All of us at NALC were sorry to hear of the passing of Bert Culling, a past-President of NALC.
Bert typified what every charity needs, he was dedicated to improving the care and recovery of laryngectomees and worked tirelessly to achieve this.
NALC made tremendous strides under his leadership and I would pick out two highlights. Back around the millenium, laryngectomees frequently expressed concern at a lack of understanding shown by some clinicians of the needs and vulnerabilities of our community. Bert organised a survey of members and the responses were passed on to the NPSA (National Patient Safety Agency). The NPSA issued a briefing to all NHS staff advising of basic safety standards that should be met in laryngectomy care. This was long before the days of the National Tracheostomy Safety Project and was a ground-breaking initiative. Another initiative was the production of a series of videos aimed at patients, carers and clinicians highlighting laryngectomee needs. These videos are still available and in demand on NALC’s Youtube channel.
Without the influence of Bert and his wife Ethel, I doubt I would have become so involved with NALC. I travelled to many locations around the country with Bert and saw at first-hand his energy and enthusiasm when talking to patients and clinicians. His contribution will not be forgotten!
Malcolm Babb