In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, I’m joined by Shane Elliott, Housing and Health Lead for Northern Ireland and occupational therapist by background, alongside Dean Cooke, Global Product Manager at Seating Matters.

This conversation goes deep into the intersection of health, housing and responsibility, and what happens when systems either support or fail the people they are meant to serve. Shane brings decades of experience from clinical practice, service leadership and policy, while Dean offers insight from years of working closely with clinicians and health services on the ground.

Together, we explore how good ideas can transform care when they are allowed to spread, and why courage, accountability and collaboration matter more than ever in today’s healthcare systems.

🔍 In this episode, we discuss:

* Why joined-up thinking between housing and health is critical

* How responsibility often gets passed instead of owned, and the impact this has on patients

* The power of simple, practical innovations when systems allow them to scale

* Risk aversion in healthcare, and what it’s costing patients and professionals

* Why leadership is about persistence, influence and staying the course

This is an honest and thought-provoking conversation about systems, people and the courage required to keep pushing for better outcomes, even when change feels slow.

🎧 Thank you for listening. I’d love to hear your reflections.

If this episode resonated with you, please rate, review and share, it helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.