Some of the TEDxNHS talks that we hope will:
bring some strength as we unite together stronger as a community.
The feet of the swan – Jo James, 2017
Jo James is the lead nurse for dementia at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. In her talk she shares her experience of working with healthcare support workers who are undervalued in many places. Jo highlights the potential for improving patient care and increasing staff fulfilment by reducing the hierarchical nature of healthcare and allowing healthcare support workers to get the recognition they deserve.
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Good doctor, bad patient – Aaron Brown, 2018
Aaron Brown was the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to qualify and join the Royal College of Surgeons just two years after medical school, a self described perfectionist was never one to let a disability stop him on excelling in life. That was until 2018 when he was confronted with saying goodbye to his children as his condition led him to become gravely ill in intensive care. Faced with this new perspective Aaron shares a deeply personal reflection on being a good doctor but bad patient and how we must consider our own health to also help our patients.
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New ideas for old concerns – Derek Prinsley, 2016
Derek Prinsley qualified as doctor in 1942, before the NHS had formed and during WWII. When asked what he remembered of the birth of the NHS, he replied that he didn’t notice it, he was too busy doing the job. The biggest healthcare policy ever to have been enacted in modern Britain went unnoticed by one of its foot soldiers. In his TEDxNHS talk Derek Prinsley shares his reflections of healthcare as a medic in the early days of the NHS. Some of these are unimaginable in our currently industry; the stealthy swapping of hospitals, and others remain unchanged; if you put up a bed, somebody will come lie in it.
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Four words – Hannah Thornton, 2018
‘Hello, I see you’ just four works to create a happier and healthy nation. Hannah Thornton shares her story of being confronted with feelings of isolation at university and how a chance meeting on a train lead her to go viral through harnessing the power of connection. Hannah gives insight into the UK being the loneliness capital of Europe and how she is determined to challenge this one connection at a time.
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What’s the most under-utilised resource in Healthcare? – Michael Seres, 2018
When Michael Seres went into theatre to become the 11th person in the UK to receive a total bowel transplant, he knew that 5 of the 10 patients before him had not survived their transplant. Whilst thrilled to be recovering in a hospital bed, Michael noticed that his new ostomy bag was frequently leaking or overflowing. So he went online and learnt how to hack his health. In his TEDxNHS talk, Michael shares his experience of using technology and community to enhance the medicine which he has been so grateful for and which had saved his life. He demonstrates that as the patient in this scenario, he was an underutilised resource.
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We have been reflecting on the ‘power of a pause’ and how in such uncertain times a moment to pause can help create space to build strength, build resilience and keep hope.
Here are some TEDxNHS talks to…
provide a moment of pause.
Why I would prescribe digital sleep medicine for the NHS – Sophie Bostock, 2016
When Sophie was four years old she wanted to be Superman but when Father Christmas gave her a Supergirl outfit she knew life was about adapting. In her thought-provoking talk Sophie, who has a PhD in Health Psychology, explores the power of adapting to use digital technology to support mental wellbeing. She shares with the audience a clinically proven programme called ‘Sleepio’ which helps overcome even long term poor sleep. NHS England has partnered with Sleepio to protect the mental health of NHS staff by offering Sleepio and Daylight at no cost throughout the pandemic.
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Medicine and Mars – Beth Healey, 2017
Meet the doctor who braved life in the remotest Antarctica in the name of space and medical exploration. Beth Healey spent more than a year on the ultra-remote Concordia base as the European Space Agency’s research doctor. She thinks outside the box and in helping develop space research; also thinks about how to apply the impossible to possible in healthcare.
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These shoes were made for walking – Matt King, 2017
Matt King OBE is a leading inspirational speaker, author, lawyer, adventurer and mentor. When Matt was 16 he thought his dreams of becoming a professional rugby player were coming true when he was signed to play semi-professionally for the London Broncos. In the first 20 seconds of his first match his life changed forever when a tackle went wrong, and he was left paralyzed from the neck down. Matt talks about the hardship he faced and the darkness it brought, but also how he reimagined a new future for himself by taking back control and focusing on the things he did have in life instead of what was broken.
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Those excluded understand inclusion, like no other – Molly Watt, 2017
Molly Watt born without hearing and later diagnosed with Usher syndrome, resulting in her being registered deafblind, explores the notion of whether you are ever fully seen by society. Company Director and co-founder of Molly Watt Trust charity and now international Ambassador/Advocate she shares her drive of living with her diagnosis, embracing technology to find her place in the world around her.
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Hand-me-down healthcare – Nick Harding, 2017
Nick Harding with a compelling vision ‘ Healthcare without boundaries’, brings to the stage his grandfather’s original doctors bag and invites us to learn from and not settle for what has gone before. With his questioning mind Nick shares his passion for creating a sustainable future in healthcare.
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Here are some TEDxNHS talks that we hope will spread some joy and make you smile in these challenging times.
Breathe Magic – Yvonne Farquarson and Richard McDougall, 2016
Breathe is an intensive therapy programme for young people with brain injury. Recognising that the therapy for children with specific conditions involved repetitive and not wholly successful approaches, they looked for a different way to offer therapy that was fun and engaging. The programme offers the same exercises as traditional approaches but appeals to the motivation of children and is life-changing.
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Magic performance – Breath Magic, 2017
Breath Magic returned the TEDxNHS stage the following year to demonstrate, share and inspire with their act.
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Spoken word performance – Molly Case, 2016
Nurse and Poet, warrior and anxious, inspired to become a nurse after being unwell as a child but also had dreams of being a poet. Struggled with marrying the two together. But can now do both – both offer calm and quiet.
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See one, do one, teach one – Keith Grimes, 2016
GP and digital innovators, how can we be brave enough and have the courage to test new things and innovate for the benefit of patients. how can we use virtual reality and augmented reality to help patients with LTCs, pain management, using technology to improve care.
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On our doorstep – Jackie Marshall, 2018
Jackie is an NHS nurse with a side hustle as a volunteer in refugee camps in Northern France. After seeing the harrowing images in the media of young and desperate people washed up on European beaches Jackie followed her instincts to help and found herself giving basic first aid to refugees in what was then known as ‘the Jungle’. In her TEDxNHS talk Jackie describes her experiences in France and shares how these have influenced her practice as a nurse in the NHS. She reflects that compassion is something we can all give. You don’t need a medical or nursing degree to care. Sometimes, it’s just about throwing someone a rugby ball.
Watch here…