On Wednesday 8 July, our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) welcomed families, service users and NHS partners to the Half Moon Theatre in Whitechapel for a special quarterly listening event marking Disability Pride Month. Under the banner “Every Voice Matters”, the session brought together people from across Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Newham to share their experiences of maternity and neonatal care and help shape more inclusive services for disabled parents and families.
On the day
The morning opened with a welcome from Zoe Kattah, Event Chair and Director of Young People’s Wellbeing at CB Plus, followed by an update from Rosie Savitrie, Project Manager of MNVP TWN, on the partnership’s work over the past quarter. Attendees heard about the “Walk the Patch” and “15 Steps” engagement programmes running across all three boroughs, the launch of new neonatal parent support groups, and progress on recruiting a new Tower Hamlets Maternity Lead.
At the heart of the event was a facilitated focus group discussion, where attendees used workbooks to reflect on their own experiences and priorities. This was followed by a Q&A panel with NHS representatives, giving families the chance to put their questions directly to those shaping local services, alongside community stalls and networking over lunch.
What attendees told us
The feedback speaks for itself. Every respondent rated the event “excellent” or “good” and said they felt comfortable and welcome, and most left feeling genuinely heard. The focus group discussion and the overview of local maternity and neonatal services were the two most valued parts of the day, closely followed by the Q&A panel and community stalls.
One attendee summed up the spirit of the event: “Really good to be here as always to discuss the chance to improve neonatal and maternity [services]… great how we all have productive discussions to make together.” Another shared that she runs a local bereavement support group, Healing Mamas Hearts a reminder of the grassroots networks these sessions help surface.
Encouragingly, most attendees plan to act on what they heard whether that’s following up with health or social care services, sharing information with family and friends, or getting involved with MNVP as a volunteer.
What happens next
Sessions like this are central to how MNVP works: listening directly to the people who use maternity and neonatal services and feeding that insight into real improvements across Barts Health NHS Trust and our local authority partners. Priorities from the day will now shape MNVP’s focus for the coming quarter, including expanding neonatal support groups, strengthening links with faith and refugee communities, and recruiting new Maternity Leads.
Thank you to everyone who gave up their morning to share their experiences with us. If you’d like to get involved with MNVP or find out more about our work across Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Newham, get in touch or follow us on social media for details of our next listening event.
The event reinforced the importance of listening to lived experience when shaping maternity and neonatal services. Families want care that feels personalised, compassionate and consistent particularly during vulnerable moments.
The insights gathered will help inform ongoing improvements across local maternity and neonatal services, with a continued focus on communication, mental health support, continuity of care and stronger community connections.
If you’d like to get involved, share your experiences, or find out about our upcoming listening events, you can contact the MNVP team: mnvptwn@cbplus.org.uk
You can also learn more about MNVP, our local priorities and upcoming listening events by visiting our webpage:
