The official podcast of Health Innovation West of England - bringing together members of our innovation community to explore how we are collectively transforming lives through healthcare innovation.
To mark Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2026, themed "Joy, Journey, Justice", Ann Remmers, Clinical Lead for Black Maternity Matters, hosts a deeply reflective and empowering conversation with Illiyin Morrison: midwife, birth trauma specialist, author of The Birth Debrief, and Great British Bake Off 2024 contestant. In this episode, Illiyin explores her personal transition from clinical midwifery to establishing an independent birth debrief and perinatal trauma reflection service. Togeth...
24 Sept 2026
Ep 4: Meet the Evaluation Online Network
In this episode of West Side Stories, Jamie Jewkes leads a discussion with fellow steering committee members of the South West Evaluation Online Network. Joined by Ruth Barker, Grace Shillito, and Emmanuel Defever, the panel explores the role, vision, and future ambitions of this free virtual group dedicated to health and social care evaluation. They explore what unique perspectives they bring to the network, from clinical pragmatism and early-career views to mid-career curiosity, and reflect...
9 Aug 2026
Black Maternity Natters: Ep 4 - Dr Karen Joash
In this fourth episode of Black Maternity Natters, Ann Remmers sits down with Dr Karen Joash, an award-winning Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Imperial College London. In a deeply moving conversation, Karen reflects on the "miracle of birth" and her lifelong commitment to supporting women through their most vulnerable and joyous moments. Karen shares her own journey of resilience, from applying to medical school three times to navigating a healthcare system where she rarely saw h...
17 Jul 2026
QualiTea: Episode 4 - SCARF
Join Becca Lunn and Sarah White from Health Innovation West of England's Academy team for the forth 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.&...
2 Jul 2026
Black Maternity Natters: Ep 3 - Aisha Thomas, Representation Matters
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 t...
9 Jun 2026
Ep 3: Siobhan Lanigan, Izzy Newberry and Chris Williams: Martha's Rule
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 tru...
4 Jun 2026
Black Maternity Natters: Ep 2 - Katie Donovan-Adekanmbi, BCohCo
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 ...
15 May 2026
QualiTea: Episode 3 - MoSCoW Prioritisation
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.&...
22 Apr 2026
Black Maternity Natters: Ep 1 - Sonah Paton, Black Mothers Matter
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 an...
13 Apr 2026
Black Maternity Natters: Trailer
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 Projec...
8 Apr 2026
Ep 2: Tasha Swinscoe and Pete Carpenter - the ingredients for successful adoption and spread of innovation
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 Wes...
6 Mar 2026
QualiTea: Episode 2 - Lotus Blossom
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....
9 Feb 2026
QualiTea: Episode 1 - TRIZ
Join Becca Lunn and Sarah White from Health Innovation West of England's Academy team for the first 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.&...
3 Feb 2026
Ep 1: Ann Remmers and Asha Dhany
In our very first episode of West Side Stories, Senior Project Manager, Asha Dhany, is in conversation with our Maternity and Neonatal Clinical Lead, Ann Remmers, who looks back at her 50+ years in midwifery. Ann reflects on the changes she's seen in the profession and shares the insights she's gained in senior leadership roles. Ann also talks about the continuing success of the Black Maternity Matters collaboration, which is delivering anti-racist training to help tackle the awful disp...
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