Subscribe
Follow us now
Linkedin
“At 6.15pm on 27th July 2006 my family’s world as it was ended. We were a normal family of five; now we are three.”
Clare Bowen, mother of Bethany, Will & James and widow of Richard.
In this moving and challenging documentary we tell the story of the Bowen family following the tragic death of Bethany during ‘routine’ surgery. Following the trauma of his daughter’s death and the ‘torture’ of the inquest, Richard died suddenly of a massive heart attack aged 31 years.
Clare’s remarkable courage and humanity in the face of extreme tragedy is the hallmark of this powerful and provocative film. Through Clare’s testimony the film offers professionals the opportunity to explore the multiple ‘human factors’ that lead to Beth’s untimely death and to re-examine their own ideas and practice in relation to serious harm in the healthcare context.
Ultimately, this film is another step in Clare’s search for truth and reconciliation.
How to order and use Beth’s Story
The key purpose of Beth’s Story is to engender personal reflection and learning and to stimulate debate and discussion on key issues for improving patient safety. A range of important themes and issues can be identified from Beth’s Story, including:
- The nature of error and blame
- Managing the aftermath of a tragic event
- The challenges of developing a culture of openness
Beth’s Story can be used in education sessions and discussion groups to focus on some or all of these themes.
To help facilitators get the most out of Beth’s Story, we’ve also put together a Facilitator’s Pack. This includes:
- Beth’s Story DVD
- Beth’s Story – Comment & Analysis DVD
- Beth’s Story – a guide for facilitators. This is a comprehensive booklet which guides you through how to get the most from the film including:
- Before you show the film – preparing the audience
- Key themes
- Suggested formats for facilitated sessions
- Use of questions for discussion
Beth’s Story as both an individual film in DVD format and also as part of a Facilitator’s Pack is available to order online - use our on-line order form here.
.
RSS
Email
Twitter
Linkedin
3 Comments
This is a really powerful film which is not about bad people; but an underlying cultural failure to admit that tragic mistakes can happen and that understanding can not only prevent them, but aid the healing of those affected.
Beth’s story is phenomenal on many levels. The blend of emotion, insight, and candor that you have captured could facilitate critical learning across the industry
Beth’s story is incredibly moving and powerfully illustrates the wider impact of medical disaster. I have used it as part of Human Factors teaching for FY1 doctors. You could have heard a pin drop while we were watching it, in contrast to the lively debate that followed. The story can be used to facilitate learning about a wide range of issues pertinent to the development of trainee doctors: the non-technical skills which might have played a part in the event itself, consent, organisational culture, coronial enquiries and not least the wider impact of such events on the families of our patients. Finally, Clare Bowen’s clarity of purpose, openness and dedication to the search for the truth in order to reduce future harm are a powerful lesson in themselves