Transformational Thinking For Health Leaders - from Fiona Day Consulting

Today, I’m joined by Mr Alwyn Abraham , Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at University Hospitals of Leicester, medical educationalist, healthcare leader, and Chair-Elect of World Orthopaedic Concern. Alwyn reflects on nearly four decades in medicine, from his early training at Edinburgh Medical School to leading large multidisciplinary teams under extreme pressure. He shares candid insigh...

In this episode, I speak with Dr Ahsana Nazish , a public health leader whose work bridges hospital management, health systems, and policy. She leads a network of primary care filter clinics across Punjab, delivering screening and treatment for liver and kidney diseases while pursuing her Doctorate in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Ahsana shares her remarkable...

Today, I’m joined by Dr Imran Ahmad, a GP board partner for a large primary care organisation in London, GP training programme director, and clinical lead in transformation projects. We talk about his journey from traditional general practice into strategic and system-level leadership, and how he has learned to balance clinical care with board responsibilities, mentoring, and integrated care work....

Today, I talk with Associate Professor Eva-Maria Graf, a leading expert in coaching linguistics and founder of the international QUESCO research project on questioning practices in coaching. We explore what really happens in coaching conversations, how questions shape insight and change, and what makes coaching distinct from therapy or friendly support. Eva shares the story behind QUESCO, a three-...

Today, I'm joined by Dr Phil Sherrard, consultant anaesthetist, educator, digital instructional designer, and actor. Phil shares his unique career journey - from becoming one of the UK’s youngest consultant anaesthetists to building a portfolio career that blends medicine, teaching, creativity, and performance. He opens up about overcoming anxiety, rediscovering his love of acting and music,...

Today, I'm speaking with Professor Laurie Tomlinson, NIHR Research Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former consultant nephrologist. Laurie shares her unconventional career journey - from early uncertainty in clinical training, to taking bold risks that led her into epidemiology and ground-breaking research. Laurie reflects on the lessons learned from navigat...

Welcome to Season 2 of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders In this opening episode, Dr Fiona Day takes a closer look into the latest evidence on what really works in health leadership development.  With the NHS England 10-Year Plan (2025–2035) setting bold ambitions for outstanding leadership across healthcare, and a major new umbrella review published in BMJ Leader , Fiona critiques curr...

In this short introduction, Dr Fiona Day reflects on the journey so far - over 1,300 downloads, a brief spot in the Apple Top 10 Health Podcasts, and 14 inspiring conversations in Series 1. Fiona also shares her gratitude for the feedback and support, invites new listeners to explore the Series 1 archive, and opens the door for medical and public health leaders who might like to be future guests....

From Frontline GP to Global Health Leader: Dr. Reza Jarral on Digital Health and Equity In this episode of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders , I sit down with Dr. Reza Jarral, an NHS-trained GP and digital health leader, currently based in New Zealand. Reza has led multi-million-dollar healthcare initiatives, developed equity-focused telehealth services, and is about to embark on a Hark...

In this episode, I speak with Professor Diane Ashiru-Oredope , a credentialed consultant pharmacist and a leading voice in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and pharmaceutical public health. Diane shares her fascinating career journey - from frontline clinical pharmacy to national and international leadership roles shaping AMR policy and advancing pharmaceutical public health. We explore:  ✅ The evo...

Jamie is a pharmacist and director in NHS Wales and an Honorary Professor at Cardiff Metropolitan University, School of Sport and Health Sciences.  A clinical pharmacist by background, Jamie has a thirty-year career in healthcare leadership, medical education and behavioural change. He served as an elected board member for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for six years, from 2016 to 2022, and was...

In this episode of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders , I speak with Meherunissa Hamid , a dedicated public health professional from Pakistan currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Meherunissa shares her insights on bridging the gap between policy and real-world health and social care interventions, drawing from her ex...

Professor Andrew Furber is the Regional Director of Public Health for the North West of England.  In this episode of Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders , Andrew shares his fascinating journey - from working as a GP with no fixed career plan to leading at the highest levels of public health across the UK and internationally. We explore: 🔹 How to embrace career transitions and unexpected...

Dr Safiya Virji is a GP, an NHS Appraiser for GPs, and a Training Programme Director for NHS England leading the educational provision for GPs in training.  She is also an Associate Dean of General Practice leading on health equity training, and a senior clinical lecturer for primary care for undergraduate medical students at Queen Marys University of London.  Safiya has particular interests in st...

Nick Shannon is a business psychologist whose work helps organisations achieve better and more sustainable performance by improving the selection and development of their leaders and leadership teams. Nick works as a coach, consultant, mentor and facilitator within a diverse range of organisations Nick is a Chartered Coaching Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society....

Dr Girija Anand, (informally known as Gij) has been a Consultant Clinical Oncologist for almost 15 years. She is now also an Associate Medical director at a North London NHS Trust where her responsibilities include clinical governance for doctors and professional affairs.  Reflective Questions for Health Leaders 1. Have you ever been encouraged into a leadership role before you felt fully ready? W...

Mat Daniel, MMEd MA(Coaching) PhD FRCSEd(ORL-HNS) has over 30 years’ experience in healthcare, and works as a Consultant Paediatric Otorhinolaryngologist. He has / had leadership roles at local, regional and national level, including in medical associations, research, medical education, and guideline development. Mat uses coaching as a leadership style, he trains others in coaching and leadership,...

Juliette Alban-Metcalfe is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and CEO of Real World Group, and is an internationally respected expert in the field of leadership and teamworking behavioural assessment. She has been working with Real World Group for the past 15 years, supporting leadership development with both individuals and groups up to Board level globally. She has a particular passion for a...

Andrew Lee is a Professor of Public Health at the University of Sheffield, with academic interests in health protection and international health, and is also a Regional Deputy Director for Health Protection with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).  Andrew first started off medicine in paediatrics before working abroad with an aid agency in Afghanistan and disaster zones (Sri Lanka Asian Tsunami...

Dr Allison Streetly OBE is a Consultant in Public Health who has recently retired from a full time role as Head of the National Public Health team in NHS England, and was formerly the Director of the NHS Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Screening programme responsible for its national roll out.  If you’re interested in exploring coaching or learning more about leadership in healthcare, visit my websit...

Professor James Dunbar spent 25 years as a GP in Dundee, also part time in Forensic Medicine and as an Academic. After two years as a Medical Director, he arrived in Australia in 2001 to set up the ‘Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders and Deakin Universities’, which allowed him to work on both population health and quality improvement.  Prof Dunbar can be contact...

Welcome to my very first podcast series. A podcast that will help you meet your most complex leadership challenges. This podcast from Master Practitioner Coach and Chartered Coaching Psychologist Dr Fiona Day will transform your perspectives. It will help you become a more effective and creative leader, with a deeper understanding of yourself and your own world of work. Fiona interviews other medi...