Sheila Kitzinger 2018-19 Programme Events
Improving care for mothers with obstetric anal sphincter injury
23-24 November 2018
The MASIC Foundation has been in existence for just under eighteen months and as part of its on-going programme of meetings and Education Days, the Foundation collaborated with the Sheila Kitzinger Programme.
A special meeting of medical professionals, support groups and OASI mothers on the theme of Improving Care for Mothers with Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries was organised at Green Templeton in November 2018.
This event brought together mothers and health professionals to discuss improving care and considered such issues as:
- information in pregnancy;
- consent;
- primary prevention;
- accurate detection;
- standard of repair and counselling;
- early care pathway;
- six-week ask;
- seamless care pathway from OASI clinic to pelvic floor clinic;
- employment rights;
- support for the partner and family;
- destigmatising the injury;
- sharing experiences.
Further discussion centred on the theme of Coming Together and examined issues around the co-ordination of Women’s Health Perinatal Support Groups; eighteen-month goals; engaging Primary Care; replacing blame by support both for those delivering and those receiving it.
Beyond the Gate: Improving support for perinatal women in all areas of the criminal justice system
19 May 2019
This Birth Companions seminar was held at Green Templeton on 19 May 2019 as part of the Sheila Kitzinger Programme. The day-long seminar focused on bringing health and justice services together at a policy, commissioning, and practical level, along with women with lived experience of the issues, and specialists from academia and the voluntary sector.
All Life’s An Experiment
20 June 2019
This event at Green Templeton in June 2019 explored how to involve patients in decisions about their medical treatment, including the use of novel, experimental, or untested therapies.
The following video interviews, shown during the event, were produced by 20 Seconds Media and The Medical Mediation Foundation.
Deborah Bowman
Deborah Bowman is a Professor of Medical Ethics and Law at St George’s, University of London. In 2017, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. In this interview, she talks about the impact of the diagnosis and about her relationships with the health professionals looking after her. How have these relationships changed during the course of treatment and what does “good” communication between patient and doctor look and feel like?
Deborah Bowman is speaking to the camera while sitting in a library. When the speaker begins, there is a strip of text at the bottom right of the video saying ‘Deborah Bowman, Professor of Ethics and Law, St George’s, University of London. Diagnosed 2017 – Stage three breast cancer.’
Sophie Sabbage
Sophie Sabbage is a former business consultant, now an author, speaker and patient activist. In 2014, Sophie was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and given five months to live. Five years later, her cancer is in remission. In this interview and in her book, The Cancer Whisperer, Sophie talks about how she has combined conventional and experimental therapies and challenged her doctors to think differently about the way they communicate with patients.
Sophie Sabbage is speaking to the camera while sitting in front of a fireplace. When the speaker begins, there is a strip of text on the bottom left of the video saying ‘Sophie Sabbage, writer and speaker. Diagnosed 2014 – Stage four lung cancer.’
Mo Haque
Mo Haque is an author and speaker. In 2014, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer. One year later, following surgery and chemotherapy, he was told the NHS had run out of treatment options and that he was not eligible to join a clinical trial of immunotherapy. With the help and support of his friends, Mo started a fundraising campaign to raise £200,000 for immunotherapy treatment. His cancer is now in remission. In this interview and in his book, Choosing to Stay , Mo talks about the importance of listening to patients and the choices they make about treatment.
Mo Haque is speaking to the camera from an office with a bookcase in the background. When the speaker begins, there is a strip of text at the bottom left of the video saying ‘Mo Haque, writer and speaker. Diagnosed 2014 – Stage four bowel cancer.’
Caroline Wyatt
Caroline Wyatt is a journalist who has reported from all over the world for the BBC. In 2015, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) having suffered increasingly debilitating symptoms over many years. Determined to explore all possible treatment options, Caroline paid for stem cell therapy in the US, a treatment not available to her on the NHS as she didn’t qualify for a clinical trial. In this interview she talks about the attitude of some health professionals to patients with chronic illness, the impact of MS on her quality of life and why she continues to search for new treatments.
Caroline Wyatt is speaking to the camera from an office. When the speaker begins, there is a strip of text saying ‘Caroline Wyatt, journalist. Diagnosis – Multiple sclerosis.’
Medical decision-making and the law
20 June 2019
Victoria Butler Cole QC delivered a lecture on medical decision-making and the law as part of the Sheila Kitzinger Programme seminar called All Life’s An Experiment. Her talk focused specifically on the courts’ role in medical decisions, providing real life case examples.
