Craniofacial teams welcome Lord Woolley
An audience of around 100 delegates heard from guest speaker Lord Simon Woolley at the annual UK Craniofacial Audit Meeting organised by the Craniofacial Unit at our Children’s Hospital and supported by our Trust.
The activist, politician and current Principal of Homerton College, University of Cambridge, shared how his experience and previous work with governments can be applied to address health inequalities.
Lord Woolley has a track record of addressing representational imbalances, transforming institutions, and nurturing individuals. He founded the internationally renowned campaigning NGO, Operation Black Vote, in 1996; has served as an Equality and Human Rights Commissioner; and helped create and then lead the UK Government’s pioneering Race Disparity Unit as its first chair.
The annual UK Craniofacial Audit Meeting brings together health professionals including surgeons, anaesthetists and medical doctors plus nurses, speech therapists, psychologists, from the UK’s five specialist Craniofacial Centres at Alder Hey (Liverpool), Birmingham, Great Ormond Street (London), National Children’s Centre (Glasgow) and The Children’s Hospital (Oxford).
The two-day event comprised a series of presentations and discussions to enhance craniofacial patient care by sharing aspects of excellent practice and innovative technique, both surgical and non-surgical. Topics covered included safer anaesthesia, endoscopic assisted surgery, genetic updates on craniofacial conditions and speech/language and development attainment for patients.
Lord Woolley said: “It was an honour to speak to this outstanding group of medical professionals. Their insight, passion and determination for greater equity is for all to see. I am convinced that these five centres will push those to help ensure more families get greater early access for their services.”
Chief Executive Matt Boazman said: “It was insightful and inspiring to hear from Lord Woolley. He talked about harnessing the ‘kaleidoscope of expertise’ in the room and the importance of finding a shared space to work together on common interests. Both of which can be adopted in our work in closing the gaps we see, whether that is in representation, engagement, access or outcomes.”