Let’s Talk Health and Care

Rebuilding Identity: Inside the Bristol 3D Medical Centre with Lead Reconstructive Scientist Amy Davey Imagine losing part of your face, your smile, or even your identity and then meeting a team who can help you rebuild it.  In this remarkable on‑site episode, hosts Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside the groundbreaking Bristol 3D Medical Centre, the first NHS facility in the UK to bring 3D scanning, digital modelling and 3D printing together under one roof to transform patient rehabilitation. Our guest, Amy Davey, Lead Reconstructive Scientist and Lab Manager, guides us through the full journey: from ultra‑precise facial scanning to digital sculpting, from high‑tech resin and PEEK printing to the traditional hand‑crafting of prosthetics even down to the Singer sewing machine used to tailor bespoke silicone garments. More than a technological deep dive, this episode explores the emotional and therapeutic dimensions of reconstruction. Amy shares powerful patient stories, including individuals rebuilding confidence after cancer treatment, trauma, or congenital differences, and reveals how a prosthesis can do far more than restore appearance it can help restore confidence and someone’s identity. Along the way we discuss: How the Centre supports patients from infancy to older age The fusion of artistry, engineering and clinical care in modern prosthetics The evolution and future of 3D‑printed medical devices in the NHS The vital psychological aspects of appearance, identity and rehabilitation The Centre’s growing partnerships with universities and robotics researchers What ‘brilliant’ looks like for the next five years of innovation This is an inspiring and empowering episode that showcases innovation in practice, delivered with compassion. A must‑listen for anyone interested in health, technology, engineering, patient experience, or the future of personalised medicine. To learn more about the Bristol 3D Medical Centre and explore examples of their work, follow the link in the episode description. https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/our-services/a-z-services/reconstructive-prosthetics/bristol-3d-medical-centre

In this episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Briddle explore the hidden complexities of the blood supply chain and the radical innovations that could transform it. Our guests in this episode, Professor Wendy Phillips, Dean for Research and Enterprise, and Dr Helen Sanderson, Senior Research Fellow, both from the College of Business and Law at UWE Bristol, share insights drawn from a decade of pioneering research into redistributed manufacturing and next‑generation blood products. Together, they discuss: Why the blood supply chain is far more vulnerable and complex than most people realise Their work to address battlefield blood supply challenges Emerging innovations including walk‑in blood banks, freeze‑dried plasma, and lab‑grown red blood cells Ethical and cultural questions around artificial versus donated blood How military‑driven innovation could strengthen resilience across the NHS and civilian healthcare What the next 5–10 years could look like as technology reshapes how and where we manufacture blood This episode offers a fascinating look at the future of life‑saving care, from regulation to innovation pipelines to the possibility of “better‑than‑natural” blood. The Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network: ⁠www.RiHN.org.uk

In this powerful episode of Let’s Talk Health and Care, Marc Griffiths and Peter Brindle take listeners inside Empire Fighting Chance, a Bristol-based organisation transforming the lives of young people who have been, in their own words, 'knocked down by life'. Through boxing-inspired therapy, culturally competent support, and deep community connection, Empire Fighting Chance is reshaping how we think about mental health, violence prevention and youth engagement. Marc and Peter speak with Co-Founder Martin Bisp, Mariella and Elaine who share the origins of their unique model, the evidence behind their impact, and what traditional services can learn from meeting young people where they truly are. Together, they explore the challenges of working with young people affected by trauma, the urgent need for systemic change, including calls for an Office of Violence Prevention and the importance of empowering local communities rather than replicating top-down interventions. Listeners will also hear from a box therapist, who brings to life what therapy looks like in the gym environment, and a young person turned staff member, who shares their journey through adversity and how this approach helped them rewrite their story. Marc and Peter close this episode with some reflections on what health and care professionals can take from the Empire model: the value of culturally relevant support, the power of safe non-clinical spaces, and the need to be braver in commissioning innovative approaches for those who need them most. A compelling episode that challenges assumptions, highlights community-led innovation, and offers a hopeful look at what’s possible when we design services with young people, not for them.   Links: Empire Fighting Chance Uncovered: Identity-Based Mass Violence in Urban Contexts | IBMV

In this special reflective episode, hosts Dr Peter Brindle and Professor Marc Griffiths look back over a remarkable year of Let’s Talk Health and Care, exploring the themes, insights, and powerful human stories uncovered across 10 episodes and 15 inspiring guests. From 3D-printed food and smart socks to social enterprise, restorative justice, and community-led health innovation, this episode weaves together the key patterns that have emerged across conversations, technology with purpose, research with impact, and people at the heart of everything.

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. Trigger warning: This podcast episode mentions the sexual abuse of children in the context of how we work together to prevent it. It affects all communities, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 7 boys worldwide. Talking about child sexual abuse is important and part of the solution. If listening to the podcast has affected you and speaking to someone would help or if you simply want to learn more, the NSPCC website is a good place to start, please go to www.nspcc.org.uk/   Wider resources related to this podcast episode: Journal articles: McCartan, K. F., & King-Hill, S. (2024). Developing a Framework for the Prevention of Sibling Sexual Behaviour. Child Abuse & Neglect https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106849 McCartan, K., & Kemshall, H. (2023). Incorporating Quaternary Prevention: Understanding the Full Scope of Public Health Practices in Sexual Abuse Prevention. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 67(2-3), 224-246.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211049204 McCartan, K. F., & Richards, K. (2020). The Integration of People Convicted of a Sexual Offence Into the Community and Their (Risk) Management. Current Psychiatric Reports. 23, 52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01258-4 Books: McCartan, K. F., Eason, A., Senker, S., Adiss, N., &Porter, C. (in press, 2025). Developing an epicrim approach in working with people convicted of a sexual offence: prevention, treatment and integration. Palgrave Macmillan. (This is the new  King-Hill, S., McCartan, K. F., Gilsmann, A., Beavis, J., & Adams, A. (2023). Understanding and Responding to Sibling Sexual Abuse. Palgrave MacMillan. Uzieblo, K., Smid, W., & McCartan, K. F (2022). Challenges in the Management of People Convicted of a Sexual Offence: A Way Forward. Palgrave MacMillan. Reports: McCartran, K. F. (2024). Scoping review of international approaches to child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention interventions by law enforcement. ECPAT International. McCartan, K. F., Constant, S., & Beg, Z. (2023). Technical guidance on the development of registers for people convicted of a sexual offence. ECPAT Senker, S., Eason, A., McCartan, K. F., & Pawson, C. (2023). Issues, challenges and opportunities for trauma-informed practice, HM Inspectorate of Probation. Kemshall, H., & McCartan, K. F., (2022). Desistance, recovery, and justice capital: Putting it all together. HM Inspectorate of Probation. McCartan, K. F. (2022). Adapting out thinking on theory and practice in working with people convicted of a sexual offence. HM Inspectorate of Probation. HM Inspectorate of Probation. Podcasts: Lets talk Forensic Psychology podcast (Oct, 2024) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaE348X0BnU&t=876s UWE Change makers on collaborative work on Child Sexual Abuse prevention with NSPCC Together For Childhood. https://soundcloud.com/uwebristol/changemaker-podcast-together-for-childhood?in=uwebristol/sets/changemaker-podcast Interviewed for HMI Probation on 3 key pionts for probation focusing on trauma informed practice and recover captial. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprobation/research/reflections-from-research/ Blogs King-Hill, S., & McCartan, K. F. (2025). White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’. The Conversation Uk, April. White Lotus: ‘the show’s depiction of sibling sexual behaviour is incredibly harmful’ – expert opinion McCartan, K. F., & King-Hill, S. (2025). The use of TV drama ‘adolescence’ in schools: why simple solutions to complex problems don’t work. UWE Research and Enterprise Blog, April. https://blogs.uwe.ac.uk/research-external-engagement/the-use-of-tv-drama-adolescence-in-schools-why-simple-solutions-to-complex-problems-dont-work/ King-Hill, S., & McCartan, K. F. (2024). Tackling and preventing inter-partner abuse in young people through evidence based relationships and sex education. The Conversation Uk, dec. Good sex and relationships education can help teens understand when behaviour is abusive or controlling Association for the Treatment & Prevention of Sexual Abuse) https://blog.atsa.com/  

In this episode, we speak with two leading researchers,Professor Nikki Cotterill and Dr Bahareh Vahabi and the focus of this episode on the work to addressing continence issues through community-based solutions and digital tools and the science related to bladder disorders, include the devasting effect of ketamine and impact of Corona virus on the bladder.   Episode links – CONfidence app: www.confidenceapp.uk   MSc Health Technology programme: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/L5901/health-technology 

In this podcast episode, Marc and Peter explore the revolutionary potential of 3D-printed food, with our guest Dr Alexandros Stratakos, who is an Associate Professor in Sustainable Agri-Food Production at the University of the West of England, Bristol and we will delve into how this innovation could bring taste, variety, and safety back to the table for those living with dysphagia.   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/  

In this episode, Peter and Marc are joined by Huda Hajinur, co-founder and Director of Caafi Health, and Dr Ilhem Berrou, Senior Lecturer on the Independent Prescribing Programme here at UWE Bristol. 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/ Next Steps Exercise Class - bristolafterstroke.org.uk/pages/31-next-steps Funder for our Robots project - emergencerobotics.net/ uwe.ac.uk/integrated-care-academy [email protected]

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: learninghub.nhs.uk/catalogue/Inclu…gwithinPractice

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