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About Us
“The Social Incubator”
How can we turn the good intentions of ordinary clinicians into meaningful action on the social determinants and health inequality?
WHAM (Wellbeing and Health Action Movement) is an empowering-through-education organisation. Formed in 2021 by paediatricians responding to health inequality in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHAM began as a ‘social incubator’ and digital platform for the peer-to-peer sharing of the Knowledge, Tools and Community to inform, empower and unite clinicians who wish to address social determinants and health inequality in their clinical practice.
It’s one thing to have a feeling that things are not right, but quite another to do something about it. If the health profession wants to move beyond words toward genuine action on health inequality, then we must take the responsibility for developing the know-how, skills and networks we need for ourselves. That’s where WHAM comes in.
WHAM aims take the uninitiated but well-meaning clinician on a journey of inner and outer discovery to to change the way we see, do and be as health professionals. Our Algorithms for Action and Rules for Radicals help to turn an otherwise unexpressed 'felt need' amongst ordinary clinicians into something 'real', tangible and potentially life changing.
In practice this means using but reclaiming the tools of medicine. For example, using the ideas of quality improvement and public health, but seeking to embed a more ambitious and expansive improvement and social mindset within the health workforce.
QI projects and screening tools on their own will not eliminate health inequalities. But we believe that WHAM’s approach - a conviction to do good with collective intelligence and care - could help to light a fire in the health profession.
There are numerous reliable sources of information on the data to show the importance of the social determinants of health and just how bad health ineuqalities are. We have consciously decided against replicating that material here - Wikipedia we are not!
That said, we believe that right action ought to be founded on sound evidence. We draw on the best research and latest reports to help guide our work and reference everything so that you can learn more for yourselves. By the same token, we hope you will use and reference our work to help make the case for change where you work.
There are also myriad organisations out there providing resources or campaigns aimed at addressing the social determinants of health and poverty. These organisations are often based in the third sector and marshal local and lived experience that we would be foolish to emulate.
We are a small, informal, grassroots collective. Rooted in the belief that true change comes from the ground up - not from above - WHAM's organisational principles represent leadership from below: the collective operates non-hierarchically to crowdsource and open source the knowledge and tools to address health inequality in practice. This means that things aren’t perfect. We're not always on time and not everything is spelt correctly. We learn fast, and unlike medical institutions, we're not hamstrung by red tape. We can be agile and we can move quickly. Wham. We're tiny but we pack a punch.
Guddi
Dr Guddi Singh is a doctor, broadcaster, and co-founder and director of the Wellbeing & Health Action Movement (WHAM).
As a neurodevelopmental and social paediatrician, Guddi is interested in the broader factors contributing to child health. She researches how we might radically reimagine health to address inequalities for her PhD at King’s College London.
Guddi’s policy experience at the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Education England (HEE) and global clinical experience give her a critical perspective on health. She has published widely on medical professionalism, quality improvement, and health inequalities.
Passionate about social justice, Guddi worked for MedAct and now advocates through her board roles for the National Centre for Creative Health, and the Centre for Health and the Public Interest.
Guddi is a skilled communicator, appearing on BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Al-Jazeera and Sky News and as a keynote speaker.
Emma
Emma is a Paediatric Consultant working in London. Her interests include adolescent medicine, mental health and integrated care. She is passionate about addressing health inequalities with a particular focus on children and young people who are in care. She is an active member of YPHSIG, PMHA, AYPH, 4in10 and sits on the London School of Paediatrics Trainees Committee, in the Innovation Subgroup. Emma sits on the management board for her local pupil referral unit and has volunteered with young refugees in Greece and Northern France. In her free time, Emma loves to cook, hike and travel.
Tami
Tami is a paediatric registrar working in London. She has an interest in public health, global child health and integrated care. She is passionate about improving the health and well-being for children through community based integrated working to optimise patients' and families' experiences. She is a member of the London School of Paediatrics Trainee Committee and of the RCPCH Climate Change Working Group. She has previously worked in Malawi and Guatemala and currently volunteers for Virtual Doctors, a charity using telemedicine to connect rural health centres in Zambia. In her spare time she enjoys both practicing and teaching yoga and is a keen potter.
Hannah
Hannah is a community paediatric Consultant working in London. She is passionate about tackling health inequalities and supporting families physically, emotionally and spiritually at every possible opportunity in an integrated way. She values working with health, social care, education and third sector organisations. She previously volunteered for Tamar, a charity helping sex trafficking victims in London. She has lots of experience in quality improvement and education and uses this to empower colleagues to have the confidence to address child poverty at work. When not working, Hannah is mum to 2 very entertaining children, enjoys food a lot (both cooking and eating), and runs a mum and baby support group in her local church.
Helen
Helen is a paediatric registrar working in Severn. She is interested in the health impacts of poverty and the role clinicians can play in addressing the social determinants of health when meeting families in clinic or the emergency department. She believes that health care professionals should be advocates for reducing health inequalities, using our voices to influence policies that impact on the social determinants of health and improve health outcomes for families across the UK. There is a lot of work showing the effectiveness of "social paediatrics" in the USA and Canada. Her vision is that we do the same in the UK and use the evidence base to support the call for health polices that work to reduce health inequalities.
Mary
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