Martina Tierney Podcast

World Obesity Day Special – Equity, Language and Dignity in Bariatric Care with Tracey CarrReleased on World Obesity Day, this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast explores what equitable healthcare truly looks like for people living with obesity.Martina speaks with Tracey Carr, advocate, educator and founder of Fat Lot She Knows. Through her consultancy, Tracey works internationally with healthcare professionals to improve dignity, communication and equity in bariatric care, always bringing lived experience to the conversation.Together, they discuss:
Why conversations about weight are often mishandled
The impact of language in clinical settings
Why “morbid obesity” can feel deeply harmful
Why bariatric seating is not simply about weight limits
The importance of width, depth, posture and gluteal shelf accommodation
Moving and handling considerations for larger patients
How proactive, respectful communication transforms patient experience
This episode is not about promoting obesity. It is about promoting responsibility, dignity and clinically sound, evidence-based care.On World Obesity Day, we are reminded that obesity is complex and multifactorial. As clinicians and manufacturers, we must lead with compassion and practical solutions.Because there should never be a limit to care.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, I sit down with Dr Melanie Stephens, Tissue Viability Nurse and Associate Professor, to explore a topic that belongs to all of us in healthcare.Tissue viability is not just about mattresses or dressings. It is about posture, pressure, advocacy and the responsibility we carry every single day to protect dignity.This is a powerful and honest conversation about interprofessional working, 24-hour care, prevention over blame and the courage it takes to speak up for a patient.Melanie shares the story of a 19-year-old young man whose final wish was simply to go home and die in his mother’s arms. It is a moment that reminds us why we must sometimes ask the difficult question, and have the courage to act on the answer.🔍 In this episode, we explore:* Why tissue viability is a shared clinical responsibility* The link between posture, seating and pressure injury prevention* The importance of understanding a patient’s journey, not just their diagnosis* Interprofessional learning and breaking down silos in care* The courage required to advocate for what a patient truly wantsThis episode is about dignity, responsibility and doing the right thing, even when it is hard.🎧 Thank you for listening.If this conversation resonated with you, please follow, rate and share. It helps these important discussions reach the people who need to hear them.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, I sit down with Martin Tierney, Managing Director of the Tierco Group, and my son.

This is a deeply personal conversation about leadership, values and responsibility, and what it means to grow a business without losing sight of the people at the heart of it. We reflect on the journey from a family idea rooted in clinical need to a global healthcare group, and the lessons learned along the way.

Martin shares his perspective on stepping into leadership, carrying responsibility for others and making decisions that affect not just a business, but people’s lives, livelihoods and dignity.

🔍 In this episode, we explore:

* What leadership really looks like behind the scenes
* Growing a family business while staying true to your values
* The responsibility that comes with employing people and serving patients
* Why purpose must come before profit
* Remembering the human being behind every decision

This episode is about people, purpose and legacy, and why values matter most when decisions are hardest.

🎧 Thank you for listening.
If this conversation stayed with you, please rate, review and share. It helps spread these stories and the thinking behind them.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, I’m joined by Shane Elliott, Housing and Health Lead for Northern Ireland and occupational therapist by background, alongside Dean Cooke, Global Product Manager at Seating Matters.

This conversation goes deep into the intersection of health, housing and responsibility, and what happens when systems either support or fail the people they are meant to serve. Shane brings decades of experience from clinical practice, service leadership and policy, while Dean offers insight from years of working closely with clinicians and health services on the ground.

Together, we explore how good ideas can transform care when they are allowed to spread, and why courage, accountability and collaboration matter more than ever in today’s healthcare systems.

🔍 In this episode, we discuss:

* Why joined-up thinking between housing and health is critical
* How responsibility often gets passed instead of owned, and the impact this has on patients
* The power of simple, practical innovations when systems allow them to scale
* Risk aversion in healthcare, and what it’s costing patients and professionals
* Why leadership is about persistence, influence and staying the course

This is an honest and thought-provoking conversation about systems, people and the courage required to keep pushing for better outcomes, even when change feels slow.

🎧 Thank you for listening. I’d love to hear your reflections.
If this episode resonated with you, please rate, review and share, it helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.

In this week’s episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, I sit down with Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, alongside our own Dearbhaile Mulholland, whose passion for safer care sparked this powerful conversation.
Helen’s work shines a light on something many of us feel deeply but rarely articulate, that patient safety is everyone’s responsibility, and that real change only happens when we share learning openly, honestly and without fear. From global systems thinking to the everyday realities faced by frontline staff, Helen brings a rare blend of clarity, compassion and courage to a topic that affects every patient, every carer and every clinician.
🔍 In this episode, we explore:
Why avoidable harm remains one of healthcare’s biggest challenges
How collaboration, culture and shared learning can transform safety
The story behind The Hub, now the world’s largest patient-safety knowledge platform
Why seating, posture and equipment need to be part of the safety conversation
What it truly means to move from blame to learning, and from isolated practice to collective responsibility
This episode is an honest, energising and deeply hopeful reminder that safer care isn’t just possible, it’s achievable when we empower the people who know their patients best, listen to those closest to harm, and give teams the tools and trust they need to do the right thing.
Whether you work in healthcare, leadership, quality improvement or simply believe in the dignity every person deserves, Helen’s insight will stay with you long after you finish listening.
🎧 Thank you for joining us. I’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections, you can reach me at [email protected].
If this episode resonated with you, please rate, review and share, it helps spread this important message further.