Theme: Undivided

TEDxNHS 2023 Undivided is about unity, cohesion, and inclusivity in healthcare. In a world where differences can divide us, TEDxNHS Undivided called for a collective effort to break down barriers and eliminate divisions that hinder progress. We want to emphasise the power of coming together, amplifying diverse voices, and working towards a common goal of achieving equitable and accessible health for all.

Conway Hall
25 Red Lion St
London, Camden, WC1R 4RL
United Kingdom

Aisling Pigott

Aisling Pigott is a Registered Dietitian and PhD Student (RCBC /Health Care Research Wales funded) at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She is a media spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA), and was awarded BDA spokesperson of the year in 2020. Aisling is passionate about supporting people to enjoy and appreciate food and nourish their bodies, an approach she takes working with children and young people with Type 1 Diabetes in her NHS role.

Alice Hendy

Alice is founder and CEO of R;pple, a multi-award-winning suicide prevention initiative created following the loss of her brother, Josh, to suicide in November 2020. Alice has over a decade of experience in cyber-security and IT, delivering high quality information, advice, and guidance to corporate organisations around the world on all things relating to the topic of online safety. Alice’s passion lies in mental health and ensuring no one else experiences the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. She dedicates her work to her much-loved brother, Josh.

Anna Edwards

Anna is a pharmacist and Innovation Project Manager with an interest in aligning the NHS Long Term plan and delivering a Net Zero NHS. Anna has established the West Midlands Pharmacy Environmental Sustainability Network, a cross-sector group of pharmacy professionals from across the West Midlands which shares best practice to improve medicines and their environmental impact.

Anna Spencer

Anna is a healthcare commissioner living and working in Wales. Having left school at 16 with no higher level qualifications Anna seeks to challenge assumptions about the capabilities of young people and the requirement for formal qualification in a climate of workforce vacancies and perceived skills gaps.

Becky Platt

Becky Platt is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Paediatric A&E at the Royal London, an executive member of the Don’t Forget the Bubbles team and a senior lecturer on the PEM MSc at QMUL. Becky has been deployed to several disease outbreaks as part of the UK Emergency Medical team and was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2021 for her overseas humanitarian work. Becky is passionate about humanity in healthcare, putting patients first, and caring for staff. She is a committed educator and loves teaching in a variety of ways as well as supporting teams with debrief and time for reflection.

Emma Short

Emma is a consultant histopathologist, based in Swansea Bay University Health Board, specialising in bowel and soft tissue pathology. She has a PhD in the genetics of bowel polyps and is passionate about improving gut health to improve overall health, wellbeing and happiness. Emma is also a medical, scientific and health writer. She has published several books exploring how lifestyle changes can have a positive impact on wellbeing – A Prescription for Healthy Living, How (not) to do it all, the Smoothie Doctors – and she has written for a variety of magazines. She is actively involved in health promotion, disease prevention and medical education.

Funmi Vanessa Ullam

Funmi Vanessa Ullam is a devoted mother of two boys, one of whom was diagnosed with Sickle Cell at two weeks old. Funmi understands the profound importance of ensuring the well-being of unwell children. With a thriving career in the technology sector, she combines her passion for innovation and her commitment to improving paediatric healthcare. Funmi is the founder of a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting children with sickle cell, providing them with the care and resources they need to thrive. Additionally, she has embarked on an entrepreneurial journey by establishing a health-tech business. Her company has created a Kids Health Monitoring Platform, catering specifically to children with chronic health challenges. Driven by her deep-rooted enthusiasm for health, tech, science, and paediatrics, Funmi continuously looks for innovative solutions to improve the lives of young patients.

Katie Lean

Katie is an award-winning senior programme manager at Oxford Academic Health Science Network (AHSN). A clinician with over 34 years’ experience in nursing and midwifery, she has expertise in research, risk management, patient safety, and quality improvement. Whilst at Oxford AHSN, Katie has provided transformational leadership to the national Acute Kidney Injury and Maternity and Neonatal patient safety improvement programmes. Ensuring that patients and staff have a voice is what motivates her most. She is passionate about bringing people together towards a common goal, helping them to understand the “why” in change and building bridges to support the process.

Parsa Amin

Parsa is a doctor working in child and adolescent mental health services in London. She has experience spanning different areas within England and Singapore. She also teaches dance fitness classes and is passionate about dancing as a therapeutic tool for one’s well being.

Rivki Dwek

Rivki is an Orthodox Jewish woman who has lived experience of perinatal mood disorders following the birth of her second child. Following her recovery Rivki co-founded Menucha, an organisation which would bridge the gap between her small 'hard to reach' community and National statutory services. This journey was informed by her experience of struggling to access support services from her community which didn't understand the condition and healthcare services which didn't know how to reach her within her cultural context.

Sameer Iqbal

Sameer is the National Health and Justice Lead for Career Matters, a social enterprise which exists to improve access to education, employment, and training for all. Sameer works across multiple projects across the health and justice system including within the secure and detained estate delivering education, mentoring employment programmes. Sameer has worked in the health and justice space for many years in a variety of different roles. Sameer also supports services and organisations across England to ensure fair and open recruitment practices for people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and care experience. Sameer is proud to have become a role model to individuals like him, as well as an influential and valuable voice supporting senior leaders and policy makers.

Sunil Lad

Dr Sunil Lad is the National Clinical Director for Health and Justice, and works in the NHS as a Consultant Counselling Psychologist with over 20 years of experiences of working in prisons. He also trained as a yoga teacher 6 years ago and is interested in the mind body relationship.

Suraj "Dr Sooj" Kukadia

Suraj “Doctor Sooj” Kukadia is an NHS GP and emergency doctor. Doctor Sooj posts bite-sized, medically-informative videos to various social media platforms which are viewed by millions. He believes that high quality health information should be readily available and accessible for everyone, and this can help to combat the rise of misinformation on social media.

Yasmin Mulji

Yasmin is a specialist registrar in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, a Clinical Fellow in fertility & reproductive medicine, and a Trustee of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance. She adopts a holistic approach to her clinical practice, recognising that physical and mental wellbeing are interconnected. Yasmin’s clinical medicine experience, her academic specialism in Tropical Medicine & International Health, and her lived experience of the specific vulnerabilities that women who have emigrated face all fuel her passion to advocate for women’s physical and mental wellbeing. Yasmin is particularly committed to resolving healthcare inequalities and is keen to implement and scale interventions that drive improved healthcare outcomes for all women including those from ethnic minority and low socioeconomic status backgrounds. She recognises the pivotal role that breaking the language barrier can play in improving immediate clinical outcomes for women as well as enhancing women and their respective communities’ long-term socio-economic prospects.