A Clear Voice

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to BLA Connections: a clear voice with your host Natalie Watson, bringing you discussions and insights from experts from across the globe on all things laryngology. In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing a lesser-known area of laryngology – the management of cricopharyngeal hypertrophy and small pharyngeal pouches with our guest, Kate Heathcote. Kate is a consultant...

Send us Fan Mail In our second Wellbeing episode, we welcome Dr Tim Anstiss, health and wellbeing coach and behaviour change specialist. Tim works with NHS trusts, local authorities, health charities, sports organisations and a wide range of companies. He has been involved in several international behaviour change initiatives.  Having studied medicine at Southampton University, Dr Anstiss became i...

Send us Fan Mail “Radical self-care it is the foundation that the rest of your life and your career is based on.” In the first of our Wellbeing episodes, Natalie speaks with master practitioner, coach and mentor, Dr Fiona Day MBChB, FFPH, Dip Occ Med about her experience of coaching over 200 doctors and healthcare professionals. Fiona shares the most common career challenges her clients face and h...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Natalie chats with the current President and Immediate President of the BLA,  Guri Sandhu and Mark Watson. Mark Watson FRCS has worked in Doncaster and Bassetlaw since 1992 where he has held a number of leadership posts. He has served as a regional and national representative and lead for many regional and national ENT and head and neck groups and committees. Unde...

Send us Fan Mail “Our best times are when a patient comes to us and says ‘for a bit, I forgot I had dystonia’, and then we really know we’ve got it right.” In this episode we speak with two phenomenal neurolaryngology duos and explore their decades of experience working together to improve patients' lives. Marie-Hélène Marion is a neurologist with over 30 years' experience working in Fra...

Send us Fan Mail We are now in our third series of  BLA Connections – A Clear Voice and series 3.  It is a full year since we launched this podcast on behalf of the BLA.    It has been a difficult and challenging 12 months, to say the least. The initial desire to create this podcast series was to bridge the gap of the lack of face to face meetings and provide support and guidance and much-needed i...

Send us Fan Mail In this epsiode, Dr Amanda Richards joins Natalie Watson to discuss dealing with COVID-19 in the Southern Hemisphere and how a public hospital system can make up for lost time when it is already stretched, and what impact has this disruption had on patients well being? In this episode: 1:44 Q1. What has been your experience of COVID 19 in your centre? 3:51 Q2. Have you been able t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we welcome back Prof Martin Birchall as he reflects, comments and shares his insights on COVID-19 six months on, the impact on individuals and laryngology as a whole, as well as the future of laryngology post-COVID using new technologies. In this episode: 1:43 Q1 . Reflecting back on our previous episode, is there anything you would like to expand, comment or refl...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to episode 4. of 'A Clear Voice'. In this episode, we are taking a break in discussing the issues surrounding COVID-19 as  Chadwan Al Yaghchi discusses 'The management of transgender voice.'  In this episode: 1:42 Q1 . What got you interested in transgender voice? 2:40 Q2 .  How do you approach the management?  5:47 Q3.   It certainly requires an MDT ap...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to episode 3. In early March 2020 ENT surgeon Nick Gibbins contracted COVID-19. Here he discusses his personal journey with Natalie Watson from the moments he realised he had the virus, to his recovery and how this experience has impacted his practice. In this episode: 2:00 Q1 . Early on in the COVID 19 pandemic, you contracted the infection. Can you talk us through your e...

Send us Fan Mail Natalie Watson is joined by Sadie Khwaja, Joanne Favilli and Paul McKenna of the Machester Voice Clinic to discuss their experience during the pandemic and the need to pivot to virtual clinics.   Manchester Voice Clinic Team  Bio's Sadie  Khwaja  - Consultant Laryngologist based in Manchester, serving the Great Manchester area and tertiary referrals from outside the region. ...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Majumdar joins Natalie Watson to discuss training and leadership and the impact, disruption and opportunity COVID-19 has caused and presented over the last seven months. In this episode: 2:22 Q1 . How do you think COVID has affected training in your area? 11:15 Q2. You run a number of courses, how do you feel courses have been affected by COVID and how can we reintroduce cours...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to our final episode of series one of BLA Connections: A Clear Voice Dr. Paul Bryson chats with Natalie Watson to give his perspective from the U.S. from March 2020 to the 15th of June when we recorded this episode.  Update : Since the time of recording, the USA has witnessed an increase in Covid-19 infection cases with several states experiencing a surge, Dr. Bryson would...

Send us Fan Mail This week Natalie Watson interviewed Michelle Wyatt and Claire Frauenfelder of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) as they finished a busy shift. In this episode, the recent paper, 'Practical insights for paediatric otolaryngology surgical cases and performing microlaryngobronchoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic' written by the paediatric ENT team is discussed * Please...

Send us Fan Mail A Clear Voice is recorded during lockdown and this week Natalie Watson is joined by Ekpemi Irune and Anne Weitzenkorn to discuss Dysphagia and Covid-19 from a multidisciplinary approach.  In this episode 3:08 Q1.  So how have you approached your management of patients with COVID-19 post-extubation dysphagia? 7:01 Q2.  We are recommencing investigations for dysphagia can you tell u...

Send us Fan Mail As we continue to bring you A Clear Voice through lockdown Taran Tatla joins Natalie Watson to discuss and explore the impact of Covid-19 and laryngology. In this episode, we look to the future and talk through the BLA and ENTUK guidelines (endorsed by the RCSLT) a graduated return to elective activities for laryngology within the COVID 19 pandemic. In this episode 8.22 Q1. The do...

Send us Fan Mail Yakubu Karagama chats with Natalie Watson on further lessons to learn and insights from treating patients with Covid-19 and the next steps we need to adopt to restart surgical services. In this episode 3:05 Question 1. From your observations, what practical measures would you suggest to minimise long-term sequelae of laryngotracheal Covid-19? 6:32 Question 2 . Are there any guidel...

Send us Fan Mail Prof Martin Birchall joins Natalie Watson to record the first-ever episode of BLA Connections during lockdown sharing his insights into the laryngological aspects of COVID-19. In this Episode 2:31 Question 1. COVID 19 seems to be markedly heterogenous in its clinical presentation ranging from people reporting no symptoms to multi-organ failure. From your experience what are the fe...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the British Laryngological Association's podcast series, BLA Connections - A clear voice.  A podcast series for the ENT, medical, and allied professional fields offering support, guidance, and discussion around specific topics, breaking research and updated guidelines. The opinions of our host and guests are their own. Thank you for listening. Contact Information V...