Power, patients, and change: Young people can help to reimagine healthcare
Young people can expose how power dynamics are limiting healthcare and how challenging them can help to improve services and reduce inequalities, write Rhea Burman and Guddi Singh Co-production and health inequalities are phrases often heard in health circles. Many believe that with more money, time, and resources, healthcare can be fixed. But as a young service user and a paediatrician, we believe that meaningful co-production to reduce health inequalities will never work until we tackle power imbalances. As an NHS user (RB), I have experienced vast differences in the quality of care I have received. I now get effective, compassionate care for my chronic condition, but previously I felt disrespected and undermined as a young person of colour. My concerns were dismissed because of my age and gender, and I received conflicting, confusing information about my prognosis. This made me feel powerless. Even when doctors were kind, care pathways were meandering and confusing. I sensed a lack
