Magda Bannister

Magda is a Respiratory Physiotherapist working at University Hospitals Sussex. After losing her sister, Eva, to Alcohol Use Disorder in 2010, she ran the London Marathon for a charity supporting people experiencing problematic substance use.

She found herself on a transformative journey of self-reflection. She learnt about stigma and its presence and power within herself, within society and within healthcare settings, including the NHS, and she learnt about the power we have as healthcare professionals to challenge it and create positive change.

This journey became the basis for a training package developed with the AHP Education Team at UHSussex and with support from the national Anti-Stigma Network, challenging stigma towards those experiencing addiction. This freely available training package is now being used with all nursing and Allied Health Professional preceptees in our trust and further afield.