Tuesday found me at the House of Commons. The inaugural meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG) for Urinary Tract Infections ( UTIs). The Chairs Alison Gardner MP and Luke Taylor MP.

Alison is the MP who had broken down in tears in the HoC debate on women’s health. Her experiences of medical misogyny over uti s she suffered causing her to lose the will to go on.

Luke a new MP confessed he’d heard from constituents about uti health care and thought he’d achieve quick wins to gain votes. Well that’s not happening- yet!

The meeting was massive. The patient stories were horrific. The attendees included the CEO of BAUS ( urology surgeons) and the new BAUS president. Delegates from charities, GPs, patient advocates, researchers, clinicians, academics and the Urology Foundation. Incredible.

In short the need is to improve definitions, diagnostics, treatments and preventions. All the things we have all been banging on about for years.

I’ll write it up properly but one story to explain: A male patient was having significant uti symptoms. Pain, distress, off work etc. His GP prescribed a six week course of antibiotics. “Prostatic guidelines ” to get away with that prescription.

The comparator. A lady goes to the GP uti symptoms pain, distress, off work – 3 days antibiotics. Hot bath and paracetamol prescribed.

No we are not surprised. The nods round the room verified the truth of it.

3 days?

Alison Gardner is terrific she asked me to help gather the delegates for a photo. “You seem to have a teacher voice”! . 🤣

More on all this is here and as this proceeds I’ll try to update. The top ten priorities

The rest is politics….

What a chaotic week across the world. One minute we have friends and relatives flying in and out of Dubai the next they are stranded.

It takes my thoughts back to 1966. My Dad and I were in the garden in Tel Aviv. The red airport marker lights – suddenly went out. In retrospect I think he was waiting for that. All I remember is making my bed into a bomb shelter for him. The evacuation flight out with my mum. She’d steadfastly refused to leave but eventually, leaving Dad behind, Mum and we four children left. BOAC at its best. The flight crew handed out peanuts (!) toy planes and my sister and I helped. Met at Heathrow by some FCO lady handing out jumpers and cash.

It all happened again in the 1970’s Dad was in Cairo. My siblings and I in schools in UK. No social media. No staff seemed to care. We scared ourselves witless listening to the World Service on our tiny leather clad radios under our pillows.

That’s all history. What’s happening now is another level.

If you are stuck somewhere- please stay safe and get home the long way round. Good luck.