Vanesther Hamer

Registration is now open for the #BlackMaternityMatters course starting in Birmingham on 30 April, supported by our friends at Health Innovation West Midlands!

Find out more about the 6-month course and how to register for a place: https://www.healthinnowest.net/bmm-birmingham/

QualiTea is a new bite-sized podcast from our Academy. Each episode, we'll look at a different improvement tool. This episode focuses on TRIZ - which gives participants the chance to let their evil genius out of the bag!

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2573895/episodes/18648259

Includes a slightly cringe intro from yours truly!

We're hiring: Clinical Lead – Maternity & Neonatal Programmes 🌟

Lead transformative #MatNeo safety work. 1-2 days/week.

Passionate about safer care? Apply: https://www.healthinnowest.net/careers/job-vacancies/.

📅 Closing: Mon, 16 Feb 2026 (may close early).

I'm backing this - will you? The more the MPs on the Council of Europe hear from us, the harder it’ll be for them to ignore us.

✨ Join our West of England Academy Change Lab: leadership by design - a hands-on 2-day experience for people in health & care who want to lead change differently.

📍 Bristol | 📅 25–26 Feb 2026

👉 https://www.healthinnowest.net/event/the-academy-change-lab-leadership-by-design/

A joyful, smiley family photo with Ann Remmers sandwiched between her husband Martin and son Guy at the surprise party organised for her last year to celebrate 50 years' service to the NHS. Text reads: Ann Remmers receives OBE in New Year Honours for services to maternal and neonatal care. Logo for Health Innovation West of England.

Our MatNeo Clinical Lead, Ann Remmers has been awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 for services to maternal and neonatal care.

Please join us in wishing Ann huge congratulations for this much-deserved honour 👏👏👏

Read more: https://www.healthinnowest.net/news/ann-remmers-obe/

Montage of photos, illustrating the diversity of people Health Innovation West of England has worked with and benefited this year - nurses, GPs, parents and children and patients. Words read: Health innovation highlights - our review of 2025

As the year draws to a close, it’s traditional to take stock and reflect on what we’ve achieved together before launching ourselves into the new year. Check out some of our highlights from 2025:

https://www.healthinnowest.net/news/health-innovation-highlights-our-review-of-2025/

What are the 3 critical questions every innovator must answer to demonstrate value within health and care? Find out in this write-up of last week's webinar, lifting the lid on healthcare evaluation: https://www.healthinnowest.net/news/evaluation-the-key-to-successful-healthcare-innovation/

The number one movie when you were ten years old will define your 2026

Stylised, colourful illustration showing a diverse line-up of parents with their infants. One woman is pregnant. One baby is in an incubator. Text reads: Join the regional perinatal equity network. Free online event 14 January 2026 10am to 12pm. Open to all working in perinatal and related services. Logos included for NHS, Health Innovation West of England, Health Innovation South West and the National Patient Safety Improvement Programme.

If you work in or with perinatal services in the South West & are passionate about reducing health inequalities, join our Regional Perinatal Equity Network.

Our next event is Wednesday 14 January: https://www.healthinnowest.net/event/regional-perinatal-equity-network-11/ Please join us!

Check our new animation about #MarthasRule, helping explain and promote this vital #NHS #PatientSafety programme to both members of the public and healthcare professionals. Please help us to share!

https://vimeo.com/1133093696?fl=pl&fe=sh

Colourful and stylised illustration of a Black woman holding an infant in front of her, both smiling at one another. Words read: Black Maternity Matters statement - national maternity and neonatal investigation interim report

The Black Maternity Matters collaborative welcomes the interim report of the National Maternity & Neonatal Investigation. We support its call for urgent, systemic action to tackle racial inequities in maternity and neonatal care. Read the full response: www.healthinnowest.net/news/black-m...

Illustration of a magnifying glass alongside the words: Real-world evaluation webinar series. West of England Academy. Innovate. Improve. Impact.

We're launching a new webinar series, lifting the lid on real-world evaluation for healthcare innovators. This intro session on 17 Dec will help you better understand why evaluating impact is so important.

Book here: https://www.healthinnowest.net/event/introduction-to-real-world-evaluation/

A white or olive-skinned woman dressed in a blue shirt is reaching her hands into an incubator in hospital to hold a tiny premature baby. Words overlaid read: World Prematurity Day 2025. Celebrating the achievements of perinatal colleagues across the South West to improve outcomes for premature babies. Logos included for PERIPrem, Health Innovation West of England and Health Innovation South West.

On #WorldPrematurityDay we celebrate our #PERIprem community across the South West.

The latest The National Child Mortality Database report shows we're the only region to achieve the National Maternity Safety Ambition to reduce rate of neonatal deaths to 1 per 1,000 live births.

Thank you! 💜👏💜👏

Photos of Shaune Gifford and Alison Tavare. Text reads: Learning from Queensland, sharing insights from Ryan's Rule

#PatientSafety teams across England gained invaluable insights into 'Ryan's Rule' during a Health Innovation Network webinar with Shaune Gifford from Queensland Health in Australia.

For key highlights from the webinar, visit: https://www.healthinnowest.net/news/sharing-insights-from-ryans-rule/

Download our new resources to support care home residents prepare for Structured Medication Reviews. www.thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk

As part of our national Polypharmacy programme, we're launching a new set of resources developed by @yhpsrc.bsky.social to support care home residents, their families and staff to prepare for Structured Medication Reviews.
Find out more: thehealthinnovationnetwork.co.uk/news/new-res...

A stylised illustration showing a Black woman and a white midwife/healthcare professional wearing a lanyard - in bold bright colours. The impression given is care, trust and compassion. The Black Maternity Matters logo is positioned alongside against a turquoise background.

We are part of the #BlackMaternityMatters collaborative.
Today we published a statement welcoming the government’s announcement of a review into maternal & neonatal safety, particularly the focus on tackling inequalities in care for Black & Asian communities: www.healthinnowest.net/news/black-m...

Thanks to Q for showcasing our Black Maternity Matters collaborative on #WorldHealthDay.

This year's campaign promotes 'healthy beginnings, hopeful futures', urging us all to work together to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritise women’s longer-term health and wellbeing.

‘Did they learn nothing?’: Auschwitz survivor to return German honour over AfD vote role Albrecht Weinberg ‘horrified’ that MPs relied on far-right party to pass anti-immigration motion

A 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, Albrecht Weinberg, has said he will return his federal order of merit to the German president in protest over MPs passing an anti-immigration motion in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Co-producing our way to better partnership working with the VCSE sector - Health Innovation West of England Sean Hourigan is Development and Training Manager at The Peer Partnership and Brigstowe. We were delighted when Sean accepted our invitation to take part in a panel discussion at our conference last N...

Check out our new guest blog by Sean Hourigan from @brigstowe.bsky.social and @peerpartnership.bsky.social, exploring how health and care services can develop more ‘grown up’ partnerships with the VCSE sector by stepping back and listening more.

www.healthinnowest.net/2025/01/co-p...

If you see this, post an archer.

A gorgeous stylised illustration of a Black mother holding her young child in the air, both smiling at each other. The words read: Black Maternity Matters. Register your interest now for senior leaders training starting February 2025.

Are you a senior leader in health & care? If so, your expertise & influence is needed to reduce the inequitable outcomes faced by Black women and babies. Join the #BlackMaternityMatters collaborative in leading a transformation in perinatal safety.

Find out more: events.weahsn.net/BlackMaterni...

Stained glass style window display made from black card and Jewel coloured tissue paper, featuring geometric shapes and dove silhouettes - that took us blinking ages to cut out!

Stained glass style window display made from black card and Jewel coloured tissue paper, featuring geometric shapes and dove silhouettes - that took us blinking ages to cut out!

Our contribution this year to the #AdventWindows on our street, inspired by our recent trip to Marrakech

#Bristol #FeelingFestive

I'm a bit late to the party as always but here now! This is such a useful list Ant, thank you! Could you add me and my HIN please? @healthinnowest.bsky.social 🙏

This was a fantastic event to help organise. Huge thanks to the very brilliant team at @autumnlive.bsky.social for all your support and creative input!