Instead of making resolutions about losing weight and saving money, I think that we, as a nation, need to just not be so grateful for everything in 2026. Obviously, we should be grateful when someone does something nice for us, like a stranger holding open a door. However, too often standards are allowed to slip because we are too focused on being kind, rather than being honest. We should be more honest because it's a way that lessons can be learned and improvements can be made.

We should be more honest because otherwise, things will continue as they are, and standards will either stagnate or decay. I see this every day I spend in the care of the NHS and, as a person with stage 4 incurable bowel cancer, that's a lot of days. Obviously, I'm grateful that we have the NHS, and I'd be bankrupt and dead if all you taxpayers weren't paying for my chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and everything that goes into keeping me alive.

However, I see too many posts from people on social media and have heard too many stories about individuals who have waited on trolleys in corridors for days and are just grateful for the treatment.

This needs to stop. People need to be more vocal with their MPs and hospital administrators about what is happening and their experiences. If people don't speak up, those in positions of authority will not take action to improve the system.

If people don't speak up and complain now, then next year's flu season will be even worse. If your wait for an operation goes from 12 weeks to 20 weeks, then don't just be grateful it might be done if it isn't cancelled, let the hospital know you're annoyed.

Perhaps, just perhaps, someone in the NHS will take action and make the system work better for future patients. By not being just "grateful" for treatment, you can help improve the lives of others.

I suggest complaining to your MP and the people running the hospital, rather than the staff treating you, because those in the NHS uniforms are just doing the best they can.

And don't waste your time with a complaint to your hospital's complaints department, because, if it's anything like the one at my so-called world-leading cancer hospital, you'll be waiting a long time for nothing to be done. Indeed, I've been waiting for over a year for any response from my hospital's complaint team regarding issues I reported to them in December 2024.

Earlier this year, a loved one asked me whether I would ever be grateful for the treatment I receive for my incurable cancer.

I replied that I'm very grateful for the support my GPs have given me throughout the "journey", and I did send a Christmas card to one of my GPs this year that said "thank you for saving my life", and I would have done the same for my other GP if she weren't on maternity leave.

But I can't thank my medical team at my cancer hospital until they acknowledge the mental health aspects of having the disease, and treat it as an integral side effect.

They, and the thousands of other cancer specialists across the country, need to ensure that all cancer patients have access to mental health support both during and after treatment. This is what we at the Daily Express have been fighting for throughout this year.

And, fingers crossed, we should succeed with the Cancer Care campaign early in 2026. I firmly resolve to make it happen.