Astrid Fairclough

Fellow’s Profile

Astrid Fairclough

Fellow’s Profile

Astrid Fairclough

FGM: how healthcare professionals from affected communities are supported

Fellowship

Themes

Focus

Ending FGM by supporting healthcare workers in affected communities

Countries

Fellowship year

2019

Supported by

Locality

South West

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Biography

I researched how other countries were tackling female genital mutilation (FGM), especially about how progress can be sustained after many years. I also considered how the people involved in the work (like the midwives, doctors, campaigners, teachers and social workers) look after themselves when doing this tricky work.

The purpose of my Fellowship was to propose ideas to help the NHS to sustain their efforts – having begun this work just over five years ago, we as a health service are finding it challenging to maintain progress.

Whilst my primary role in the NHS is as Programme Director for Wessex Care Records (digital health and social care records), I am also delighted to be advising NHS England and Improvement with regard to their ongoing FGM prevention work, enabling me to consider the sustainability of change.

Following my Fellowship and during the pandemic, I have been involved in helping the NHS services who treat FGM survivors to keep going and to share learning between themselves. I am passionate about how to spread this more widely and to set up support networks for people involved in the many projects pushing to end FGM.

Disclaimer

All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.

Disclaimer

All Reports are copyright © the author. The moral right of the author has been asserted. The views and opinions expressed by any Fellow are those of the Fellow and not of the Churchill Fellowship or its partners, which have no responsibility or liability for any part of them.

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