Kate Miriam Granger (31 October 1981 – 23 July 2016) was an English

geriatrician Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term ''geriatrics'' originates from the Greek language, Greek γέρων ''geron'' meaning "old man", and ιατ ...

and campaigner for better patient care. In 2011 she was diagnosed with

desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive and rare cancer that primarily occurs as masses in the abdomen. Other areas affected may include the lymph nodes, the lining of the abdomen, diaphragm (anatomy), diaphragm, spleen, live ...

(DSRCT), a type of

sarcoma A sarcoma is a malignant tumor, a type of cancer that arises from transformed cells of mesenchymal (connective tissue) origin. Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bone, cartilage, fat, vascular, or hematopoietic tissues, and sarcom ...

, and subsequently started the "#hellomynameis" campaign encouraging healthcare staff to introduce themselves to patients. Granger also raised over £250,000 for local cancer charity, the Yorkshire Cancer Centre Appeal (now Leeds Cancer Centre Charity).

Early life

Originally from

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

, West Yorkshire, Granger studied at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

, obtaining a BSc in

Pharmacology Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemica ...

in 2002 and an

MB ChB Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

in 2005. After qualifying she returned to West Yorkshire to work, obtaining a position with the

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust runs Pontefract Hospital, Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield and Dewsbury and District Hospital and community health services in Wakefield, all in West Yorkshire, England. It has been under financial pressure ...

, at

Pinderfields Hospital Pinderfields Hospital is an acute District General Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire operated by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. History The original acute hospital in Wakefield was established as part of the Stanley Royd Hospital an ...

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

Illness

Granger first became ill when on holiday in California in July 2011 with her husband Chris Pointon. She was treated in the Emergency Room in Santa Cruz when her

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood ...

s failed. She returned to

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

and was given further tests. When told the diagnosis, she knew that DSRCT that had

metastasized Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, ...

had "an utterly dismal

prognosis Prognosis (Greek: πρόγνωσις "fore-knowing, foreseeing") is a medical term for predicting the likely or expected development of a disease, including whether the signs and symptoms will improve or worsen (and how quickly) or remain stabl ...

". She was treated with P6 protocol

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...

and endured painful treatments which she described in detail in her blog ''"The Other Side and the Bright Side"''. She described how the news that her condition was incurable was broken to her: Granger was the subject the second ever Dying Matters Annual Lecture 2014, with a filmed conversation with Granger. After her diagnosis, Granger continued her medical training and qualified as a consultant geriatrician. During the latter stages of her illness, she was treated at St Gemma's Hospice,

. She died on 23 July 2016, aged 34.

Campaigns

#hellomynameis

Granger started the #hellomynameis campaign in 2013, chiefly using Twitter, where by the time of her death, she had over 40,000 followers. The campaign name was the Twitter hashtag #hellomynameis, which has received more than 1.5 billion Twitter impressions. It was intended to encourage healthcare staff to introduce themselves to patients, following her experiences that she discussed in her boo
The Other Side
On 31 August 2015, the second anniversary of the campaign, she recalled: Kate spoke at the NHS Confederation annual conference in 2014 on the campaign. , the campaign has been endorsed by more than 400,000

doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

nurses Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

therapists A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many different ...

receptionist A receptionist is an employee taking an office or administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization or business. The title ''receptionist'' is attributed to ...

s and porters across over 90 organisations, including NHS Trusts across England,

NHS Scotland NHS Scotland, sometimes styled NHSScotland, is the publicly funded healthcare system in Scotland and one of the four systems that make up the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. It operates 14 territorial NHS boards across Scotland, ...

NHS Wales NHS Wales ( cy, GIG (Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol) Cymru) is the publicly-funded healthcare system in Wales, and one of the four systems which make up the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. NHS Wales was formed as part of the public ...

and the NHS in Northern Ireland. She had spoken passionately at many health conferences and her campaign is supported by the former Prime Minister

David Cameron David William Donald Cameron (born 9 October 1966) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2005 to 2016. He previously served as Leader o ...

Nicola Sturgeon Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon (born 19 July 1970) is a Scottish politician serving as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2014. She is the first woman to hold either position. She has been a member of ...

, Health Secretary

Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (born 1 November 1966) is a British politician who has served as Chancellor of the Exchequer since 14 October 2022. He previously served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport ...

, many celebrities, and a significant number of leaders in health organisations in the UK and overseas. The campaign continues each 23 July (the anniversary of her death) across the NHS. In 2020 Leeds Cares published videos from staff to celebrate Kate and continue to campaign to improve patient care.

Fundraising

Granger donated proceeds from the sales of her two books, and sponsored events such as a tandem skydiving jump, to cancer research. In total she raised over £250,000 for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre.

Awards and honours

In February 2014, NHS England created th
Kate Granger Awards for Compassionate Care
These annual awards are in honour of Granger to "recognise an individual, team or organisation that has made a positive difference to patient care". In 2017, the publicly voted fo
Yorkshire Choice Awards
introduced the Kate Granger Award for Outstanding Achievement
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
launched the European Kate Granger Awards for Compassionate Care in 2018. In 2019, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust gave an award in Kate's honour as part of their Leeds Hospital Heroes for making a positive difference on the patient experience. In June 2014, Granger was elected as a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

, the first doctor in training that the college had elected as a fellow, in recognition of her contribution to healthcare. Granger was made a

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to the NHS and improving care. Her award was presented to her at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

, in June 2015. Also in 2015, she was made an honorary Doctor of Science by

London South Bank University London South Bank University (LSBU) is a public university in Elephant and Castle, London. It is based in the London Borough of Southwark, near the South Bank of the River Thames, from which it takes its name. Founded in 1892 as the Borough ...

. In 2016, Granger received a special achievement award from the

BMJ ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origina ...

, honouring her for her work on the "Hello, my name is" campaign.

References

Publications

* * *Granger, Kate; Healthcare staff must properly introduce themselves to patients. BMJ 2013; 347 (Published 2 October 2013)

External links

Kate Granger's blog

#hellomynameis
on Twitter
#hellomynameis Website
* Campbell M
Remembering Kate Miriam Granger: 1981–2016
' ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' 27 July 2016 * Kapur
Name badges and job titles to keep Kate Granger's legacy alive
''

'' 16 August 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Granger, Kate 1981 births 2016 deaths 21st-century English medical doctors English health activists British geriatricians Women geriatricians Members of the Order of the British Empire Deaths from cancer in England Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Medical School Charity fundraisers (people) People from Huddersfield Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Medical doctors from Yorkshire 20th-century British philanthropists