In this episode, we are on location at the For All Health Living Centre in Weston-Super-Mare with Mark Graham (CEO of the For All Healthy Living Centre) and Joanne Poole (Director of Nursing at Weston General Hospital)* 

We explore how partnerships between hospitals and communities are redefining what care really means and discuss the mission to move healthcare beyond hospital walls and closer to where people live their lives.

Unpacking themes of trust, prevention, and collaboration, highlighting how local relationships and new ways of working can transform health outcomes are all explored. From 'tribal mapping' to re-imagining the workforce of the future, this episode shines a light on how small communities can lead big system change.

*At the time of recording this episode, Joanna Poole was working at Weston General Hospital.  Joanne is currently on a secondment to Somerset NHS Foundation Trust as the Assistant Chief Nurse.  

https://www.forallhlc.org/

In this episode we speak with three entrepreneurs and our focus is on innovation in health technology. 

We are joined by Professor Matt Freeman, who is the Centre Director at Future_Space, which is an innovation centre that has become the gold standard for university-industry collaboration. Future_ Space at UWE Bristol is a multi-award-winning innovation centre designed for pioneering high-tech high-growth businesses solving tomorrow's biggest challenges.

We are also joined by Dr Jenny Bailey Cooper, CEO and co-founder of Ferryx, a university spin-out company developing innovative gut health solutions and Dr Zeke Steer, founder of Milbotix, has developed smart sock technology that's turning this everyday garment into a powerful health monitoring tool.

Links:

⁠https://www.futurespacebristol.co.uk/ ⁠

⁠www.ferryx.com⁠

⁠https://milbotix.com/

In this latest episode, we are joined by Dr Appolinaire Etoundi, Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Mechatronics at UWE Bristol. From pioneering low-cost prosthetic legs to developing AI-driven assistive devices, Appolinaire is reshaping how technology intersects with healthcare and his vision to create a centre that uses AI, 3D scanning and printing to tailor affordable prosthetics in real time is captivating.

The driving force for the vision is entirely user-centred - a career shift motivated by being challenged by a gold medal winning Para Olympian to consider making joints for people rather than robots... His mission is to design technology that empowers and not excludes.

Interesting fact: The temperature in a prosthetic leg socket can reach 47-49 Celsius after 90 minutes of walking! There is so much to be done to improve this and many other aspects of living with prosthetics.

Useful links:

Appolinaire’s university profile: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/AppolinaireEtoundi

Cybathlon 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLbl2Q1xGuA

Bristol Centre for Enablement: https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/bristol-centre-enablement

Selected publications:

Bio-Inspired Knee Joint: Trends in the Hardware Systems Development https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2021.613574/full

Experimental Verification of Kinematics and Kinetics in a Biomimetic Bipedal Robot https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/mechanismsrobotics/article/15/1/014503/1140488/Experimental-Verification-of-Kinematics-and

The Anthro-Thumb: a biomimetic hybrid soft robotic carpometacarpal saddle joint for the thumb, Frontiers in Robotics and AI https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2025.1496073/full

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Kieran McCartan, Professor of Criminology here at UWE Bristol, and an expert in applying public health strategies.  Our focus in this episode is exploring a subject that is as challenging as it is crucial: the prevention of child sex abuse. Child sex abuse affects more children than most people realise and highlighting the urgent need for effective prevention strategies is the focus of this episode.

Wider resources related to this podcast episode:

Journal articles:

Books:

Reports:

Podcasts:

Blogs

Episode links –

CONfidence app: www.confidenceapp.uk

MSc Health Technology programme: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/L5901/health-technology 

Useful links:

https://www.uwe.ac.uk/news/dysphagia-study

https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/research-business-innovation/advancing-dysphagia-oriented-multi-ingredient-meal-development-optimising-hydrocolloid-incorporation-in-3d-printed-nutritious-meals/

https://nypost.com/2024/10/15/science/scientists-create-first-3d-printed-food-for-people-with-swallowing-difficulties-palatable/

Caafi Health is a community-focused organisation dedicated to addressing health inequalities, particularly within ethnic minority communities. It provides culturally sensitive healthcare services and health education to improve access and outcomes for underserved populations.

We explore some of the causes of health inequalities, how trust underpins our communities’ interactions with the health and care system and the impact Caafi Health are creating through designing and delivering a model of community-powered healthcare.

Weblinks:

Caafi Health: https://www.caafihealth.org.uk/

Community health clinics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRf_SYkqH0 

Dr. Praveen Kumar, Associate Professor in Stroke Rehabilitation and Physiotherapist at UWE Bristol joins us in this episode to talk about his work in the field of stroke rehabilitation and the development of robotic telepresence and how it can support people at home with the exercises and social interaction. Robotic telepresence is a mobile robotic platform, and through this robot, participants can join live group exercise classes led by a remote instructor. They see the instructor on a screen, the instructor sees them, and they can interact in real time.

Bristol After Stroke - bristolafterstroke.org.uk/

uwe.ac.uk/integrated-care-academy

Noor Nixon, Inclusive Practice Project Manager at UWE Bristol and Antony Hill, principal investigator and Dean of Learning and Teaching at the College of Health, Science and Society, UWE Bristol, discuss the design and development of inclusive learning resources that enable workforce culture and behaviour change related to racism and discrimination in healthcare and education across the South West of England, as part of the Inclusive Training in Practice project.

Useful links:

In this episode, Professor Marc Griffiths, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Health and sponsor for the Integrated Care Academy (ICA) at UWE Bristol, and Dr Peter Brindle, Visiting Professor and Specialist Consultant and UWE Bristol, introduce the ICA @ UWE Bristol and discuss where it connects across the health and care spaces and with whom.

Key examples outlining where the ICA @ UWE Bristol makes a positive impact within health and care spaces are discussed along with future work.

Useful links:

https://www.uwe.ac.uk/business/community-engagement/integrated-care-academy