Season 1, Episode 3 Details:
‘Reshaping Access to Reproductive Health’ with Bournemouth University’s Professor Vanora Hundley and University Hospital Dorset’s Dorset’s Daniel Webster
Listen to the episode:
Episode Overview:
Professor Vanora Hundley and Daniel Webster bring expert insight and heartfelt stories to a candid discussion on women’s health in Dorset. From demystifying gynaecology to championing community-driven care, this episode offers both practical advice and inspiring progress.
Detailed Episode Show Notes:
“For every pound invested in obstetrics and gynaecology for each woman, we would generate £319m return to the economy. It’s a huge investment because women are at the centre of families.”
Every woman deserves timely, compassionate and effective care – particularly in the realm of reproductive health, so what are the barriers that need breaking down to achieve that level of care?
We welcome Professor Vanora Hundley and Daniel Webster this week to share the advancements that are being made in one of the most personal topics we’ll cover across the whole series of ‘Speaking of Women’s Health’…
Vanora and Daniel are two of Dorset’s leading voices in obstetrics, gynaecology & midwifery, and their work is putting our voices at the heart of the care we’re able to access.
We’ll cut through lingering taboos to dive into the systemic issues that have flown under the radar for too long – from disproportionate Black mortality rates in childbirth, to information access for those with disabilities – and share the projects that are driving action across Dorset, and beyond.
👤Guest Profiles:
Professor Vanora Hundley –
- Professor of Midwifery
- Bournemouth University
Daniel Webster –
- Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
- University Hospitals Dorset
⏱️ Chapters:
[0:00] – Defining Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and The Vital Role of Midwifery
[6:50] – Guests’ Aspirations for the Women’s Health Programme & its Early Impacts
[13:00] – Diversity, Inequality and Community Engagement
[20:20] – Major Challenges Being Addressed by the Women’s Health Programme
[28:35] – Future Goals and Projects for Advocacy and Accessibility
[38:35] – Targeted Support for Early Labour
🔑Key Themes:
- Demystifying Medical Jargon in Gynaecology, Obstetrics, and Midwifery
- Empowering Communities with Accessible Knowledge
- Addressing Healthcare Inequities and Systemic Challenges
- Bridging Community Gaps Through Collaboration
- The Power of Sharing Personal Stories to Inspire Change
- Advocacy & Innovation in Ongoing Projects and Research
📖 Resources Mentioned:
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset:
https://ourdorset.org.uk/women/ - National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/
🔗 Connect with us:
- Professor Vanora Hundley, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanora-hundley-39bb4016/
- Daniel Webster, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-webster-724aa5139/
- Marianne Storey, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-storey-46938435/
- Anjali Mavi, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-mavi-66a5a86/
- Dorset Women CIC Website: https://dorsetwomen.org.uk/
- Women’s Health Support in Dorset: https://ourdorset.org.uk/women
🎯 Action Items for Listeners:
- Visit the Our Dorset Women’s Health website for evidence-based health information.
- Share the podcast and website with other women in the community.
- Consider how to advocate for women’s health in your local area
- Encourage male family members and partners to learn about women’s health issues
💡 Top Quotes:
5:25 – Professor Vanora Hundley:
“Midwifery provides the whole continuum of care. It’s one of the most important public health roles that we have. Midwives provide prenatal care all the way through to birth and postpartum. But also, they tend to work in a public health role within the community, providing valuable information to women in planning to get pregnant, early pregnancy loss, and inter-spacing between pregnancies.”
8:10 – Professor Vanora Hundley:
“For every pound invested in obstetrics and gynaecology for each woman, we would generate £319m return to the economy. It’s a huge investment, because women are right at the centre of families.”
11:00 – Daniel Webster:
“I spoke about Black women and how they have a higher instance of maternal morbidity and mortality, and we had a really interactive discussion, and it was really interesting to hear questions from the audience and hear their views on it. I don’t think that the UK public would necessarily be aware of the statistics behind that.”
13:20 – Professor Vanora Hundley:
“How do we work with communities to find out the ways they get information, and ensure we deliver it in a way that’s accessible to them?”
26:50 – Daniel Webster:
“It’s important that we reach out to those that are not necessarily in the digital world. But for those that are, things have improved in that way as well. For example, women no longer walk around with handheld maternity notes. Their maternity care can be accessed anywhere in Dorset, and also in most sites in the UK.”
19:20 – Professor Vanora Hundley:
“We’ve also secured some funding to look at maternal inequalities across the area as part of the large NIHR challenge. From the perspective of raising awareness, we’ve achieved that, but perhaps much more important is we’ve made connections with communities, and we’re beginning to get that communication going.”
30:35 – Daniel Webster:
“North East London has implemented a Women’s Health Hub, and it’s reduced waiting times, streamlined things, and improved patient care. We’re working on a similar thing in Dorset.”
36:45 – Professor Vanora Hundley:
“Sometimes what women need is just peer support, the ability to ask that question and somebody else to say, ‘Actually, that’s not a stupid question’.”
Transcript: Find the full transcript here. Please note, these notes are AI generated.