Esther, age 41, developed asthma when she was in her 20's but was not properly diagnosed until sometime later, after having her first child. She is white British and lives with her partner and two children. She works as a primary school teacher. It took a while to come to terms with the idea of taking medication on a long term basis. She had a period of time a few years ago when she was very unwell after suffering from pneumonia, but more recently she has felt fit and healthy, and regularly exercises including running and jogging.

Pregnant with twins, had CS when she did not dilate beyond 9cm. Felt happy with her care and recovered well but disliked need for support after the operation. Keen to have vaginal birth with 2nd child. Went two weeks overdue, then delivered very quickly after being induced.

• Shared decision-making: women's health, pregnancy and children

Discovered she was a beta thalassaemia carrier during her first pregnancy. Her husband was tested and is not a carrier. Their first daughter is a carrier. Video and audio clips read by an actor recorded in Urdu.

• Shared decision-making: women's health, pregnancy and children

Caron's son, Leo, was diagnosed with autism when he was three. He attends a mainstream primary school but Caron worries that he is not receiving appropriate support.

• Shared decision-making: autism

Oliver is 23 and a fulltime postgraduate student at university. He was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) at 8 and later on, just previous to the interview, with early onset bipolar disorder. Originally from the United States, Oliver has mainly been dealing with consultants back home and has had difficulties getting to see a specialist over in the UK. Oliver says he wants to find ways to get better; 'I want to find the right solution, not just the easy one'.

B is 19 and in college. When she was younger she experienced abuse and she also lost several close family members at a young age. B had a difficult journey to deal with the problems, she was hospitalised several times and she attempted suicide a few times. B says her life turned when she made a decision to want to accept the help and do something with her life. She's now looking forward to future and expecting a baby. (Zambia).

Wesley (Interview 03), Julie's son and Corrie's brother, sustained a traumatic brain injury when he fell off a moped on holiday in Turkey.

• Life-changing injuries: 10+ years since injury

He had a spinal cord injury.

• Life-changing injuries: 0-2 years since injury

Jack's leg was amputated and he now uses a prosthetic leg.

• Life-changing injuries: 0-2 years since injury

Ambrose broke his ankle for the third time in 2000. He had surgery to reconstruct his foot and ankle. In 2012 he chose to have his leg amputated below the knee after an infection spread throughout the bone in his leg and caused him a great deal of pain.

• Life-changing injuries: 10+ years since injury