We Are Power Podcast
The We Are Power podcast is the podcast for your career and your life. A weekly podcast with listeners in over 60 countries worldwide where you'll hear personal life stories, top-notch industry advice, and key leadership insight from amazing role models. The podcast not only aids your personal and professional development but also delves deep into conversations around Gender Equality and Social Mobility. Each week the We Are Power Podcast will bring you a new interview from a leader within the 100,000-strong We Are Power community, hosted by Simone Roche MBE.
We Are Power Podcast
Transforming Healthcare Through Inclusive Innovation with Joanne Henry
This week, we're joined by Joanne Henry from NIHR, winners of the 2024 Northern Power Women Inclusive Innovation Award.
Joanne shares how winning boosted their mission to transform healthcare and ensure fair access to health research for underserved communities in Greater Manchester.
From the joy of winning to a celebration that involved everyone from finance to communications, Joanne’s story highlights the power of teamwork and community.
Listen to learn:
- Joanne’s journey from children’s nurse to leader in health research
- How the NIHR team is changing the face of healthcare and research for underserved groups
- Why innovation is essential in tackling health inequalities
- The importance of celebrating success as a team
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The Northern Power Women podcast for your career and your life, no matter what business you're in. Well, hello, hello and welcome to the we Are Power podcast. This podcast is all about chatting to some of the brilliant role models across in, across from our North and beyond, and listening to some of their sharing and inspiring stories, some of their professional side hacks and side tips that they can pass on to you, whether it's your career, whether it's your life, whatever adventure you may be on and at the moment we are in our atrociously holder season I think is what I'm calling it or winners, where we're talking, we're recapping on everyone who went away with one of those beautiful statues back in March, and this week I am thrilled to be introduced to you. Joanne Henry is the matron at the NIHR Clinical Research Network, our Inclusive Innovation winner from this year. Joanne, welcome, welcome back to the pod.
Speaker 1:We got you on, didn't we? Back in March, very quickly, straight after the awards, and you said I asked you at the time what the three words um, that described how you were feeling, and you said you, it was proud, inspired and energized. Where are you right now? Where are those three words right now?
Speaker 2:yeah, I guess, um, still the same. Really, we're still rolling, you know, on that kind of cloud, um of winning, and we still make a point of you know pointing out the award to everyone that comes in the door. Um, you know, it's a talking point for visitors, um, and yeah, we're just um, we're just still reveling, basically, and and winning the award. It was just so fantastic.
Speaker 1:Well, you've answered my next question. Where is the award? I didn't know whether it's gone on tour or is in a specific place. Pride of place in the office.
Speaker 2:Where is it?
Speaker 1:no-transcript. Read out on the night. Um, why you'd won is because about the transformation that you are making across health care in the region and focusing on equity of access to health and care and research for those underserved communities. And you know, delighted to announce you as winner this year. Now, you were going off to have a mini celebration afterwards in the office, did you do?
Speaker 2:that? Yeah, we did, and it was really lovely. We invited everyone into the office and we'd prepared some slides. So we also we shared what we'd written in the nomination and I'd made a video as part of the shortlisting process. So we played that and we also played the video of the actual ceremony on the night, so everyone could see us getting up on stage and we had little cupcakes made with the MPW logo on them. So it was a really lovely little celebration and we also made a point of demonstrating that. You know, it wasn't just like me and my team's success, it was a, you know, a whole team's success, and so we invited people, like from finance and from the communications team, to talk about their experience, because it, you know, it's not just down to us. It it takes everyone in the team to work together to get this far really with it. So, yeah, it was a really lovely event.
Speaker 1:That's brilliant. I feel like that needs to be turned into sort of a pack, isn't it? You know, when you do sort of the coffee mornings for Macmillan or whatever. I feel like this is how to waste your celebration event. It's a watch along party. It's a video, read out all the information of what went into it and then, of course, branded cupcakes. That's brilliant. Yeah, it was really nice there and you talked about your highlight from the awards was being part of the community. Have you made any new connections since, uh, joining us on the evening?
Speaker 2:yeah, well, we, um, we connected with our the inclusive innovation award sponsor, so connected places catapult, and they interviewed myself and our chief operating officer, sarah fallon um, and they wrote up a really nice article about the work we've been doing and about the awards, and so that was really nice. We came along to one of the celebration events at the ey offices in manchester city center and so that was really nice to to kind of see again some of the celebration events at the EY offices in Manchester and City Centre. So that was really nice to kind of see again some of the other nominations and we'd met them on the awards day at the afternoon tea, but it was nice to chat to them again and meet some new people as well. Yeah, so, yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 1:And what would you say to anyone who's thinking oh, there's no point nominating, it's the largest event celebrating gender equality in Europe. We're not going to get anywhere. What would you say to people out there who may be considering their nomination at the moment, but thinking I'm teetering.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, that's exactly what we thought. And look where we are now. You know we're doing podcasts talking about how we won um, and I know it's really difficult to blow your own trumpet and because you're you know it's your day to day job and you're just doing what. You know what you do and what you're getting paid for. But I think it's important to take some time to reflect on it first before you start writing the nomination, and just think about the journey you've had. You know from start to finish.
Speaker 2:And I'd say, also get some feedback from colleagues, because it's highly likely they probably think what you've been doing has been amazing and getting that kind of different perspective from other people. You know they might just have thought of something you've not thought of. They might tell you about an impact it's had that you're not aware of, whether that was on them or the organization, or you know your clients or service users. So, yeah, I would speak to people on the team and see what they think and just take your time to write it and don't be afraid to really blow that trumpet and show off what you've been doing, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I think we've got, we've had our nominations, how to ace nominations webinar and it's almost kind of it's okay. We've talked about the humble brag but it's okay to go for the full on brag, right, If you're doing good stuff and clearly the work that you're doing can. How would you explain? You know it's a very, very heart of the communities about what you are, but how would you explain to our listeners out there about NIHR?
Speaker 2:We basically we facilitate health research across the region. So we want to ensure that the people in Greater Manchester get relevant research opportunities, that we increase inclusivity in research. So a lot of research in the past has been done on people not done on people I shouldn't say that but it's been done with people. You know it can white educated, you know men, and that's not relevant to our population as now. So it's really important that to reduce health inequalities, we have research that's representative of, you know, of our population. So that's what we do. We we identify these relevant research studies and we take them out into the community where the people are that need them the most.
Speaker 1:And what have you seen as the the good news stories and the impact that you doing this has achieved and done?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think the biggest thing in the main is that now underserved populations in Greater Manchester are accessing research, they're taking part. So we've done studies involving people with mental health issues, people with addiction issues, people from black and minority ethnic groups, pregnant women issues people from black and minority ethnic groups, pregnant women, young people who previously kind of weren't accessing research. Um and you know we celebrate things like um one of the studies that we've been working on that we talked about in the nomination the genes and health study we celebrated massively when we hit a thousand participants, because that's just so huge. 1,000 south asian people have taken part in the study that we've been delivering. So it's just the impact is that these people are now getting these opportunities and it's going to make a difference. It's the long game but it is going to make a difference and we see now studies that are being done on the back of this work that are going to have huge implications for some of these communities and really change things, improve their health and improve treatments for them. So so that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the biggest impact, and I know it's about the team and it's a rather wider organization than what you do. But how did you get into this role? How did you become matron of NIHR?
Speaker 2:So I qualified as a children's nurse and I worked on the children's ICU at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for a couple of years. But then I kind of always had a bit of an interest in research and I took a BAM5 research nurse job at the Clinical Research Network and I just worked my way up. I just found my passion. I really enjoy research, I really enjoy working at the network, I enjoy getting out and about to all these different settings. There's such huge variety in our um, in our network um, and yeah, so I just I worked my way up. Um, you know COVID was such a, you know challenging time but you know I've got to look at the positives and it really helped, you know, shape me as, as a leader um, so I was lucky enough to to get into the matron role. I think based on based on that.
Speaker 1:And what is coming up for you at NH, because it it to me it feels like it's. There's always something, isn't it? You can't stay still in in this world and equally, you're innovation, inclusive innovation winners. So you absolutely can't. You've got to keep innovating.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, that's so true now. So we're actually going through quite a significant period of change at the moment. So, um, from the first of october we're going to be a different organization. So we're merging with people in the northwest coast clinical research network. So there'll be greater manchester, lancashire and south cumbria and cheshire and merseyside all coming together to be one big regional research delivery network for the Northwest. So that involves, you know, changes in services and functions and structures. So we're going to be, as I say, starting that for the 1st of October. But the opportunities that are going to come with that because of the diverse populations that each of these three areas serve, you know, is huge. We're going to have seven million people um to serve. So, um, and as we know, the northwest has, uh, you know, poorer health outcomes in comparison to uk.
Speaker 1:We've got areas of, you know, really significant deprivation, um, but you know that means that we've got lots of work to do there, um, so it's quite exciting because I think I remember reading um, oh gosh, a wee while ago, and it was somebody living growing up in Richmond in the southeast of England, will have 10 years lesser health, good health quality, than someone in Burnley. That's, it's like criminal, isn't it? It's and is this some of the work that you're trying to highlight? Overturn it's, it's never-ending, isn't it?
Speaker 2:yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2:I mean you know we'll always be in a job, I think, because there's always, you know, there's going to be research.
Speaker 2:You know it's one of the most significant ways we can reduce health inequalities. You know, one of the studies we've supported, one of the results of the studies we've supported anyway, is that there's this drug, clopidogrel, that just doesn't metabolize properly in over 50 percent of south asian people, but two-thirds, and it's given to people that have had a heart attack, but two-thirds of people are given that drug, and so that just shows you, you know there's people you know taking a drug that for half of them it's not going to be working anyway, and so it's things like that you know that is, you know that is a health inequality that's being, that's been created. So that's why we need to increase diversity in clinical trials and in research studies. So, yeah, we need to get out there and set all these different communities and ensure that there's great representation on studies so we can reduce inequalities such as that and the opportunity that that brings by making you a broader organisation across the regions.
Speaker 1:The power in that that is literally northern power, isn't it? I think it's going to bring that to life. Do you have any sort of key goals as to where?
Speaker 2:do you go with this? Well, we focus on a variety of different specialties. So there's things like cardiovascular disease and diabetes, mental health, which are really significant issues for the North West. But I mean there's literally thousands of studies. So we recently had a 10 year celebration event to kind of mark the end of the clinical research network, and the statistics from that showed that we've delivered in the last 10 years 4,900 studies. So that shows you, you know, the vastness of research and clinical trials and research studies.
Speaker 1:It's almost kind of the bigger picture, isn't it? You know where do you start. You've got this big kind of big area, bigger region. Now what's the? Is there a big sort of a big, hairy, audacious goal, so to speak?
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, so one of our big focuses for the next few years is going to be about taking research into the community more into the community and focusing on those out of hospital settings. So we've done stuff in the community more into the community and focusing on those out of hospital settings. So we've done stuff in the community and but obviously we want to increase that. Um, primary care is such a huge opportunity. You know everyone has a gp and so we want to engage more and do more primary care research and social care as well. So get more research into care homes. So really increase that diversity of research setting so that you know you can go to the supermarket and take part in a research study and you know you can go to your GP, you can go get your eyes tested and you're getting that opportunity.
Speaker 1:That's, that's where we'd like to be and that's one of the things that the judges commented on was the judges wanted to make a note that innovation in healthcare isn't easy. Not least in the, the NHS, the team are doing incredible work that is changing the connectivity between research and underrepresented growth, which is absolutely life changing. So that was a massive kind of massive high five, if you like, from the judges. And finally, what we've been doing with our series this time is we've been asking every one of our winners, our commender, to give us a question for the next guest, um. So the question I have for you from eloise from north and real water, is what is the quote that most inspires?
Speaker 2:you, um, so I would say it would be, and I've no idea who said it first but if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. And I think, because we do have to keep evolving and keep innovating, and you know recognising when things you know do need changing or updating and you know always focusing on, you know, the bigger picture and bigger picture and the future.
Speaker 1:It couldn't be more perfect for the winner of our Inclusive Innovation Award because, like one of our judges said, it's so difficult to innovate across the sector of healthcare. But you did. Nihr winners of the 2024 Northern Power Awards. Inclusive Innovation winner. So delighted to have you on the podcast this week, joanne. Thank you, and we will be getting your question. We'll make it a difficult one for our next guest that we can pass on to our next winner or commender. Joanne, thank you so much for joining us on the pod. Thank you, and exciting that Connected Places Catapult will be our sponsor again for the 2025 Inclusive Innovation winners. And also this year, there are going to be two winners. We're going to have a winner for Tech for Good and we're going to have a winner for Human Centred Tech.
Speaker 1:Again, just part of this conversation about innovation, everyone's part of innovation. It's not just about drones and lab coats, is it, joanne? It's wider than that, isn't it Innovation? But just about drones and lab coats, is it, joanne? It's wider than that, isn't it innovation? But thank you so much and thank all of you for listening. Thank you for your comments, thank you for your feedback and thank you for your support. Please get nominating. We are powernet. It's free to nominate in our digital hub and nominations are open until the 27th of september. So go out there, unearth your role models, your innov innovators, your great organizations and your game changes. Open to all genders, all sectors. So many great people and organizations to honor. So thank you all for listening and thank you to Joanne for joining us. Stay connected on all of our socials. We are Power on Facebook and LinkedIn, and we are Power underscore net on TikTok, instagram. On Twitter, my name is Simone. This is the we Are Power podcast for what Goes on Media Productions.
