Make your voice heard, Make it count
Reflecting on the Ida Lock inquest has raised thoughts on stories parents have shared on a professional level and personal. As a midwife deeply passionate in community engagement, I have often encountered the phrase “Chal Koyna“- a common Punjabi expression meaning “forget it” or “it’s fine.” It’s often used to dismiss issues, ease tensions, or move past difficulties. However, within South Asian communities, this phrase has also become a barrier. Stifling voices, preventing concerns from being raised, and allowing systemic gaps in healthcare to persist.
Through both personal experiences and professional practice, I have seen families hesitate to challenge inadequate care, choosing instead to brush issues under the carpet rather than demand accountability. Whether due to faith, cultural norms, or a lack of awareness about their rights, many patients and their families remain silent, even when faced with serious lapses in care.
One crucial issue is the lack of transparency and data collection regarding concerns raised within healthcare systems. During my previous role, I noticed that data such as ethnicity, language spoke, gender, additional needs etc was not consistently recorded in the PALS procedure. This raises important questions: How many concerns actually get raised? Which communities are disproportionately underrepresented in these statistics? And how many families are unaware that internal investigations even take place when things go wrong?
It’s time to change this narrative. We must actively empower communities with knowledge about their rights, ensuring they have the confidence to speak up and demand answers. Hospitals and healthcare institutions must also take responsibility by improving transparency, collecting robust data on who raises concerns, and addressing disparities in access to complaints and legal recourse.
If you have any concerns and would like advocacy support, get in touch today.