My friend and colleague Mary Jones, who has died aged 64 of cancer, changed the way healthcare professionals think about children's needs. Her belief that even very young or very disabled children could be expert patients led her to gently shake the foundations of many accepted practices.
Never constrained by "the way it has always been done", Mary created child-centred ways of working wherever she went. Whether assessing a child with a head injury, supervising a multidisciplinary team, or giving expert opinion to the high court about a child's needs, Mary's calm, gentle manner enabled her to challenge and change established practice.
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