Healthy Discussions – Details, episodes & analysis

Lord Nigel Crisp is the expert when it comes to our health service: because he was Chief Executive of NHS England and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health simultaneously, during Tony Blair's government.

A graduate in philosophy from Cambridge, he released his book "Health Is Made At Home: Hospitals are for Repairs." This insightful book calls for a rethink of healthcare, and highlights the local organisations that mean people won't need expensive healthcare in future.

In this episode, Nigel brings warmth and positivity to the conversation. He and Zack discuss how health creation is promoted by community groups, the importance of a sense of control, how perverse incentives prevent health creation in our system, and how to realign government, politics and healthcare to build a truly health society.

Professor Andrew Elder is a doctor, first and foremost. He is a Consultant in Medicine of the Elderly at NHS Fife, and President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He was previously Medical Director of the world-standard membership exam, MRCP, and is a Visiting Professor at Stanford University.

In this episode, we discuss if Medical AI can live up to the hype, what humans still do better, the ideal division of labour between AI and humans, the problem of black boxes, how education of physicians may need to change. We also think about policy, about who is driving these changes, and who will be liable when, rather than if, mistakes happen.

Mr Cameron Wyllie is an authority on education. He has been an English teacher, International Schools Debating coach, and Principal (Head) of Scotland's highest achieving private school of this decade, George Heriot's School.  Mr Cameron Wyllie is an authority on education. He has been an English teacher, International Schools Debating coach, and Principal (Head) of Scotland's highest achieving private school of this decade, George Heriot's School.  
In this conversation, Zack talks to one of his old teachers, Mr Wyllie to discuss Scotland's poverty-related attainment gap. We touch on the success (or rather, lack of it) of Scotland's flagship education policy, the so-called "Curriculum for Excellence", explore the reasons for the lack of appetite in the SNP to fix the problems with its implementation, and discuss what steps might actually close the gap..
We also ask how to make sure every child achieves their potential in education, whether teaching critical thinking skills improves public debate, and how this all ties in to broader discussions around Scottish Independence.

// Cameron's Links
📖 Book recommendation: Class Rules by James McEnaney -https://amzn.to/3IcGuKf
🐤 Twitter: @Wyllie_Cameron
🍵 Cameron's Blog - A House in Joppa: https://ahouseinjoppa.wordpress.com/
🌐 More about the OECD report: https://www.oecd.org/education/scotland-s-curriculum-for-excellence-bf624417-en.htm
🗣️ Speak up Scotland: https://esuscotland.org.uk/speak-up-scotland/
📣 English speaking Union: https://www.esu.org/

// Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZAHGTNVUZ1c

// About the host
I'm Zack Hassan, a junior doctor living in Edinburgh, Scotland who studied at Cambridge University. I'm passionate about teaching others the critical thinking and speaking skills to articulate their ideas as powerfully as possible. Healthy Discussions is about applying those skills to problems in wider society through open discussion and rational debate.

// Socials
–> Twitter - @MontereyZack
-> LinkedIn
-> "Thinking Allowed" - my free Personal Email Newsletter with my favourite links and thoughts
-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits
Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Amatey Doku is a management consultant for the Nous Group. Born in London and of Ghanian heritage, he spent 2 years involved in the National Union of Students, as Vice-President then Deputy President, and before that he led the Cambridge Union Students' Union (CUSU) and the Jesus College Students' Union (JCSU).

During his time as JCSU President, Amatey campaigned for the College to repatriate the Okukor, a Benin Bronze statue. It had held pride of place in the main hall of Jesus College, Cambridge, since being looted from Benin in 1897. Initially reluctant, the College formally handed over the Okukor to representatives of the Nigerian government in October 2021.

A dedicated sticky toffee pudding enthusiast, Amatey has also shown dedication in his side-quest to review every sticky toffee pudding he eats on Twitter. 

In this episode of Healthy Discussions, Zack and Amatey discuss the surrounding culture wars, how to move past culture wars, the dearth of political leadership in the UK, whether the UK is prepared for Prince Charles to take the throne after the death of the Queen Elizabeth II, and what's needed to bring the country together.

// Timestamps 

0:00 - Intro & Experience of Student politics 

3:54 - Is the media's portrayal of culture wars in student politics accurate? 

9:10 - The positive case for campaigning on diversity 

16:30 - Contrast with negative campaigns such as #RhodesMustFall 

21.38 - Does having minority leadership impact the outcome? 

22:37 - Why was there resistance to giving back the Okukor? 

25:08 - What are the lessons for the future in this? 

27:56 - How do we move past culture wars? And Keir Starmer 

36:07 - Discussing the impact of anti-racism training 

43:07 - The precarious position of the Labour Party 

47:04 - Who benefits from culture wars, then? 

50:09 - Will the death of Queen Elizabeth II strain the UK's leadership and culture even more? 

53:44 - Book recommendation

// Amatey's Links

📖 Book recommendation: The Anarchy by William Dalyrymple

🐤 Twitter: @AmateyDoku

🍮 Thread of Sticky Toffee Pudding Reviews: https://twitter.com/AmateyDoku/status/1221201642525220864

🐓 More about the Okukor: https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/articles/jesus-college-returns-benin-bronze-world-first

// Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BV7DKjjVp0Q

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 

-> LinkedIn

-> "Thinking Allowed" - my free Personal Email Newsletter with my favourite links and thoughts

-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits

Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dr Haidar Al-Hakim is an ophthalmologist, psychotherapist and host of "The Surgical Spirit" Podcast, which explores the borderlands between medicine, wellbeing and psychology.  
In this jointly hosted podcast conversation, Haidar and I talk about our experiences growing up caught between two cultures, Islamic and Western, the guilt of privilege, the phenomenon of physician burnout and its relationship to purpose, whether evidence based medicine is politically driven, and the limits and strengths of evidence-based medicine as it is currently practiced.

// Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rhQJqBi-aRk

// About the host

Dr Zack Hassan is a junior doctor, specialising in Internal Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland. He graduated from Medicine at Cambridge University in 2018. His podcast hosting combines insights from the NHS frontline with experience in debating a wide range of topics at the Cambridge Union.#

// Links

The Surgical Spirit Podcast

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 
-> LinkedIn
-> Weekly Email with my favourite links and thoughts (free) "Thinking Allowed"
-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits
Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Dr Abdullah Albeyatti is CEO of Medicalchain, a company tackling a big problem in healthcare. They want your electronic healthcare record to follow you around the health system and be under your control. Currently, healthcare data doesn't easily communicate between hospitals, creating all kinds of havoc.  

In this podcast, Abdullah and Zack discuss the use of blockchain technology for health records, the attitude of NHS decision makers towards innovation, whether EHRs should be monetised and marketised, the potential advantages and drawbacks if decentralised health records become a reality, the attitude you need to become a surgeon or entrepreneur; and more!  

Abdullah gives helpful anecdotes and tips along the way and I chip in with my thoughts on the underlying trends.

// Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4GCUxdYe3qs

// About the host

Dr Zack Hassan is a trainee in Internal Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland. He graduated from Medicine at Cambridge University in 2018. His podcast hosting combines insights from the NHS frontline with experience in debating a wide range of topics at the Cambridge Union.

// Links

Abdullah's e-book (FREE)

MedicalChain's Twitter

MedicalChain's White Paper

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 

-> LinkedIn

-> Weekly Email (free) "Thinking Allowed" 

-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits

Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Would you want to be the top doctor at the BBC? Ask Dr Clare Fernandes. She is a specialist in Occupational Health who advises the Beeb on everything from its Covid-19 policy to mental health of journalists coming back from warzones.  

Crossposted from HLA Live, Zack talked to Clare about her career path, the lessons in leadership she has learned, and how the BBC has coped with Coronavirus.

// About the host

Dr Zack Hassan is a trainee in Internal Medicine in Edinburgh, Scotland. He graduated from Medicine at Cambridge University in 2018. His podcast hosting combines insights from the NHS frontline with experience in debating a wide range of topics at the Cambridge Union.

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 

-> LinkedIn

-> Weekly Email (free) "Thinking Allowed" 

-> YouTube Channel 

Can we make Artifical Intelligence in Healthcare ethically? How do we ensure AI is safe for patients? And how good are the contingency plans for the AI that is already being used in the NHS? 

Dr Fawz Kazzazi suggests more guidance is needed. Fawz is a Core Surgical Trainee in London, and studying for a Masters in Law and Medical Ethics at Edinburgh University. He studied Medicine at Cambridge University and has published a classification of medical in the Journal of Future Health.

Fawz and Zack discuss the implications of black-boxes in healthcare, Elon Musk's view on deregulation being needed for innovation, whether software companies have a duty of care if AI has unintended consequences, and what the health system needs to do to stay ahead of technology.

// Links

Fawz's Twitter - @DrKazzazi

Fawz's Paper in the Future Healthcare Journal

Fawz's Book recommendations -  The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle, The Five People you meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Ray Kurzweil predicts computers will pass the Turing Test by 2029

C-the Signs 

Ageism in DNAR orders

The Caparo Test

// About the host

Zack Hassan is a junior doctor based in Edinburgh and a Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholar. His podcast hosting combines insights from the NHS frontline with experience in debating a wide range of topics at the Cambridge Union.

// Socials

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 

-> LinkedIn

-> Weekly Email (free) "Thinking Allowed" 

-> YouTube Channel 

// Credits

Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Photo: Nick Saffel

// Our Supporters

The Healthcare Leadership Academy has a mission to inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders. They have lots of opportunities on their website for a variety of health professionals.

Dolly Theis is not your usual public health policy academic. She stood as a Conservative Party candidate in the 2017 general election, winning 10,000 votes in Vauxhall. As a One-Nation Tory, Dolly has also campaigned on environmental and food issues. She has also been involved with initiatives like 50:50 Parliament (for gender balance in Westminster) and the veteran's charity Forward Assist. 

She is undertaking a PhD at Cambridge University’s MRC Epidemiology Unit, researching how policy makers use evidence and the processes that influence change in public health.

In this conversation, Zack and Dolly find points of agreement on health and obesity policy despite coming from different political perspectives, and discuss the grit and thought needed to refine your political beliefs early in life, especially in response to criticism. They also explore the different levers government has to improve our health, why a different approach to policymaking would be advantageous, and how to create a world where research and policy are fully integrated with each other.

// Links

Dolly's Twitter - @Dollytheis

Dolly's Book recommedations -  Health is Made at Home by Nigel Crisp, On Liberty by John Stuart Mill

// About the host

Zack Hassan is a junior doctor based in Edinburgh and a Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholar. His podcast hosting combines his experience of debating at the Cambridge Union with insights from the NHS frontline.

Socials 

–> Twitter - @MontereyZack 

-> LinkedIn

-> Weekly Email, "Thinking Allowed" 

-> YouTube Channel 

// Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

// Our Supporters

The Healthcare Leadership Academy has a mission to inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders. They have lots of opportunities on their website for a variety of health professionals, including through HLA Listen, their podcasting channel.

Health Education England North East and Health Education England South West support the podcast by sponsoring HLA Listen.

Medics.Academy is an online platform which provides technology enhanced learning solutions for organisations and individuals.

Dr Lade Smith CBE is Director of Forensic Services at South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust and 2019's Psychiatrist of the Year. Her background as an intensive care forensic psychiatrist has given her insight into the stories of family psychological trauma that are prevalent amongst the UK's violent offenders. She is also an advocate for race equality and has published research examining racial disaprities in the use of detention orders under the Mental Health Act. Zack and Lade discussed how criminality and mental illness can be traced back to adverse childhood experiences, the need for early intervention, and the role doctors should play in changing policy and preventing discrimination.

Links

Lade's Twitter - @DrLadeSmith

Lade's Book recommedations - Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood

Music - Overriding Concern by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4187-overriding-concern

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

About the host

Zack Hassan is a junior doctor based in Edinburgh and a Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholar. His podcast hosting combines his experience of debating at the Cambridge Union with insights from the NHS front-line.

Twitter – @MontereyZack 

Zack's LinkedIn

Our Supporters

The Healthcare Leadership Academy has a mission to inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders. They have lots of opportunities on their website for a variety of health professionals, including through HLA Listen, their podcasting channel.

Health Education England North East and Health Education England South West support the podcast by sponsoring HLA Listen.

Medics.Academy is an online platform which provides technology enhanced learning solutions for organisations and individuals.