KMPT carer advocate commended by the King

A KMPT carer advocate has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s New Year Honours in recognition for his services to carers and NHS trusts across the UK.

Activist, author, poet and former carer Matthew McKenzie will be presented with the tribute, which recognises civil community work worthy of recognition by the Crown, locally by a Lord-Lieutenant and attend a Royal Garden Party to celebrate his achievement with other 2024 Honours recipients. 

Nominated by Carers UK, where he is Carer Ambassador, Matthew cared for his mother for many years and continues to support his two brothers who live with Autism.  The charity commended him on his active volunteer work and exceptional commitment to improving the lives of unpaid carers.

Matthew worked in collaboration with KMPT to develop our Triangle of Care service which enables us to bring together and support carers, service users and professionals and continue to deliver outstanding care.  He attends local meetings and events to help raise awareness of carers’ rights and represents the trust at national Triangle of Care steering groups.

Matthew said:  "I am delighted to receive such an honour.  Representing the importance of unpaid care is a cause very dear to me and I look forward to continuing to work alongside the trust to make sure UK carers are identified, recognised and supported."

As the author of four published books raising awareness of mental health carers, Matthew is well-placed as a KMPT carer advocate.  He works closely with the trusts carers’ team to uphold service standards, such as the provision of the latest carer aware training and ensure that policy and practice protocols are in place.

KMPT Strategic Lead for Allied Health Professions, Julia Wilson said:  “On behalf of everybody Matthew has supported, and continues to support, at our trust, I would like to congratulate him on a very well-deserved success. 

“We are particularly grateful for his help and advice during the implementation of our Triangle of Care service and his continued dedication to supporting the development of services we provide for family, friends and carers across Kent & Medway.”

As well as his partnership work with local mental health trusts, Matthew, who lives in Lewisham is a key member of NHS England’s Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) and Advancing Mental Health Equalities taskforce.  Passionate about ensuring the health inequalities and barriers that can be faced by carers in accessing support are addressed, Matthew voluntarily runs carer forums, one of which is aimed at ethic minority carers, around North Kent and South East London.

The editor of a mental health blog, A Caring Mind, Matthew shares daily insights based on his own experience of caring and uses his profile to campaign for carers’ rights, with the support of national carer charities, as well as posting research papers, national network updates and general carers’ news.

Find out about KMPT’s services and support for carers:  https://www.kmpt.nhs.uk/carers/