
Activist who uses a wheelchair accuses doctor of 'pitying' her for having a disability
Sophie Bradbury-Cox, who has almost 37,000 followers on Instagram, posted about the 'annoying' exchange with a GP that took place at the weekend.
The mother-of-one, from Northamptonshire, was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic condition which causes certain muscles to become weak and waste away.
Known as Fashion Bellee online, where she creates content about 'disabled fashion, travel and Disney', Sophie is unable to walk or stand as a result of her SMA.
She uses a wheelchair full-time and has previously spoken on The I Can't Stand Podcast about how it is part of her identity.
In a post published on Wednesday, Sophie called out the 'ableism' of the doctor that she spoke to regarding a repeat prescription.
She explained: 'Spoke to a doctor on the phone at the weekend about getting a repeat prescription and I just happened to mention I was a wheelchair user.'
According to Sophie, when she told the doctor that she uses a wheelchair, he asked: 'What do you have?'
The doctor replied: 'Oh, I am so sorry to hear that, your life must be very difficult.'
Remaining upbeat, Sophie added: 'Nope. Sometimes access etc. can be frustrating but I live my life as fully as I can!'
In response, he said: 'It's great to hear that you are positive about it'.
Angered and shocked by the exchange, the content creator described the doctor's behaviour as 'pitying'.
She vented her frustration on Instagram, writing: 'Why as disabled people do we need pitying?! And from a doctor too? It's just so annoying!'
In the caption to her post, she elaborated, adding: 'I was gobsmacked!! Just did not expect to have this conversation at all with a doctor.
'Though I guess nothing should shock me when it comes to ableism and disability!!'
Viewers were quick to comment on Sophie's post, often sharing similar experiences, but not everyone was sympathetic - and some people were openly condescending.
She saw it as an example of 'ableism' and explained it left her 'gobsmacked'
One person suggested the influencer was being petty, writing: 'You are lucky you were able to actually speak to them, especially at the weekend'.
While another insisted: 'It's not pity. It's support.'
Other disabled people reported comparable treatment, with one person explaining: 'I had that from an A&E nurse [and it] put me off her INSTANTLY!
'She was like, "I'm sure that's incredibly hard for you..." I said, "No, actually".'
Someone else added: 'My daughter had Down's syndrome and we've heard "sorry" too many times (especially from medical professionals).
'Disability isn't the tragedy, people's attitude to it is'.
While a third reported an equally frustrating experience, writing: 'Yep, ridiculous! A GP the other day suggested that I take up a hobby like sewing...(I have complete muscle wasting/paralysis in my hands)...'
A fourth person lamented: 'I'm kind of shocked that you were shocked.
'Sadly, I hear that so often and pretty much always have.
'I'm sorry that you had to hear it, though... especially as you're not used to that kind of dialogue from medical professionals.'
Instagram users were quick to comment on Sophie's post - though not everyone was sympathetic
A fifth stated: 'That's absolutely absurd! Especially from a doctor too.'
Yet, one Instagrammer disagreed with Sophie taking aim at the doctor for what she described as 'pitying' behaviour.
They explained: 'Sorry. I'm disabled but I hardly hear anyone acknowledge how hard it is.
'I wish some did. But we don't and cannot allow it simply because most people take advantage of it.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times
an hour ago
- Times
Patients will suffer most if doctor strikes resume, NHS bosses warn
NHS bosses have warned that patients will be the ones to 'suffer most' from another wave of doctors' strikes as they nervously await the results of a ballot. The British Medical Association is expected to announce results of its ballot of about 50,000 resident doctors, who were formerly known as junior doctors, on Tuesday. The ballot closed at 12pm on Monday and if passed, would give resident doctors a six-month mandate to call strike action until the New Year, with strikes held from July 21 at the earliest. The result is expected to be close, with NHS bosses hopeful that turnout may not pass the 50 per cent threshold required for industrial action. However, BMA leaders have said that they are confident it will pass and that doctors are 'excited to go again'.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Swinney an ‘analogue politician in a digital age' says Streeting
John Swinney, the First Minister, has been described by the UK Health Secretary as an 'analogue politician in a digital age' in a row over the Scottish Government's failure to create an NHS app. Wes Streeting said there was 'no excuse' for the devolved government not to have introduced an app that allows patients to book appointments with their GP, order prescriptions and manage hospital appointments. A similar app was rolled out in England six years ago. Plans to create an NHS Scotland app are underway but are currently limited to a trial for dermatology patients in NHS Lanarkshire. A national rollout is not expected before the end of the decade. Mr Streeting warned patients in Scotland are 'missing out' and said it showed why Scotland 'can't afford a third decade of the SNP'. He is the first senior Westminster politician to publicly criticise the running of Scotland's NHS, which has been under fire for lengthy waits. Mr Streeting said: 'The UK Labour Government is embracing technology to deliver a better NHS for patients and their families, giving them more control and transparency over their treatment. 'In John Swinney, the SNP have an analogue politician in a digital age, and patients in Scotland are missing out. 'The SNP have record funding and complete control of the NHS in Scotland, there's no excuse for this, and it just shows why Scotland can't afford a third decade of the SNP and needs a new direction with Anas Sarwar as first minister.' It is not the first time that Scotland's First Minister has been accused of being slow to bring the Scottish NHS into the 21st century. Earlier this year, Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, made similar remarks after GPs said they looked 'on with frustration' at the digital health tech divide between England and Scotland, citing the delay in launching tools such as the NHS Scotland app. Mr Streeting has pledged to improve the use of technology in the NHS south of the border and last week announced improvements to the country's NHS app, which already has 35 million users. Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said the app would 'become, as technology develops, like having a doctor in your pocket, providing you with 24-hour advice, seven days a week'. The 'supercharged' version of the app is promised to be delivered by 2028 and is expected to allow patients to book and check hospital appointments, interact with specialists or visit an 'AI doctor' for advice. An app for the Scottish health service, announced in 2021, is not expected to launch on a trial basis until December. Its functionality will initially be severely restricted, with its only practical purpose being to allow dermatology patients served by one health board, NHS Lanarkshire, to be notified of appointments. If successful, rollouts will continue in other areas until its full introduction in five years. 'Sustained improvements for patients' According to the latest official health statistics, the number of patients waiting more than 78 weeks for treatment in Scotland has increased to 38,070, while in England the figure has halved to 1,154. Cancer treatment waiting time standards are also being missed. A spokesperson for Neil Gray, the Scottish Health Secretary said: 'Scotland's planned online app is for both health and social care and we will launch it in Lanarkshire by the end of 2025. 'National rollout will commence through 2026 and we will publish a national rollout plan later this summer. 'We will leave Labour to carry out personal attacks – the SNP Government's focus is on putting in place the lasting solutions which will deliver sustained improvements for patients. 'As Wes Streeting knows, Scotland's core A&E performance has been the best in the UK for the last 10 years, we have more GPs per head than south of the border, and we are building on this with record funding for health and social care this year.'


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
NHS to use robots on obese patients during surgery as it's safest way to operate on them
THE NHS will use surgical robots to get more fat Brits on the operating table because machines can work on people who are too high-risk for manual procedures. They use smaller instruments and enter through smaller incisions, and can be faster so patients do not need as much anaesthetic. 3 3 Robotics is one of the Government's 'five big bets' on technology that will revolutionise the NHS. Ministers' 10-Year Plan for the health service, launched last week, said it will 'expand surgical robot adoption'. NHS watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has encouraged hospitals to invest more in surgical robots and use them more widely. A recent report by NHS England added: 'Robot-assisted surgery may improve access to surgery for people who are at higher risk, including people with a high body mass index.' Body mass index is a height-to-weight ratio, with any number higher than 30 classed as obese. About three in 10 adults in England are obese and this puts them at higher risk during operations and may even mean they can't have them. Bulky fat means it takes longer to conduct super-precise surgery and large patients need more anaesthetic and lose more blood. Top prostate surgeon Ben Challacombe, who works at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust in London, said: 'Operating on obese patients is highly complex and more tricky. 'When you're obese you're much more likely to get an infection or to have breathing difficulties because your lungs are being squashed by other tissues. 'Robotic assistance means we can do more. 'We can do robotic surgery on much bigger patients than we could with traditional keyhole surgery.' Jeffrey Ahmed, a gynaecological surgeon at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, said: 'Some patients are too obese to have an operation, because to do a big open operation on someone whose BMI is 65 subjects them to too much risk. 'The minimally invasive approach that we can do on the robot opens up the possibility of doing that kind of care for patients. 'I think it will be used more in the future. 'If you can't physically do an operation for a patient without a robot, then that's going to be the way to do it. 'You can't just not offer the patient surgery because you don't have access to a robot.' Robot-assisted surgery relies on qualified surgeons controlling the £1m machines with the usual medical team around the patient. There are about 140 machines in use in England and their use has rocketed from 35,000 operations in 2022 to 70,000 in 2024. Dr Chris Smith-Brown, from the Private Healthcare Information Network, added: 'We know that losing weight is not always possible. 'There is hope that obesity won't have to be a barrier to life-changing surgery.' 3