In this episode of Black Maternity Natters, Ann Remmers sits down with Aisha Thomas, the Founding Director of Representation Matters and one of the founding members of our Black Maternity Matters collaborative, to explore her powerful journey from law to becoming a pioneering voice in anti-racist education.

Aisha shares the visceral experiences that shaped her mission, from a transformational encounter with young Black boys in the prison system to her impactful 2018 BBC documentary on the lack of Black teachers in Bristol. Driven by what she describes as a calling, Aisha discusses how her work is rooted in the belief that "you can't be what you can't see" and how representation serves as either a bridge or a barrier to fulfilling one's potential.

The conversation dives deep into the "special sauce" behind the Black Maternity Matters programme, and how this work focuses on tackling racial inequality in maternity care without apology. Aisha explains how the programme moves beyond traditional knowledge transfer to foster a space for courage, honesty, and critical reflection on systemic inequity. By moving from the macro level of structural racism to the micro level of daily clinical practice, she highlights how every healthcare professional has the power to change a patient’s trajectory through simple yet profound shifts in engagement.

Beyond professional accolades as an author and doctoral researcher, Aisha talks candidly about her personal anchors: her faith, her ancestral lineage, and her lived experience as a mother to two Black boys. As she navigates the challenges of the current political climate, she leaves listeners with a vital challenge: to move away from feeling furious to getting curious.

This episode is an invitation to look inward and ask how we can remain anchored, aligned, and accountable in our collective pursuit of equity and change.

Programme notes

Representation Matters

Black Maternity Matters

Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator by Aisha Thomas

Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work by Aiko Bethea

BBC Inside Out West

TEDxBristol: Why Representation Really Matters - Aisha Thomas

Connect with Black Maternity Matters on socials: Instagram and LinkedIn

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

In this episode of West Side Stories, our host Siobhan Lanigan explores the implementation of Martha’s Rule, an important patient safety initiative designed to ensure that the concerns of patients and their families are heard and acted upon when a condition deteriorates.

Named after Martha Mills, who tragically died from sepsis after family concerns were not escalated, the rule serves as a vital safety net within the NHS. This edition brings together insights from two local hospital trusts to discuss how this shift from paternalistic medicine to patient empowerment is being realised in practice.

Siobhan first talks to Izzy Newberry from Gloucestershire Hospitals, who shares her experience as part of a pilot site for the initiative. Izzy addresses common clinician fears regarding a "tidal wave" of calls, revealing that call volumes have remained manageable at about one per week. She delves into the emotional complexity of these interactions, the importance of "narrative medicine," and why healthcare professionals must remain curious when a family member senses something is wrong. Her reflections highlight the profound culture shift required to view patients and relatives as true partners in care.

The conversation continues with Chris Williams from North Bristol Trust, who explains how the avoidable death of another young patient motivated his trust to join the pilot. Chris provides a candid look at the practical challenges of setting up a 24/7 acute response team from scratch and the "psychological mountain" of giving patients the direct power to escalate their own care. He argues for being ambitious and the need for transparency of hospital care.

Tune in to hear how these clinical leaders are navigating the transition to a more inclusive healthcare model. Whether you are a healthcare professional or a patient, this episode offers a compelling look at the future of patient safety and the simple, life-saving power of listening.

Programme notes

• Martha's Rule
• Maddy's Mark
• Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• North Bristol NHS Trust
• Cautionary Tales - Tim Harford

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

In this second edition of Black Maternity Natters, host Ann Remmers is joined by Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi, an inclusion and cohesion strategist and a founding member of the Black Maternity Matters collaborative. Katie shares the "three pillars" that fuel her passion for social justice: her academic background in social psychology, two decades of "stomping the concrete" in community development, and her lived experience as a dual-heritage, neurodivergent mother of twins. Together, they discuss the vision behind BCohCo (Building Cohesive Communities) and why racial and cross-cultural literacy should be viewed as essential professional competencies rather than optional "charity work".

The conversation dives deep into the anti-racist education programme Katie co-designed, exploring how it differs from standard mandatory training by demanding deep personal introspection. Katie explains the importance of creating "brave spaces" rather than just safe ones, where participants can navigate the uncomfortable "lightbulb moments" of realising how systemic racism is perpetuated.

From staying resilient against a shifting political tide to a sneak peek at her future work with AI bias interruption tools, this episode is a powerful exploration of how to transmute guilt into meaningful action. Plus, don't miss Katie’s essential book recommendation for anyone looking to understand the historical roots of racism in medicine.

Programme notes

BCohCo

Divided by Annabel Sowemimo

Black Maternity Matters

Connect with Black Maternity Matters on socials: Instagram and LinkedIn

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

Join Becca Lunn and Sarah White from Health Innovation West of England's Academy team for the third episode of QualiTea.

So what is QualiTea? Quite simply, it's time for a cup of tea and a useful conversation. Each episode is a short, informal chat between Sarah and Becca, focusing on one simple improvement tool. They'll use relatable examples and talk about how you might actually use it in your day-to-day work to help you think a bit differently about a problem. Not in theory, in real life.

In this episode, we're looking at MoSCoW Prioritisation - an agile framework for managing requirements or tasks by categorising them into four priority levels: Must do, Should do, Could do, and Won't do (for now anyway).

So grab a brew, get comfortable, and let's get started.

Programme notes

Visit the West of England Academy

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

In this first episode of our new Black Maternity Natters strand, Ann Remmers talks with Sonah Paton, managing director of Bristol-based Black Mothers Matter and one of the founding members of our Black Maternity Matters collaborative.

Sonah shares the story of how Black Mothers Matter came into being as a grassroots organisation led by and for Black women and what makes this organisation so very special. She talks about their successes, what she's found most challenging, and what nourishes and brings her most joy.

Programme notes

Black Mothers Matter

Girl, Woman Other by Bernardine Evaristo

Black Maternity Matters

Connect with Black Maternity Matters on socials: Instagram and LinkedIn

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

Welcome to a special taster episode of a new strand of our West Side Stories podcast.

The incredible Black Maternity Matters Collaborative came into being back in 2022, inspired by the vision that one day, Black mothers will no longer be disproportionately in danger during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Statistics show that Black women are significantly more likely to die in childbirth than white women, and their babies are more likely to be stillborn.

Our Senior Project Manager, Noshin Menzies-Emamiannaeini, and Clinical Lead, Ann Remmers, are here to tell you more about the work of the collaborative and what you can expect from future episodes of Black Maternity Natters.

Find out more about Black Maternity Matters here.

Connect with Black Maternity Matters on socials: Instagram and LinkedIn

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

In this programme, we get to the heart of what the health innovation networks are all about - supporting the adoption and spread of proven innovation into healthcare. We hear from two of our directors, Tasha Swinscoe and Peter Carpenter, who share their insights and reflections on the different ingredients needed for successful scaling of innovation. They also explore the role of the Health Innovation Network in this space, and highlight a few examples of innovations developed here in the West Country that we've helped to spread further afield.

Programme notes

• PReCePT
• PERIPrem
• Black Maternity Matters
• Evidence into Practice
• The Patient Will See You Now - Eric Topol
• New Power - Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

Join Becca Lunn and Sarah White from Health Innovation West of England's Academy team for the second episode of QualiTea.

So what is QualiTea? Quite simply, it's time for a cup of tea and a useful conversation. Each episode is a short, informal chat between Sarah and Becca, focusing on one simple improvement tool. They'll use relatable examples and talk about how you might actually use it in your day-to-day work to help you think a bit differently about a problem. Not in theory, in real life.

In this episode, we're looking at Lotus Blossom - a structured brainstorming exercise used to expand on a central idea or problem, great for coming up with new solutions when you thought you had run out of ideas.

So grab a brew, get comfortable, and let's get started.

Programme notes

Visit the West of England Academy

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England

Got feedback or an idea for a future programme?

Contact us at healthinnowest.communications@nhs.net or via our socials: Instagram, LinkedIn or Bluesky

Find out more about Health Innovation West of England