In this episode, colorectal surgeon and Clinical Lead for the College's Excellence in Surgical Supervision (ESS) course, Dan Beral, leads a panel discussion on trainee wellbeing, how trainers can facilitate conversations with their trainees on mental health, as well as some of the barriers to having these important discussions. Dan is joined for this episode by Zaid al-Najjar, Medical Director for NHS Practitioner Health, colorectal consultant Shirley Chan, and orthopaedic trainee Robyn Brown. There are many resources online for wellbeing and mental health, but here are some that might be pa ..read more

October is Black History Month in the UK, and this month's theme is 'Celebrating Our Sisters.' For this month's episode, RCS England's Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Corriene Bailey-Bearfield sits down with orthopaedic consultant, Samantha Tross for a candid conversation about personal journeys, social responsibility, and Black History Month itself ..read more

This is the third episode in our ongoing series on the theme of Ethical Leadership, presented by Salman Ahmed and Aya Musbahi. This time around, they are joined by Professor Joyce Liddle of Northumbria University for a conversation on public value in the healthcare service. The discussion covers what value looks like for a public body like the NHS in terms of service delivery, who creates this value, and what this means for surgeons and other healthcare professionals. We hope listeners will be able to take away what they hear today and consider what value creation looks like in their own workp ..read more

When a parent, grandparent, caregiver or any significant adult in a child's life is going through a stressful time, children can sense it. Children often try to rationalise the stress they feel from others and draw their own conclusions about what is happening to those around them.   As surgeons, we often overlook the importance of suggesting to the patient that they should discuss the impact of a diagnosis or treatment plan with family, particularly the children in their lives, which will have a positive impact on those around them. In this episode, Professor Arunthathi Mahendran, Instit ..read more

February is LGBTQ+ History Month, and for us that means returning to a topic that we’ve touched on a few times over the life of this podcast, and that is issues facing queer surgeons in the workplace. Up to this point, we’ve focused exclusively on the experiences of LGBTQ+ surgeons in the UK, but for this episode, we are featuring members of our own Pride in Surgery Forum (aka Prism) in conversation with members of Pride in Medicine, a multispecialty group of doctors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Through this podcast, we wanted to highlight common issues facing LGBTQ+ clinicians in an ..read more

This episode centres around the perspectives of Muslim women in surgery, and in particular the challenges faced by hijab-wearing Muslim women in both theatre environments and in their trusts. Featuring a panel led by core surgical trainee Azra Khatun, along with colorectal consultant and RCS Council Member Nuha Yassin, vascular registrar Nina Al-Saadi and paediatric registrar Farah Roslan, this podcast aims to show a range of experiences that hijab-wearing women face in the surgical world, while offering guidance and encouragement to those coming through medical school and aspiring to a career ..read more

Though numerous studies have been undertaken showing the efficacy of drug therapies for breast cancer prevention, many primary and secondary care professionals remain unaware that these preventative treatments exist. In fact, drugs such as Tamoxifen are both extremely safe and provide protection long after the suggested five-year course of treatment.  Produced in collaboration with Health Innovation Manchester and featuring a panel consisting of breast surgeon Ms Rosie Stanton; Macmillan GP Clinical Cancer Lead Dr Nicola Weaver; Dr Sacha Howel, medical oncologist and Senior Lecturer at th ..read more

In this episode, Emerging Leaders programme lead and colorectal consultant Trish Boorman, and registrar Niroshini Rajaretnam discuss the nature of positive influence in surgery, in terms of both the people that have influenced them in the past, as well as being a positive influence upon those just starting their careers. Applications for the Emerging Leaders programme will re-open in Autumn 2022. Please visit the College’s website for more information on the application process ..read more

This is the tenth episode in an ongoing series on the theme of Health Inequalities, which we will return to throughout the year. It has been developed in collaboration with Melanin Medics, a national UK charity organisation focusing on promoting diversity in medicine, widening aspirations and aiding career progression for the Afro-Caribbean community. Throughout the course of the series, we will explore current inequalities in both patient and professional outcomes and illustrate the steps that must be taken to ensure equality and fairness for all. Presented by David Faluyi, Academia and resea ..read more

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon Georgette Oni leads a diverse panel considering the question, "Whose breast cancer service is it anyway?" Featuring Consultant Breast Surgeon and breast cancer survivor, Rosie Stanton; community champion, entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor, Leanne Pero; and Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Nottingham and risk-reducing breast patient, Dr Emma Wilson, this episode aims to explore and clarify the ways in which the NHS breast cancer service can be improve ..read more