Phil Southwell

IT systems consultant and lover of all things techie. Navigating a world that grows stranger by the day. Also drinks strong coffee and eats bourbons.

[Phil Southwell @philatreading]

@danielmgmoylan I am interested to know what you believe is the cause of the queues?

[Peter Stefanovic @PeterStefanovi2]

Over 21k signatures already! Please help get it to 25,000!

Women living metastatic breast cancer are dying before their time, lets help them access the life extending drug #Enhertu @jamesmurray_ldn @NICEComms @NHSEngland @ASTRAZENECAUK @DaiichiSankyoUK

https://t.co/KYhQLDRGow

[Phil Southwell @philatreading]

@boatlady @PolitlcsUK He has and he knows. Just yet another publicity stunt.

[Phil Southwell @philatreading]

@JjhColin @METUPUKorg I don't disagree with your point but you are incorrect to say that what METUPUK are saying isn't true. For example, there are drugs available in Scotland from the NHS for metastatic breast cancer that are not available on the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

[Phil Southwell @philatreading]

@Rainmaker1973 John Carter woz 'ere.

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Jo Taylor dedicated herself to changing the landscape of Metastatic Breast Cancer.
She launched ABCDiagnosis to support and inform patients, founding METUPUK to campaign for equitable drug research, improved treatment access, and to awareness of the importance of data collection, creating red flag infographics as an empowerment and educational tool about the signs and symptoms of Metastatic Breast Cancer after a diagnosis of primary breast cancer. 

Her work empowered patients, influenced policy, and gave a platform to voices too often unheard. 

Jo's courage created change. Her mission continues through the movement she built. 

#JoTaylor #METUPUK #LegacyOfChange #MetastaticBreastCancer #MBCAdvocate #Stage4NeedsMore #BreastCancerAwareness #BusyLivingWithMets #HonouringJoTaylor #KeepTalkingMBC

[Jo Taylor BEM @abcdiagnosis]

It is with enormous sadness that Jo Taylor, an amazing wife and mum passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family at 8:18am on Monday 3rd of November.

Please allow her family some privacy to grieve together.

#IAmThe31

#BusyLivingWithMets
#SecondaryBreastCancer
#MetastaticBreastCancer
#DarkerPink
#DyingForACure

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

It is with profound sadness that we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved founder, Jo Taylor, died early on Monday morning surrounded by her husband Jeff, and two children, Regan and Faron.

Jo was a tireless advocate, a fearless campaigner and a beacon of hope for those living with metastatic breast cancer. Diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2007 and with metastatic breast cancer in 2014, Jo dedicated her life to changing the narrative around MBC. She founded METUPUK and created the powerful #BusyLivingWithMets movement to show the world that people with MBC are living, thriving and worth the investment. 

Jo’s legacy is one of courage and unwavering determination. Her work has touched countless lives both here in the UK and around the world. From her advocacy and public speaking to the creation of the red flag signs and symptoms infographics, she undoubtedly paved the way to empower others to find their voice. 

She championed change with unwavering resolve and spoke with unflinching honesty. Jo’s voice lives on; her messages echo louder than ever: we demand change. 

Our thoughts are with Jo’s family, friends, and the entire MBC community. She will be deeply missed and absolutely never forgotten. 

She had the heart of a lioness. Rest in power, Jo 💔 

#JoTaylor #METUPUK #LegacyOfChange #MetastaticBreastCancer #MBCAdvocate #Stage4NeedsMore #BreastCancerAwareness #METUPUKCampaign #InMemory #PatientAdvocacy #KeepTalkingMBC #HonouringJoTaylor #WomenWhoInspire #NeverStopFighting

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

The Fabric of Our Lives.

Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) devastates everything it touches.
Your plans. Your body. Your sense of safety.
It tears through families and futures, leaving behind pieces that can never be put back the same way.

It’s not just the diagnosis - it’s every scan, every sleepless night, every conversation that starts with “I’m sorry, there’s been progression.”

We grieve while we live.
We hope while we hurt.
We smile through the devastation because that’s what strength has come to mean.

But strength shouldn’t be survival alone.
We need better treatment options, earlier access, and more compassion for the reality of MBC.

Stand with us. Share this. Help rebuild the system that keeps letting us fall apart.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #waitingroomfeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[Jo Taylor BEM @abcdiagnosis]

Fantastic Laura! @METUPUKorg

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Metastatic Breast Cancer patients in Scotland refused access to targeted breast cancer drug.

We are sorry to announce that the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has not accepted the targeted cancer medicine capivasertib (Truqap) for NHS use in Scotland.

 
Capivasertib, taken with fulvestrant, is used to treat people with hormone receptor–positive (ER+), HER2–negative advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer that has specific gene mutations changes for PIK3CA, AKT1, or PTEN.

@breastcancernow, METUPUK, and @make2ndscount have come together to call for equitable access to this vital treatment. We’re calling on the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to urgently engage with the SMC to quickly address concerns and resubmit capivasertib for further assessment as soon as possible so the treatment can be made available to everyone who could benefit. We represent patients and their families, who believe that everyone in Scotland deserves access to innovative, life-extending medicines - regardless of postcode.

#MetastaticBreastCancer #AdvancedBreastCancer #AccessToMedicines #EqualAccessForAll #NoPostcodeLottery #ApproveCapivasertib #TruqapForScotland #BreastCancerScotland #METUPUK #Make2ndCount #BreastCancerNow

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Today, we took our voices to Parliament.

METUPUK brought The Fabric of Our Lives to Westminster on Metastatic Breast Cancer Day - to demand real change for everyone living with MBC.

Metastatic Breast Cancer is the only form of breast cancer that kills, yet those living with it remain underfunded, underrepresented, and often unseen.

We stood for the 31 women who die every day from MBC.

We stood for better access to drugs, fairer treatment pathways, and proper data collection.

We stood for those who can’t be here anymore.

The fabric of our lives rips, frays, and fades - but our voices will not.

Stand with us. Share this. Be part of the change.

#FabricOfOurLives #METUPUK #MBCDay #Stage4NeedsMore #DarkerPink #IAmThe31 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #MetastaticBreastCancer #SecondaryBreastCancer #BusyLivingWithMets #AdvancedBreastCancer #BreastCancerAwareness #BreastCancerCommunity

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

The Fabric of Our Lives.

Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) hides in plain sight.
You won’t see it on billboards.
You won’t hear it in most awareness campaigns.
And yet - it’s the only breast cancer that kills.

We live with treatments forever.
We manage side effects no one talks about.
We navigate a system that often forgets we exist.

We’re here - but unseen.
Present - but overlooked.
Fighting - but fading from view.

Visibility saves lives.
Awareness drives change.
It’s time to bring the unseen into the spotlight.

Don’t let us stay invisible. Share this. Speak up for those living with MBC.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #WaitingRoomFeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

The Fabric of Our Lives.

When you live with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC), your voice can fade beneath the noise of pink positivity.
You’re told to “stay strong” to “keep fighting”.

But sometimes, you just need to be heard.
Too often, our pain is downplayed.
Our fears dismissed.
Our stories untold.

We’re not statistics.
We’re people living - and dying - with a disease that’s still terminal.

It’s time to listen to those living the reality.
It’s time to raise the voices that have been silenced for too long.

🗣️ Speak up. Share this. Let’s make sure every voice is heard.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #WaitingRoomFeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

The Fabric of Our Lives.

Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) can feel like being cut off from the world.
Treatment rooms instead of workplaces.
Scans instead of social plans.
Days spent explaining what “secondary” means and why it can’t be cured.

Isolation isn’t just physical - it’s emotional, medical, and societal.

Too often, people with MBC are left out of the breast cancer conversation altogether.

We need better understanding.
We need spaces that include us.
We need connection, not invisibility.

🗣️ Share this. Help break the silence around Metastatic Breast Cancer.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #WaitingRoomFeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Stills from our silent protest.

Outside Parliament, we stood together - patients, advocates, and allies - to demand change for everyone living with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC).

We stood for better treatment access.
We stood for real data collection.
We stood for the 31 women who die every day from MBC.
And we stood for those still waiting - for progress, for visibility, for hope.

#FabricOfOurLives #METUPUK #MBCDay #BCAM25 #DarkerPink #IAmThe31 #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #BusyLivingWithMets #MetastaticBreastCancer #SecondaryBreastCancer #AdvancedBreastCancer #BreastCancerAwareness #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerSupport

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Metastatic Breast Cancer Breaks You.
It breaks your body.
It breaks your mind.
And it breaks the hearts of everyone who loves you.
Living with MBC means enduring pain that medicine can’t always reach.
It means watching your strength fade while trying to hold onto hope.
It means seeing the fear in your family's eyes as they watch this disease steal pieces of you.
This isn’t just a diagnosis - it affects every part of life every day.
We need more support. More understanding. More compassion.

🗣️ Speak up. Share this. Let’s continue campaigning for better care and visibility for those living with MBC.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #waitingroomfeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

Lost in the System. Lost in My Head.

Living with metastatic breast cancer isn’t just about managing the physical symptoms - it’s about surviving the emotional storm that comes with it.
The system is complex, slow, and often blind to our needs.
We wait. We chase answers. We feel forgotten.
And inside?
The fear, the uncertainty, the grief… it builds. We need more than treatment.
We need compassion, clarity, and consistent support.
Let’s talk about the emotional weight of MBC.
Let’s make space for mental wellbeing.
Let’s stop letting people fall through the cracks.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #waitingroomfeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

The Fabric of Our Lives

Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) is a life lived in the shadows of pink campaigns.

•No clear data on how many of us there are
•No funding to match the need
•Not enough support for those living with it

People living with MBC are being forgotten.
It’s time to illuminate the darker side of pink.
It’s time to demand change.

Share this. Speak up. Support those living with MBC.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25 #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #waitingroomfeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer

[METUPUK @METUPUKorg]

At the Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition Summit 2025, our Northern Ireland Lead, Ann McBrien, made sure the voices of people living with metastatic breast cancer were heard.

The Fabric of Life is fragile and those of us living with stage 4 breast cancer cannot afford to be ignored.

With 35 charities united, we are demanding action on waiting times, better access to treatments, and policies that put patients first.

Together, we're pushing for change and better outcomes for everyone affected by cancer in Northern Ireland.

#FabricOfOurLives #BCAM25
#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BCAM #SeverityModifier #METUPUK #DarkerPink #BusyLivingWithMets #IAmThe31 #waitingroomfeet #BreastCancer #BreastCancerCommunity #BreastCancerJourney #BreastCancerSupport #DyingForACure #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #MetastaticBreastCancerAwareness #SecondaryBreastCancer #SecondarySisters #Stage4NeedsMore #StageIVNeedsMore #AdvancedBreastCancer