Patrick speaks up for others

But these days his considerable communication skills are put to different use, as he attempts to speak up for those who have little chance of being heard.

Patrick, now 77, believes people like himself - disabled and housebound - need to find a voice.

He explained; "I am partially sighted. I have had four heart attacks and a stroke. I have diabetes. All the time I meet hundreds of people like myself in A&E, and they all have that spirit that got them through the war, that spirit which helps them put up with things. We whinge about things then we never do anything about them. But if we don't have a voice and use it then no-one will ever listen to us."

He contacted the Observer having learned that local stroke victim John Bath was so dissatisfied with the treatment he received from the Conquest Hospital that he set up his own support group - the Stroke Survivors Association.

"This has given me hope", said Patrick, "to think there are people out there like myself who need a platform."

He set up his own independent charity Quality Of Life Trust, at "people who are disenfranchised and left miserable by bureaucracy", giving them the chance to speak up for what they believe in.

"We hope that by bringing everybody together in the way, no matter what their history, we can deal with a whole wealth of social problems."

Quality Of Life Trust is aimed at the elderly, or anyone who is reliant on other people. Patrick, of St Mark's Close, Little Common, cites his own experience of sheltered housing; "Disabled people just do not have access. When I needed a change of lightbulb I had to wait seven days for it to happen. You have make an application, and that's what its like living with the headache of bureaucracy of sheltered housing.

"Another example is when I had been in hospital for three weeks; I was so worried about my wife Alma, who has Parkinson's Disease and could not cope on her own. There was nowhere for her to go and no-one to look after her. I knew I would have to discharge myself so I could go and look after her. But having done that, I didn't know how I could actually get home by myself."

"Now I have just been told I've got to the top of the list for a heart scan; I have to go this week, but I have to rely on them to organise transport for me; all down to endless administration."

Like the Stroke Survivors, Patrick is critical of the Conquest's follow up treatment; "When I had my stroke there was no after-care at all. Nobody came to visit me. All that was given was physiotherapy, and if the physiotherapists were over-stretched then even that didn't happen.

"Like everyone, they are constrained by time but also they are not given the resources they need to treat people."

We are not a caring society because we are not allowed to be; we haven't got the time. Time is our most important commodity."

He is heartened however by one recent development; "From April 1 it's no longer down to the patent to find out what we are due or entitled to; before, if you didn't fill out an application form you didn't get anything.

"Now the onus is on the NHS to inform us and tell us what is available for us, which is an improvement."

He is now hoping for communication between local groups; "I think you dissipate energy by having different focal groups; we are not collectively getting together to form a power base."

Born in Belfast, Patrick was a gifted footballer who played professionally for Belfast Celtic before moving to Leeds United, and then Charlton Athletic.

He was overcome by an urge to travel the world so set off on a lifelong quest to collect experiences. While hitchhiking in France he was picked up by a couple who turned out to be the Count and Contessa d'Avignon; they liked his company so much they invited him to Antibes where he met the legendary Picasso.

As journalist based in London, Patrick interviewed many celebrities including Robert Taylor, Kim Novak, Vera Allen, Godfrey Wynne and John Gielgud.