Wild Card - Whose Shoes?

In this episode of Wild Card – Whose Shoes? , Gill Phillips is joined by Samira Ben Omar , newly appointed Professor of Inclusive Practice at St Mary’s School of Medicine . Samira is helping to shape something genuinely exciting: a brand-new, socially accountable school of medicine, built around communities, inclusion, humility, curiosity and trust.  Rather than starting with programmes or project...

On the day before my 70th birthday (how did that happen?!), I wanted to mark the occasion by talking to someone who is making us all think differently about ageing. My guest is Sian Lockwood - co-founder of WIGO (When I Get Old) and writer of the brilliant OOPS blog: Outspoken Older People Subverting . We talk about what it really feels like to get older - from feeling 35 in your head (most of the...

In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Gill Phillips is joined by Lindsey Douglas – parent carer, advocate and DMI trainer at Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Lindsey speaks with honesty and warmth about family life with her son Grayson, who is autistic, has a severe learning disability and complex needs, and about the journey from crisis and exhaustion to greater understanding,...

What does hospice care really look like? What if hospice care isn't about the end of life - but about helping people live well for as long as possible? In this special Podcasthon episode of Wild Card – Whose Shoes? , Gill Phillips visits The Myton Hospices in Warwick and brings together the voices of staff, volunteers, families and community supporters who make the hospice what it is. Podcast...

Wild Card - Whose Shoes? Podcast | Mike Nicholson: Progressive Masculinity (and why boys do want to talk) What if the real issue isn’t that boys don’t talk - but that we rarely create spaces where they feel safe enough to? In this episode, I’m joined by Mike Nicholson , former English teacher and founder of Progressive Masculinity . I first heard Mike speak at an education conference in Wolverhamp...

🎙️ This episode was recorded jointly with the So, Who Cares Anyway? podcast, hosted by Ruth Germaine. In this warm, wide-ranging episode , I’m chatting to fellow podcaster and Darzi alumna Ruth Germaine to explore what it really takes to tackle healthcare’s “wicked problems” through coproduction. A powerful invitation to think differently. Drawing on our shared roots in the Darzi Fellowship networ...

🎄🎧 A bit of a Christmas cracker (with maverick music included)  A conversation full of humanity. In this Wild Card – Whose Shoes episode, Gill Phillips chats with Maff Potts , founder of the Camarados movement and creator of Public Living Rooms - simple, welcoming spaces where people can put their feet up, enjoy no-agenda company, and look out for each other . No labels. No tick boxes. No “fixin...

Amelia Wilkinson: Living (and parenting) with Type 1 diabetes - beyond the data Published on 14 November (World Diabetes Day) , this conversation lifts the lid on what most of us miss about Type 1 diabetes - the mental load, the masking, and the trauma that doesn’t show up on a glucose graph. Podcast host Gill Phillips talks with Amelia Wilkinson , diagnosed at 10 and now a mum, about growing up t...

In this powerful episode of Wild Card  -Whose Shoes? , Gill Phillips talks with Aurora Thompson - a remarkable young woman whose story of trauma, survival, and resilience will stop you in your tracks. Aurora shares her lived experience of abuse,, bullying, mental health crises, and being sectioned as a teenager.  She talks about her diagnosis with autism and what difference it has made. But at the...

🎙️ Wild Card – Whose Shoes? with Gill Phillips Episode: An #IntentionalCoffee with Dr Ben Allen In this episode, Gill Phillips speaks for the very first time with Dr Ben Allen - transformative GP, former ICB leader, and curious explorer of how the NHS can work better for staff, patients, and communities. Ben and Gill have connected through LinkedIn where Ben describes himself as: "GP, NHS lea...

🎙 “You’re amazing!” But what if hearing that doesn’t feel amazing at all? In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Gill Phillips meets awesome Benedicte Symcox – parent carer, founder of Tugboat SEND Navigation, and passionate advocate for children and adults with complex needs. Benedicte’s story is breathtaking. From the moment they met at Yvonne Newbold’s wedding (!), Gill and Benedicte struc...

🎙 Episode 67: Dulcie Matthews and Dorothy Hall – Hope, Resilience, and the Spirit of Coventry This very special VE Day episode of Wild Card – Whose Shoes? is a real treat. 🕊️ Join me, Gill Phillips, as I welcome two extraordinary women: Dorothy Hall , familiar to listeners from Episode 64, and her equally inspirational friend Dulcie Matthews , aged 88. Dulcie grew up in wartime Coventry, and share...

In this electric, soul-stirring conversation, Dr Guddi Singh joins me to explore what it truly means to radically reimagine health. From the frontline realities of paediatrics to the bold edges of creative health and social justice, Guddi brings her full, vibrant self — and invites us all to do the same. We talk about what’s broken in our health system, why simply fixing sickness isn’t enough, a...

This special episode of Wild Card – Whose Shoes? is part of The World Podcastathon , a global celebration of podcasts that spark conversation, challenge perspectives, and inspire change. I’m thrilled to welcome the incredible Nicola Enoch , founder and CEO of Down Syndrome UK , a powerhouse advocate who is transforming perceptions, challenging outdated maternity care practices, and empowering fami...

In this powerful episode, Gill Phillips chats with her long-time friend Dorothy Hall , a former social worker and fierce advocate for fairness. They explore the realities of ageism in healthcare. At 82 and a half , Dorothy brings a wealth of lived experience —as a professional, a family carer, and now as someone navigating the NHS as an older person . She highlights the stark contrast between syst...

🎙️ Wild Card - Whose Shoes? Podcast 🎙️ 🎉 Episode 63: Celebrating 10 Years of #MatExp! 🎉 Join us for a festive and heartfelt episode as we celebrate a decade of the groundbreaking #MatExp campaign, born from the Whose Shoes? co-production movement!  This special Christmas edition revisits the vibrant energy of our 10-year anniversary event held on October 17th, 2024, blending highlights from the...

Bonus episode! Dr. George Winder and I pick up from our impactful “Don’t Medicalise Poverty” conversation (Episode 58, Universal Healthcare mini-series).  George’s work is refreshing. It goes beyond prescriptions and appointments.  It makes healthcare about relationships, community and plain common sense. More human and a lot more doable! We dive into stories that show the true power of social con...

In this final episode of our mini-series on universal healthcare, in collaboration with LSBU and the Universal Healthcare Network, we bring it full circle with Prof. Becky Malby, who commissioned this enlightening journey. Over recent episodes, we've delved into stories from remarkable guests who are making universal healthcare real in their communities – from children’s services to outreach...

We are nearing the end of our mini series of podcasts about universal healthcare, in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare Network. With the NHS experiencing overwhelming demand, we need radical transformation with more power and resources within communities. So today, Bill Graham, who is a Community Coordinator with Modality Partnership, focuses on community...

And so we continue our mini series of podcasts on universal healthcare, in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare Network! Kim Shutler shares insights on the role of the voluntary sector in healthcare, with a focus on community-based solutions. With the NHS experiencing overwhelming demand, we need radical transformation with more power and resources within co...

🎙️ Wildcard Whose Shoes? - “Don’t Medicalise Poverty” with Dr. George Winder, GP in Leeds In this powerful episode of ‘Wildcard - Whose Shoes?’, host Gill Phillips sits down with Dr. George Winder, a passionate GP from Leeds, to explore a critical issue in healthcare: the medicalisation of poverty. George shares eye-opening stories from his work, revealing how social injustice and poverty affect h...

Here is the first episode of this special mini podcast series, in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare Network.  (You will remember that Episode 56 with Professor Becky Malby was our first ‘bookend’ to introduce this series and tell you why Universal Healthcare is important) Dr Tom Holliday is my first guest to dive in and share examples of how universal hea...

 Becky Malby - (Bookend 1) I was delighted when Professor Becky Malby asked me to host a special series of podcasts in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare network.   We are keen to tell you more about the Universal HealthCare National Inquiry report, why universal healthcare is so important and to introduce you to some of the movers and shakers who are maki...

When I originally set up the Wild Card - Whose Shoes podcast series, I wanted to provide a way of amplifying the voices of people who inspire me and who are making a difference. Steven Russell simply had to be a guest because his story is so important.  Steven tells his own story of growing up as a child in care, the emotional trauma and insecurity that can result, but showing huge resilience and...

I’m so excited to be talking to my good friend Mary Salama, a wonderful consultant paediatrician in Birmingham.  Mary is one of my absolute faves - a lovely, warm person, who makes extraordinary things happen, rather than just talking about what needs to change. And to do that for children and young people, has to be the very best thing!  Driven by frustration and a deep understanding of the need...