This week saw the successful launch of an important new partnership between Bournemouth University (BU), the local NHS, charities and industry. The aim is using innovation to drive forward improvements in healthcare outcomes for people across Dorset. This ‘Transforming Healthcare Through Innovation’ event marked the start of a formal partnership between BU and Dorset’s Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a partnership of all NHS and local authorities in the county. This partnership fits very well with BU’s Strategic Investment Area (SIA) Medical Science. The development of Medical Science is a core component of BU2025. 
It was widely recognised that the social and behavioural sciences are essential to health and health care. Dr. Phil Richardson from the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group, who leads the ICS, stressed the importance of moving from a medical model of public health to a more social model. This ties in closely with sociological work on the medical/social model conducted at BU in maternity care [1-6].
Also at the launch event Dr. Caroline Ellis-Hill highlighted the importance of humanising care in a hands-on session. BU academics in have developed a philosophically-driven approach to caring, health and wellbeing based on humanising practices. The theoretical underpinning was originally developed by BU Prof. Les Todres and colleagues [7-11]. Humanising practice is supported by work settings that encourage connection to personal experience and research which privileges subjective experience and knowing; such as phenomenology, narrative, auto-ethnography, embodied knowing and arts–based approaches.
Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health
References:
- van Teijlingen E. (2005) A critical analysis of the medical model as used in the study of pregnancy and childbirth, Sociological Research Online, 10 (2)
- MacKenzie Bryers H., van Teijlingen, E. (2010) Risk, Theory, Social & Medical Models: critical analysis of the concept of risk in maternity care, Midwifery 26(5): 488-496.
- Brailey, S., Luyben, A., Firth, L, van Teijlingen, E. (2017) Women, midwives & medical model of maternity care in Switzerland, International Journal of Childbirth 7(3): 117-125.
- van Teijlingen, E. (2017) The medical and social model of childbirth, Kontakt 19(2): e73-e74
- Luce, A., Cash, M., Hundley, V., Cheyne, H., van Teijlingen, E., Angell, C. (2016) “Is it realistic?” the portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth in the media BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth 16: 40 http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-0827-x
- Taylor, A., van Teijlingen, E., Ryan, K., Alexander, J. (2019) ‘Scrutinised, judged and sabotaged’: A qualitative video diary study of first-time breastfeeding mothers, Midwifery 75: 16-23.
- Todres, L., Galvin, K.T., Holloway, I. (2009) The humanization of healthcare: A value framework for qualitative research, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 4:2, 68-77, DOI: 10.1080/17482620802646204
- Galvin, K., Todres, L. (2013) Caring and Wellbeing. London: Routledge.
- Hemingway, A, Scammel, J., Heaslip, V. (2012) Humanising nursing care: a theoretical model. Nursing Times 108 (40) / www.nursingtimes.net
- Scammel,J ,Hemingway, A., Heaslip,V. (2012) Humanising values at the heart of nursing education. Nursing Times 108 (41)/ www.nursingtimes.net
- Scammell, J., Tait, D. (2014) Using humanising values to support care. Nursing Times 110 (15) / www.nursingtimes.net










Thursday 13 September 2018 (between 09:00 – 11:00) –
Tuesday 18 September 2018 (09:00 – 16:30) –
Wednesday 26 September 2018 (09:45 – 16:15) –






#TalkBU is a monthly lunchtime seminar on Talbot Campus, open to all students and staff at Bournemouth University and free to attend. Come along to learn, discuss and engage in a 20-30 minute presentation by an academic or guest speaker talking about their research and findings, with a Q&A to finish.

We’re excited to announce that we are joining forces with Pint of Science again this year to bring science back to the pubs of Bournemouth.






















Nursing Research REF Impact in Nepal
Fourth INRC Symposium: From Clinical Applications to Neuro-Inspired Computation
ESRC Festival of Social Science 2025 – Reflecting back and looking ahead to 2026
3C Event: Research Culture, Community & Cookies – Tuesday 13 January 10-11am
Dr. Chloe Casey on Sky News
ECR Funding Open Call: Research Culture & Community Grant – Application Deadline Friday 12 December
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025 Call
ERC Advanced Grant 2025 Webinar
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Published
Update on UKRO services
European research project exploring use of ‘virtual twins’ to better manage metabolic associated fatty liver disease