during pregnancy, treatment planning, or recovery. Others may look for guidance when communication breaks down, outcomes are unexpected, or they feel unsure about how to raise concerns or understand their options.
In this broader context, advocacy can be understood as part of a wider support ecosystem. It may involve helping people prepare for appointments, understand medical information, identify appropriate sources of advice, or access specialist support if difficulties arise. The emphasis is on enabling individuals and families to engage more confidently and clearly with healthcare processes, rather than navigating them alone.
Some organisations and community networks aim to strengthen this ecosystem over time by developing trained advocates who can offer informed, practical support during medical interactions. While availability and scope vary, the underlying goal is consistent: to reduce confusion, support informed consent, and help ensure that patients feel heard and supported when it matters most.
We’re also excited to announce our goal to build a network of trained advocates to accompany and support our members at medical appointments – A goal YOU can help us achieve!
Understanding how an Advocacy Service can help with bodily autonomy.
Medical advocacy in UK healthcare and bodily autonomy refers to supporting and representing a patient’s rights, preferences, and interests in medical care and treatment decisions. It is a crucial aspect of patient-centered care that aims to ensure that individuals have a say in their healthcare choices, and their decisions are respected by healthcare providers.
Here’s a breakdown of key aspects of a medical advocacy system within the UK Healthcare Sector, particularly concerning bodily autonomy:
- Informed Consent: Medical advocacy involves ensuring that patients are fully informed about their medical conditions, treatment options, potential risks, and benefits. Patients have the right to make decisions about their own bodies based on this information. Advocates may assist patients in understanding medical jargon and discussing treatment choices with healthcare providers.
- Respecting Patient Preferences: Advocates help patients communicate their healthcare preferences to their healthcare team. This includes decisions about treatment options, end-of-life care, pain management, and other aspects of medical care. Advocates ensure that healthcare providers respect and adhere to these preferences.
- Protecting Vulnerable People: Medical advocacy becomes especially important when patients are unable to make decisions for themselves due to cognitive impairments, unconsciousness, or other factors. Advocates may represent the patient’s previously expressed wishes or act in their best interests, as determined by the legal framework in place.
- Dispute Resolution: In some cases, patients and healthcare providers may disagree on treatment decisions. Advocates can help mediate these disputes, ensuring that the patient’s rights and autonomy are upheld while also considering the medical expertise of the healthcare team.
- Legal Framework: In the UK, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of individuals who lack capacity. This includes the appointment of lasting power of attorney (LPA) for healthcare decisions, where someone can be designated to make decisions on a person’s behalf if they lose capacity.
- Patient Rights: Advocates ensure that patients are aware of their rights within the healthcare system. This includes the right to refuse treatment, access to medical records, and the right to a second opinion.
- Supporting Vulnerable Groups: Certain groups, such as minors, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, may require extra support in advocating for their healthcare needs. Advocates can play a crucial role in ensuring that these individuals are treated with respect and receive appropriate care.
Healthcare advocacy is intended to support communication and understanding rather than direct decision making. Advocates do not make medical decisions or override clinical judgement. Instead, their role is to help individuals express concerns, understand information, and participate more effectively in discussions with healthcare professionals, particularly when situations feel complex or emotionally challenging.
In summary, medical advocacy in UK healthcare with regard to bodily autonomy is about empowering patients to make informed decisions about their medical care and ensuring that their preferences are respected, even in cases where they may be unable to make decisions themselves. It involves legal frameworks, communication, and support to uphold the principle of bodily autonomy within the healthcare system.
By joining us now, you can help grow our membership base… which means more donations to fund the project… which means a faster roll out of the national advocacy service!
Clinical decisions remain the responsibility of qualified healthcare professionals, guided by medical evidence, legal frameworks, and the patient’s best interests where capacity is limited. Where a valid and applicable Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment exists, it provides legally recognised instructions that clinicians must take into account when determining which treatments can or cannot be provided.
So, if you believe in the right to bodily autonomy for you and your loved ones join www.MyMedicalChoice.org, today!
For information on understanding advocacy, visit our page:
My Medical Choice is all about your Medical Autonomy and making sure the emergency team treating you follows your specific wishes. When used correctly, it is a powerful system that can notify medical teams about allergies, procedures etc., right down to more personalised decisions such as people concerned about mRNA in blood, and/or, wanting a solution to vaccinated blood (as listed in the examples in some articles).
My Medical Choice is not here to judge your decision, it is about empowering people to have control over their own healthcare.
Frequently asked questions about healthcare advocacy
Healthcare advocacy is most effective when it is understood and put in place before a crisis occurs. The questions below address some of the most common concerns people have when navigating medical decisions, consent, and communication within the UK healthcare system, and explain how advocacy fits into a wider framework of preparation and protection.
What is a healthcare advocacy service and why might someone need one?
A healthcare advocacy service supports individuals in making sure their views, preferences and concerns are clearly communicated within medical settings. This is particularly important when treatment decisions are complex, time-sensitive, or emotionally challenging.
Advocacy helps people understand what is being proposed, ask the right questions, and ensure that their wishes are properly recognised, especially where informed consent is critical. This sits alongside broader principles explored in Informed consent within the UK healthcare system, which explains why clarity and documentation matter long before an emergency arises.
Who can benefit from healthcare advocacy support in the UK?
Healthcare advocacy is not limited to people who are already unwell or vulnerable. It can benefit anyone who wants greater confidence when navigating medical care, including individuals with long-term conditions, those preparing for surgery, older adults, or family members supporting a loved one.
Advocacy is particularly valuable where capacity could be lost unexpectedly, which is why it complements advance planning tools such as Advance Decisions. This is explored in more depth in How to Protect Your Medical Rights When You Can’t Speak for Yourself.
How can advocacy help when there are concerns or disagreements about medical care?
When concerns arise about treatment plans, consent, or communication, advocacy provides structure and balance. An advocate can help individuals prepare for conversations, organise questions, and ensure discussions remain focused on the person’s stated wishes.
This approach is especially relevant in situations where documented preferences are overlooked or misunderstood. The real-world implications of this are highlighted in When an Advance Decision is overlooked – a wake-up call for us all.
How is an independent advocate different from NHS advice or liaison services?
NHS advice and liaison services are designed to provide information and resolve issues within healthcare organisations, but they remain part of the system itself. An independent advocate operates separately and focuses exclusively on representing the individual’s perspective.
This independence becomes particularly important in sensitive situations involving consent, escalation, or end-of-life decisions. The distinction between system-led processes and patient-centred protection is also relevant in discussions around DNACPR decisions, explored here – How DNACPR decisions are handled in the UK
How does healthcare advocacy work alongside Advance Decisions and emergency planning?
Advocacy is most effective when it reinforces clearly documented medical wishes rather than trying to establish them under pressure. For My Medical Choice members, advocacy sits alongside tools such as Advance Decision Notices, emergency access systems, and visible medical identification.
This layered approach ensures that wishes are not only written down, but understood, accessible, and actively supported when it matters most. For a detailed overview of how Advance Decisions function in practice, see – How to create an Advance Decision to refuse treatment in the UK.
Last reviewed: December 2025
Just a friendly reminder that no information in this publication constitutes legal or medical advice from My Medical Choice or any of our affiliates and the contents of this document are for educational and support purposes only.