Fifteen years ago, I had an awful experience of a gynaecological procedure. I wasn’t forewarned of the possibility of high levels of pain, my distress wasn’t responded to well and there was no pain relief offered to me other than the advice to take paracetamol.

I thought I was an anomaly until, through the media and my engagement work in patient safety, I heard other similar accounts relating to gynae procedures. I started to share my insights through the BMJ Opinion and was contacted by more and more people interested in or affected by the issues I talked about.

Over the last five years I have been working to understand and amplify key insights and experiences from patients, researchers and healthcare professionals who understand the need for change. I found myself connected to so many motivated, passionate and driven people doing wonderful work in this area, but I was aware that these voices largely continue to sit separately. I could see, and almost feel in my bones, the power and impact we could have together.

I took the plunge, and TIGER UK was founded in founded in January, based on my core belief that collaboration is key to progress. The aim was to create safe spaces for everyone to listen and learn from eachother, and to develop combined insight for wider impact.

My vision? That positive gynaecology experiences become standard and that no one leaves a gynaecology appointment having suffered avoidable trauma.

Since I launched TIGER UK, I have had an overwhelming response from healthcare professionals, patients, researchers, and many more, keen to be part of something collaborative. The energy and drive of members has been truly humbling. In our meetings, people bring a huge variety of expertise, experience and opinions but everyone has shown an unwavering commitment to protecting it as a safe and respectful space. This is essential for TIGER UK to be able to function as intended.

Key achievements so far:

• Monthly collaborative discussions (topics included; pain and the role of information, patient control during procedures and an insight sharing session with guest speaker Sarah Graham, author of Rebel Bodies).
• Over 160 members across our private Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
• Two surveys planned for launch this summer (one for healthcare professionals and one for patients).
• Monthly reflective blogs published for wider impact of our member discussions.
• Monthly newsletter to members.

Why get involved?

TIGER UK is a unique space bringing together individuals who believe in the power of combined insight to speed up progress. There are many ways to engage with our work, you can follow me on LinkedIn, or TIGER UK on Instagram for updates, join the private Facebook or LinkedIn groups to become a member, sign up to receive the newsletter and come along to the monthly discussions.

We have many incredible nurses in our membership and I would love to see more coming along to the monthly discussions, sharing their insights and knowledge of the system. It’s a great opportunity for you to hear from patients, researchers and other healthcare professionals too. The depth of these collaborative conversations has proven to be incredibly valuable.

“The experience of TIGER UK so far has been enriching and impactful, marked by a strong foundation in clinical, research, and advocacy expertise. The group provides a safe and non-judgemental space where participants feel welcomed and respected. Meetings have featured prominent guest speakers and covered a diverse range of topics, encouraging meaningful discussions and knowledge sharing. Whether attending to observe or to actively contribute, all are welcome, fostering an inclusive and supportive community.” Charlotte Glynn, RCN Women’s Health Forum and Lead Nurse at British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

What’s next for TIGER?

Our July meeting is already planned with a spotlight on research. We’ll be hearing from members involved in research about their past or upcoming work and having a wider discussion around any big unanswered questions to help guide future research.

This summer we will be launching a survey to understand patient experiences of vaginal access interventions better. We will run another survey later in the year for healthcare professionals, to understand some of the barriers and opportunities the system presents when trying to make improvements.

I would like to continue to build the diversity of insights brought to the group and to grow TIGER UK so that we can have increasing impact this year and beyond.

Join TIGER UK:
On LinkedIn 
On Facebook