Reflections of the ALLIANCE – 20 year anniversary
- Written by: Sandra Auld — Director at Healthcare Public Affairs
- Published: 28th August 2026
Sandra Auld reflects on the ALLIANCE's people focused impact, collaboration, lived experience, campaigns and lasting change in Scotland.
When I reflect on the time I have known the ALLIANCE, it is the people that shine through – the professionalism and commitment of the people involved, and the importance of the campaigns and topics taken forward that resonate. I feel we are fortunate in Scotland, to have the ALLIANCE to identify, platform and fight for people and policies, without which, there may be no other outlet.
Successful campaigns and strategies such as Gaun Yersel and Nothing about me without me, Susan Douglas-Scott and Irene Oldfather spring to mind as role models, motivators and drivers of change.
I have been involved, wearing different hats, almost since the beginning of the ALLIANCE, as, working with Shelley Gray, I helped spring to source the logo, working on various projects, with Ian Welsh and Andy Powrie-Smith, then with the British Lung Foundation and supported, always with a smile, by Susan Brooks.
Linked to the ALLIANCE, my current involvement with the iMPROVE project and the Community of Practice, an exciting cross-border collaboration to improve the impact of people’s medication, almost turns full circle as much of my involvement has been around people’s access to medicines and other healthcare technologies including genomic testing in breast cancer, working with Lucy Mulvagh, Justine Duncan and Andrew Strong.
The focus of this involvement has always been a drive to improving people’s needs and experiences, with the ALLIANCE providing expert support and a conduit for the sharing of these. Listening to what people need and involving them has always been fundamental to the work of the ALLIANCE. This brings to mind hearing ‘Gillian’s Story’ where we heard Gillian eloquently and movingly describe the benefits genomic testing had on her life and subsequent treatment. This video clip was widely shared, giving others important information, insights and support and impacted the introduction of Scotland’s first national Genomic Medicine Strategy. Without the ALLIANCE, Gillian would not have had the opportunity, or confidence, to relay her experience, in a way that she was comfortable.
As life happened, circumstances changed and my Lived Experience grew, my involvement with the National Care Service Advisory Board developed via the ALLIANCE, collaborating with colleagues including Sara Redmond, Jim Hume, Justine Duncan, Kerry Ritchie, Rachel Cairns and Rob Gowans. Their support throughout my involvement and subsequent appointment to the substantive Board has been invaluable and I thank them for that and wish them many more successful and productive years of people-focus ahead.
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