Martina Tierney Podcast

What happens when care focuses only on keeping someone safe, but forgets about the life they still want to live?In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina speaks with Occupational Therapist and founder of Sunday Care Therapy, Derek Sleater, about the future of care, the power of Occupational Therapy and why autonomy must remain at the heart of every care plan.
Derek shares the powerful story of a woman in her 40s with primary progressive MS who had not been out of bed for more than three years. Her care plan centred on care in bed, but Derek and his team asked a different question: why should this be the rest of her life?
Through careful changes to her care, specialist seating, moving and handling support and a focus on building her seating tolerance, she was eventually able to sit out for three hours, access a wheelchair and return to her community.
Martina and Derek also discuss multidisciplinary care, the pressures facing health and social care, the future role of AI and robotics, and the importance of thinking differently when the system says, “this is just how it is”.
A thought-provoking conversation about dignity, independence, innovation and what can happen when we focus.
Watch the webinar and download the PDF here: https://seatingmatters.com/gb-ie/resources/navigating-equipment-shortages-and-policy-shifts-2

What if keeping critically ill patients awake, upright and moving could completely change their recovery? In this episode of the Martina Tierney Podcast, I’m joined by Kali Dayton, a nurse practitioner, critical care consultant and host of Walking Home From The ICU, along with my son Jonathan Tierney.
Kali shares how her early experience in an ICU where intubated patients were routinely awake, communicating and even walking challenged everything she later encountered in more traditional critical care settings.
We explore the long-held practice of sedation and bed rest in ICU care, the impact this can have on muscle strength, cognition and recovery, and why enhanced mobilisation should become part of the standard of care.
We also discuss the importance of getting patients upright and out of bed as early as safely possible, the role of appropriate seating between periods of mobility, and how fear, culture and established routines can sometimes become barriers to change.
This is a fascinating conversation about questioning what has become “normal” in healthcare, challenging outdated practices and looking at how small changes in care can have a profound impact on a patient’s dignity, independence and long-term quality of life.
If you work in critical care, rehabilitation, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or patient mobility, this is an episode that will make you think differently about what recovery can look like.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina speaks with Michelle Tennyson, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for Northern Ireland, about leadership, improvement and the enormous potential of Allied Health Professionals to shape the future of health and social care.

Michelle represents 14 Allied Health Professions and shares her ambition to ensure their skills, talents and ability to improve patient outcomes are fully understood and utilised across the healthcare system.
After experiencing the Lean culture at Seating Matters firsthand, Michelle discusses why she came to see Lean Made Simple as much more than a methodology — but as a way of creating culture change.
Together, Martina and Michelle explore creating safe environments where people can identify problems without blame, making improvement everybody’s business, protecting patients’ function and moving care closer to where people live.

Michelle also shares a powerful story from her own clinical career that changed the way she thought about patient care — reminding us that behind every condition is a person, and sometimes what matters most isn’t the clinical problem in front of us.
An inspiring conversation about Allied Health Professionals, compassionate care, leadership and putting people at the heart of improvement.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by Mike Farrar, Permanent Secretary for Health in Northern Ireland, for a conversation about the future of health and social care and what it will take to create meaningful, lasting change.

Following a visit to Seating Matters, Mike reflects on the culture of continuous improvement he witnessed and considers how similar principles could be applied across Northern Ireland’s health service.

They discuss shifting resources from hospitals into community care, breaking down siloed budgets, creating space for staff to identify and solve problems, and the importance of distinguishing between value and non-value in healthcare.

Mike also shares the thinking behind Northern Ireland’s *Neighbourhood model*, designed to bring care closer to people and help them remain independent at home for longer.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple question: *how can we create a health and social care system where people feel empowered to make things better?*

A fascinating discussion about leadership, Lean thinking, innovation and building a healthcare system around better outcomes for patients.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by executive coach, speaker and author Caroline McKenna for an honest and inspiring conversation about self-leadership, confidence and sustainable growth.

Caroline shares the personal story behind her book, Lead Self First: 7 Inspired Steps to Unlock Next Level Growth, including the moment her young daughter told her, “You’d rather work than spend time with me.” It became a powerful wake-up call and led Caroline to examine the thoughts, habits and behaviours that were driving her to overwork.

Together, Martina and Caroline explore how our inner stories can either hold us back or help us move forward. They discuss imposter syndrome, working to your strengths, stepping outside your comfort zone and the importance of replacing limiting beliefs with thoughts that are both honest and empowering.

The conversation also looks at self-care, particularly for business leaders, healthcare professionals and anyone working in a caring role. Caroline explains why rest is not selfish, why overworking is not always a sign of commitment, and how looking after yourself allows you to show up better for your family, your team and the people you serve.

This episode is a thoughtful reminder that real growth begins within. It is not about constantly doing more. It is about leading yourself with greater awareness, protecting your energy and giving yourself permission to become the best version of who you already are.
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Caroline's book "Lead Self First" is now an Amazon Bestseller