Institute of Ageing and Health, West Midlands
To promote the better health and well-being of older people through encouraging interdisciplinary learning and development, research and sharing excellence in practice.
Site content
Our Constitution
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
Coming soon
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
This workshop aims to explore the role of AHPs in supporting older people in the community, including discussions on the development of AHP roles, design services to support the ageing population, and the support of AHPs to provide effective and preventative care to the ageing population.
How we support research
10th September 2024 How AHPs support the ageing population
How we support research
The institute has an open call for our members to apply for up to £5,000 seed funding to support the development of innovative research studies, which support the aim of IAH, West Midlands. The deadline for submissions is the 1st of October 2023 and awards will be announced on 1st of December 2023. Please contact me for further information (joanne.brooke@bcu.ac.uk) and I will provide you with all the necessary information and forms.
Our journal
Our journal
How we support research
Ageing and Health: The Journal of the Institute of Ageing and Health (West Midlands) ISSN 1364 9752 is our journal, which is published twice a year. Dr Bernie Keenan is the Editor, and always welcomes new contributions for the upcoming editions.
Our history
Our journal
Our history
Some of our past and current Chairs:
Dr Rod Brooks – prior to 2000 to 2003
Dr Peter Mayer – 2004 to 2008
Prof Sir George Castledine – 2009 to 2010
Dr Bernie Keenan – 2011 to 2016
Paul Vaughan – 2017 to 2018
Professor George Tadros - 2019
Dr Zoe Wyrko – 2020 to Feb 2022
Prof Joanne Brooke – 2022 to present
Our Trustees
Dr Peter Mayer: Honorary President and Treasurer
I went to Oxford and London to study medicine and returned to Birmingham to train. The first lecturer in Geriatric Medicine with Prof Bernard Isaacs. Was appointed as a Geriatrician and Hon. Senior Clinical Lecturer (Uni. Of Birmingham.) at Selly Oak and the Community hospitals in 1977.
Retired in January 2007 as a Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine & Stroke Medicine at the Selly Oak and Moseley Hall Hospitals and Director of Research and Development for South Birmingham PCT. I initiated the first NHS innovation company in the West Midlands- Centech.
I have served on several regional and national committees (including the stroke sub-group of the older peoples NSF and chair of the DoH beacon committee for stroke) supporting stroke and older people’s services with a particular interest in service planning and good practice. Achieved a Churchill fellowship in 1988 to study older people’s services in Australia. I was chair of the West Midlands local stroke research network and retired in 2016. Fitness to practice assessor for the General Medical Council for 10 years.
I was Director of the IAH from 1993 up until October 2002 when I became Chair. I initiated the Excellent Care award in 1984 (a peer review of older peoples services) and was Chair at the creation of the Onneley centre in 2003 as an example of good practice in day care.
Other interests/activities include:
· · Trustee: University Hospital Birmingham Charitable Trust for 2008-2021
· · Honorary President and Treasurer of Institute of Ageing and Health (West Midlands) educational and research body
· · Honorary President of Age UK Birmingham
· · Member Rotary Club of Edgbaston Convention
· · Trustee: Birmingham and District Nursing Charitable Trust (appointed 2007) – Chair 2016
· · Chair West Midlands executive of the Socialist Health Association
· · Co-opted Governor of King Edwards Fiveways School
· · Public Governor and lead governor (2013-2022) Birmingham
· Steering Group member of BCHC research and innovation service
· Supervisor Churchill Trust grant on distant learning for speech and language therapists
Jeanette Lane
Jeanette is our Honorary Secretary.
I have been with the IAH since 2001. I was administrator for the IAH for 17 years and I enjoyed working for the charity so much that I am now Honorary Secretary. This means I am continuing my administrative support, albeit on a voluntary basis. I also remain working for the NHS as Team Administrator for the Medicines Optimisation department at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust.
Dr Bernie Keenan
Dr Bernie Keenan is Editor of our journal: Ageing and Health.
Bernie is currently a full time Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University where her roles have included Programme leader for the Postgraduate Case Management of Long Term Conditions course, Adult Nursing Subject Quality Co-ordinator, Safeguarding Lead for Nursing, member of the University’s Older Peoples Practice Development Unit and member of the DISCOVER project team.
Bernie has been a research peer reviewer for the Department of Health National Institute for Health Research: Research for patient benefit programme. She has also represented Nursing and Public & Patient Involvement on the Birmingham & Black Country Comprehensive Local Research Network Executive. In addition, Bernie has been an executive member of the National Council for Women’s Medical committee, has held the post of Chair of the West Midlands Institute for Ageing & Health and is currently ian Associate editor for ‘Evidence based nursing’. Her research and publications are focussed on the care of older people in the Acute General Hospital setting, Care of older people with Dementia, and Safeguarding.
Margaret Harries
Margaret trained as a nurse at the Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing Birmingham. She has spent many years working with older people, their families, multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams; in healthcare for older people, general medicine, orthopaedics and trauma. She is Lead Nurse for Healthcare for Older People at University Hospitals Birmingham and has retired and returned.
She was part of a team that developed an Older People’s Champions programme across the West Midlands. In 2017/18 she was privileged to take part in the Older Persons Fellowship at Kings College London; a programme aimed at driving excellence, innovation and quality improvement in care of older people.
Greta Alleyne
Bio to follow.
Tom Storrow
Bio to follow
Seema Gudivada
Early Life and Education
Born and raised in India, I embarked on my journey into the world of healthcare with a passion for helping others and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of citizens and families that I serve.
Professional Journey
Since qualifying as a physiotherapist, I have accumulated over 24 years of dynamic and inspiring leadership and management experience within the NHS and other organisations. My career has spanned multiple continents, including India, the UK, and the USA, where I have pursued professional qualifications and gained a global perspective on various models of care and health systems.
Advocacy and Integration
I am a strong advocate for the integration and advancement of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) within the healthcare system, ensuring they play a crucial role in delivering exceptional clinical services. I believe in empowering all AHPs to have their unique voice and share learnings to drive excellence in care through prevention, early intervention, and rehabilitation. My approach fosters partnerships between organizations by connecting stakeholders with common goals through collaboration and open engagement. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, I strive to create sustainable, high-quality healthcare services that meet the needs of all citizens and families.
Leadership Roles
Currently, I serve as the Director of Therapies at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC NHS FT). In this role, I leverage my extensive experience in acute and community rehabilitation and in developing clinical pathways. As a clinical lead, I have played a pivotal role in developing stroke, trauma, and long COVID clinical pathways within the Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) region. Additionally, I chair the BSOL Integrated Care System (ICS) AHP Council, which oversees the delivery of the AHP Faculty.