Congratulations to Dr Chris Sirrs, CHM Research Fellow, who has had an article published in the Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Assessment

Christopher Sirrs, ‘Taking Action against Medical Accidents: A Brief History of AvMA and Clinical Risk Management in the NHS’, Journal of Patient Safety and Risk Management, 30 October 2022, https://doi.org/10.1177/25160435221135120.

Abstract

Established in 1982, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA)—originally named Action for Victims of Medical Accidents—was effectively the first charity in Britain dedicated to ‘patient safety’. This article provides a historical analysis of the origins and work of AvMA, situating its background in the medical negligence ‘crisis’ of the 1970s and 1980s, growing consumerism in healthcare, and the significant barriers to justice patients confronted following a clinical incident. It also explores AvMA's impacts on evolving attitudes towards patient harm and safety in the NHS. The article asserts that in addition to supporting patients and campaigning for changes in legal procedures, AvMA played an instrumental role in raising the political profile of adverse health events (‘medical accidents’). By supporting claimant solicitors and increasing their chances of legal success, AvMA contributed to the rising tide of negligence claims, which incentivised NHS trusts and health authorities to introduce clinical risk management (CRM). By 2000, CRM was being framed as part of a broader mission to improve quality and safety in healthcare, and AvMA was recognised as a key stakeholder in the new patient safety agenda

Researchers from the Department of History will be delivering a series of talks at Warwick Words History Festival.

Now in its twentieth year, Warwick Words is a popular annual event, bringing internationally acclaimed historians to share stories from the past to venues around Warwick.

Since 2012, the University of Warwick has collaborated with the festival on a series titled Tea Time Talks, where academics from the Department of History discuss their research. This year, topics are:

• History and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine – Professor Christoph Mick and Dr Claire Shaw - Saturday 8 October
• Picking up the Pieces: Gender and Romantic Failure in late 20th Century Britain – Dr Zoe Strimpel - Saturday 22 October
• The Politics of Touch in the late 18th Century – Professor Mark Philp - Saturday 26 November

The programme also includes a play written by PhD student David Fletcher and performed by Loft Theatre company: Taking the Waters tells the story of a cholera epidemic that took place in Leamington Spa in 1849, and the medical and political conflicts that surrounded it.

Other speakers at the festival include Tracy Borman, Max Hastings, Dan Jones, Adam Rutherford, Charles Spencer and Alison Weir.

Tickets are available from Warwick Words’ website: https://warwickwords.co.uk/ 

'The Last Taboo of Motherhood' project team are delighted to announce that they have been awarded a generous Research Enrichment - Public Engagement Award by the Wellcome Trust.

This will fund a new project with Fuel Theatre for the development of a series of audio pieces, which will highlight our work on maternal mental illness in the twentieth century. We have also received further funding from Warwick University’s Arts & Humanities Impact Award which will enable us to extend the reach of the project to a wider range of audiences. We will be providing further updates on this exciting project over the coming months on our project website.

Read more about The Last Taboo of Motherhood? Postnatal mental disorders in 20th century Britain