Eye on the Horizon

In this episode, podcast host Peter Cackett (consultant ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian) and guest speaker Lord David Blunkett (politician) discuss Lord Blunkett’s experience of coming to terms with sight loss at an early age and going on to build a career in politics. Lord David Blunkett is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside for over 25 years. Lord Blunk...

In this episode, podcast host Peter Cackett (Consultant Ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian) and guest speaker Chris McCausland (comedian and actor) discuss Chris’s career as a comedian and his personal journey coming to terms with his retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis. ​ ​ This episode delves into the challenges Chris encountered while building a successful career in comedy alongside progressive visio...

American Ophthalmologist and Comedian, Will Flanary (AKA Dr Glaucomflecken) joins us to discuss his use of humour as a coping mechanism for challenges in his life and how he has managed to integrate medicine and comedy. Will delves into the importance of laughter as a therapeutic tool, providing an invaluable perspective on how personal challenges have changed his outlook on life over the years. T...

In this episode, podcast host Peter Cackett (Consultant Ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian) and guest speaker Henry Marsh CBE FRCS (neurosurgeon and author) discuss Henry’s career as a pioneering neurosurgeon and first-hand experience as both doctor and patient. This episode delves into the qualities that define a great surgeon, the emotional challenges of working in healthcare and Henry’s commitment to...

In this episode, podcast host Peter Cackett (Consultant Ophthalmologist, NHS Lothian) and guest speaker Dame Clare Gerada (general practitioner and founder of the NHS Practitioner Health programme) discuss and explore numerous aspects relating to clinician well-being. These include the reasons for mental health issues in doctors and how these can be addressed; burnout and the risk of burnout in do...