Tune into The Big Question: Who will fix maternity care?

Free evening panel event presented as part of the programme at Science Gallery London.

We hosted The Big Question: Who will fix maternity care? at Science Gallery London on Tuesday 23 June 2026.

The evening panel discussion explored how we can create maternity services that are safe, respectful and guided by the experiences of those who use them. Bringing together leading voices from clinical practice, research and activism, the conversation examined maternity care through the lenses of human rights, reproductive justice and lived experience, considering how healthcare systems can better support birthing people, families and professionals.

The discussion was chaired by Dr Claire Feeley, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at King's College London, whose work focuses on physiological birth, human rights in maternity care, and the sociocultural and political contexts shaping midwifery practice.

The panel featured Dr Gemma McKenzie, researcher in human rights in childbirth, freebirthing and obstetric violence, and founder of the project behind Threads of Protest; Dr Annabel Sowemimo, NHS Sexual & Reproductive Health Registrar, founder of the Reproductive Justice Initiative, Trustee of Birth Rights and Ambassador for Birth Companions; and Dr Karen Joash, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Director of Imperial's Clinical Academic Training Office and Chair of the Research Group at Tommy's.

The event formed part of a wider programme exploring healthcare, equality and social justice through public events and discussions in collaboration with researchers at King's College London.