Breaking the taboo with Theo Clarke

This week our host and former MP, Theo Clarke, is joined by Donna Ockenden, to discuss improving maternity care and the current challenges facing UK maternity services.
Topics that we discuss on the show include: what are the issues that maternity services are currently facing; how these issues impact families and staff; “maternity is not an island” and the interaction of a number of services in providing care; other organisations and individuals that impact on service provision; good practice nationally and what needs to be done to improve services; the need for a maternity commissioner; and an update on her investigations into Nottingham and Leeds NHS care.
Biographies:
Donna Ockenden has more than 35 years’ experience within a variety of health settings both in the UK and internationally. In 2017 Donna was appointed to chair the Independent Review into Maternity Services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust, the final report of which was published in spring 2022. In May 2022, Donna was appointed as the Chair of the Independent review into Maternity Services at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which is expected to publish in June 2026.
Theo Clarke (host) was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and has been included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list three years in a row. Theo hosts the hit podcast Breaking the Taboo which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health and a book club at A Thread of One’s Own. She has also published a bestselling memoir ‘Breaking the Taboo: why we need to talk about birth trauma’.
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
Website: www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.
Breaking The Taboo production team:
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host and founder, Theo Clarke, is joined by Jane Hanley, founder of Perinatal MH Training CIC, and Mark Williams, fathers’ mental health advocate and founder of Fathers Reaching Out, to discuss supporting parents and families with perinatal mental health and wellbeing.
They discuss on the show: different types of perinatal mental health conditions and their impact on mothers; severe mental illnesses that can impact pregnancy and birth; fathers experience of anxiety and depression and the importance of involving them in pregnancy and care; supporting fathers whose partner has a severe mental illness; the impact of perinatal mental health on relationships, including intimacy and recovery after birth; the wider effects on siblings, grandparents and society; and the importance of accessing timely support to improve outcomes for families. We also discuss their new book, which provides help for practitioners to support parents and grandparents during the perinatal period, offering advice on how to maintain good mental wellbeing.
BIOGRAPHIES
Jane Hanley is the founder of Perinatal MH Training CIC, Jane is a respected author, educator, speaker, trainer, researcher, counsellor, and innovator who specialises in perinatal mental health. She is an Executive Board member of the International Marcé Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.
Mark Williams is a published author and keynote speaker, fathers’ mental health advocate, founder of fathers reaching out and co-founder of International FathersMentalHealthDay.
Buy the book:
Supporting Parents and Families with Perinatal Mental Health and Wellbeing: An Introduction for Professionals (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2025)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supporting-Parents-Families-Perinatal-Mental/dp/1839970375
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
Breaking The Taboo production team:
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Researchers: Max Austin and Elliott Malik
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host and former MP, Theo Clarke, is joined by Hannah Barnes, Investigations Editor at the New Statesman to discuss the UK Government’s interim findings of their national maternity and neonatal investigation.
Topics that we discuss on the show include: the National Maternity & Neonatal Investigation; what happens next and the Maternity Taskforce; Baroness Amos’s approach; what campaigners and families think; and the New Statesman’s recent investigation into maternity care in Sussex.
Biographies:
Hannah Barnes is the Investigations Editor at the New Statesman. She previously worked at the BBC. She is an award-winning journalist and author of Time to Think: The Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children (Swift) – a Sunday Times Bestseller and shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford and Orwell prizes.
Theo Clarke (host) was the Member of Parliament for Stafford. She chaired the first parliamentary inquiry into birth trauma in British history and previously set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Birth Trauma in the House of Commons. She won Speech of the Year at the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and has been included in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Westminster list three years in a row. Theo hosts the hit podcast ‘Breaking the Taboo’ which ranks in the Top 5 most listened to shows in the UK for alternative health and a book club at ‘A Thread of One’s Own’. She has also published a bestselling memoir ‘Breaking the Taboo: why we need to talk about birth trauma‘.
Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.
Resources:
Call for Evidence: http://www.matneoinv.org.uk/call-for-evidence/
Interim Report: https://www.matneoinv.org.uk/updates/independent-investigation-into-maternity-and-neonatal-services-in-england-interim-report/
Investigation: https://www.newstatesman.com/investigation/2026/02/scandal-hits-another-british-maternity-unit
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
Website: https://www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Breaking The Taboo production team:
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Dr Karen Joash, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Anne Kavanagh, Partner at Irwin Mitchell, to discuss gestational diabetes in pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Topics discussed on the show include: what is gestational diabetes and how to manage it during pregnancy; evidence-based approaches to diet, nutrition, movement and lifestyle; risks for mothers and babies during pregnancy and birth; type 2 diabetes and practical advice for mothers; advocating for yourself during pregnancy; birth planning; specialist neonatal care after birth; and why preparation and knowledge can help families feel more confident and supported.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Karen Joash is a UK Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, functional medicine practitioner, and award-winning health entrepreneur with a specialist interest in pregnancy optimisation and metabolic health. She works across NHS and private practice at leading London maternity units and is nationally recognised for her leadership in women’s health equity, prevention, and innovation. As co-founder of the PurerMama and PurerVita brands, she combines rigorous clinical science with nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and personalised care to address conditions such as gestational diabetes at their roots. Dr Joash is passionate about closing the gender health gap, translating evidence into practice, and empowering women with clear, science-based strategies to improve outcomes for both mother and baby- during pregnancy and across the life course.
Anne Kavanagh is an award-winning Partner specialising in complex medical negligence claims, with over 20 years’ experience, particularly those involving injuries to women and babies during pregnancy and childbirth. Anne was recognised as the Law Society Solicitor of the Year for Private Practice 2021 for her work representing women and children and the changes to the law which resulted from cases she fought successfully through the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. She is also an accredited member of the Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel at AvMA, (Action against Medical Accidents) a Senior Litigator and Accredited Clinical Negligence Specialist with APIL (Assoc of Personal Injury Lawyers). She leads on the Maternity Matters webinar programme at Irwin Mitchell which now has a library of training videos for clinical teams on YouTube, with input from key experts and notable figures involved in maternity practice and patient safety.
RESOURCES
Gestational diabetes care – Diabetes UKhttps://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/gestational-diabetes
Bloom Dietetics – Tazmin Lewis RDhttps://www.instagram.com/tazminlewisrd
Gestational Diabetes Dietitian (Instagram)https://www.instagram.com/gestationaldiabetesdietitian
Real Food for Gestational Diabetes – Lily Nichols
https://realfoodforgd.com
Purer Supplementshttps://bepurer.com
This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.
www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Breaking The Taboo production team
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Researcher: Max Austin
Designer: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com

This week our host, Theo Clarke, is joined by Heidi Eldridge, CEO and Founder of MAMA Academy, and Professor Alexander Heazell, Consultant Obstetrician and Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Manchester, to discuss how to have a safer pregnancy and the vital steps needed to prevent stillbirths.
Topics that we discuss on the show include: how to have a safer pregnancy; the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and its impact; why monitoring babies’ movements is so important; what parents should expect when reporting reduced or changed fetal movements; warning signs and symptoms that should never be ignored during pregnancy; how parents can advocate for themselves if they feel unheard; specialist support through Rainbow Clinics for families pregnant after loss; and what government action is needed to transform maternity care and prevent avoidable stillbirths.
BIOGRAPHIES
Heidi Eldridge is the Founder and CEO of MAMA Academy, a UK pregnancy charity dedicated to preventing stillbirth and improving maternity outcomes. Since its launch in 2012, MAMA Academy has partnered with two-thirds of NHS Trusts, reaching hundreds of thousands of expectant parents each year through education, support packs and awareness campaigns. Heidi is an award-winning campaigner whose work has contributed to a sustained reduction in stillbirth rates across the UK.
Professor Alexander Heazell is Professor of Obstetrics at the University of Manchester and Director of the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre. He is also a Consultant Obstetrician at Saint Mary’s Hospital and leads national research into placental disease, maternity safety and pregnancy after loss, including the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle and specialist Rainbow Clinics.
Don’t suffer in silence! Listen in and let’s break the final taboo in women’s health #breakingthetaboo.This podcast is sponsored by the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
RESOURCES:
Tommy’s: https://www.tommys.org/
MAMA Academy: https://www.mamaacademy.org.uk/
DISCLAIMER: This show is not intended to be medical advice – please seek advice from a GP or doctor.www.theo-clarke.org.uk/podcast
Breaking The Taboo production team
Producer: Natasha Feroze
Researcher: Max AustinDesigner: Emily Ryder
Social Media: Bella Carter
Studio Manager: Adam Woodward
Studio: Studio 55, part of Wolfe Power Club


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theodoraclarke.substack.com