Anaesthesia on Air

Episoder

• Wellbeing and Occupational Health 18.06.2026 39min

  In this episode Dr Eoin Dore discusses wellbeing at work with Society of Occupational Medicine President Professor Neil Greenberg, and RCoA Wellbeing Lead Dr Ramai Santhirapala. They discuss the definition of wellbeing, how it relates to work, parallels between mental health in the military and civilian life, 'moral injury', and much more.This interview follows the publication of the College's recent report on wellbeing, burnout and retention - an analysis from the 2025 census. Useful links: Wellbeing, burnout and retention report (RCoA) Society of Occupational Medicine RCoA wellbeing hub [Recorded April 2026]
• A Conversation with Prof Pierre Foex and Prof Helen Higham 20.04.2026 38min

  Welcome to this  series of podcasts devised by the RCoA Heritage and Archives Committee.  In this episode, Pierre Foex and Helen Higham talk to Maria Rollin about their work together, the importance of good mentoring and Pierre's 50 year association with the College and 66 years association with anaesthesia.They also talk about the success of the Cardiac Disease and Anaesthesia Symposium, which has now been running for over 20 years.
• Global Emergency & Operative Care: Challenges and Opportunities 20.03.2026 48min

  In this episode, Dr Eoin Dore speaks to Miss Rachel Hargest following her presentation at the Winter Symposium 2025, where she delivered the Webb Johnson Oration Award lecture: Challenges and Opportunities for Surgeons and Anaesthetists in Global Emergency, Critical and Operative Care. Miss Hargest shares what it really takes to deliver safe, effective surgery in low‑resource settings. From inventive problem‑solving and ethical challenges to strengthening anaesthetic and surgical training worldwide, this episode uncovers the realities, opportunities and big global health questions shaping care today. A fascinating conversation for anyone interested in global surgery, anaesthesia, and building sustainable healthcare systems.Recorded Friday 21 November 2025Related information: RCS England-LSE Global Surgery Policy Unit - LSE Miss Rachel Hargest Webb Johnson Oration 2025 presentation 
• Living with MND: Andy’s Story 12.03.2026 43min

  In this episode, Dr Andrew Vaughton, former Consultant Anaesthetist at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation, shares his experience following his 2021 Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis and subsequent medical retirement. Andy now focuses on MND awareness, fundraising, and promoting health and community support.He’s joined by his wife Dr Susanne Vaughton, a former GP who left medicine after Andy’s diagnosis to become a full‑time writer. Known to readers as Susie Tate, she now balances authorship with advocacy and family life.Together, Andy and Susie discuss their projects, their commitment to supporting MND charities, and how they’re using their time and platform to create meaningful impact. This episode highlights purposeful action, the strength of partnership, and a shared commitment to making a meaningful difference.Recorded Friday 21 November 2025Related information: Guinness World Record: Longest Beach Touch Rugby Game | £100k Raised for MND My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Andy’s Army fundraiser for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
• AI and patient information 14.11.2025 29min

  In this podcast Dr Samantha Black, Dr Maya Sussmann and Chair of Patient voices at RCoA, Jenny Westaway discuss the use and growth of AI large language models and their role in the patient-clinician conversation, and the various risks and opportunities this presents. They discuss the latest technology being used and how patients are currently using AI to inform themselves about healthcare.Recorded 26 September 2025Related information: Sycophancy in GPT-4o: what happened and what we’re doing about  it: https://openai.com/index/sycophancy-in-gpt-4o/ Update that made ChatGPT 'dangerously' sycophantic pulled https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4jnwdvg9qo
• Anaesthesia 2025 podcast - Paediatric regional anaesthesia 31.10.2025 25min

  In this podcast, recorded at our Anaesthesia 2025 conference in Belfast consultant anaesthetists Dr Branislav (Brano) Mislovic and Dr Will Donaldson discuss developments in paediatric regional anaesthesia, following Brano's address to the conference.Brano and Will address misconceptions around paediatric regional anaesthesia, the use of ultrasound and the various opportunities and challenges around this. Recorded 20 May 2025Related information: Association of Anaesthesia: New blocks on the kids: core basic nerve blocks in paediatric anaesthesia
• Anaesthesia 2025 podcast - Human Factors - Hewitt lectureship 17.10.2025 29min

  In this podcast, recorded at our Anaesthesia 2025 conference, Professor and Consultant Anaesthetist Helen Higham talks to Dr Paul Southall about her work and career improving the the 'complex and adaptive system' of anaesthesia often given by its shorthand, 'human factors'. For this work Helen was awarded the Hewitt Lectureship, given to established senior clinicians, academic experts or pioneers in their fields who have advanced the science or art of anaesthetic practice.Paul and Helen discuss her research interests, which include human factors and simulation-based education in healthcare, and her current projects focused on systems-based approaches to safety in primary care, human factors in low to middle income healthcare settings and the use of virtual reality to train healthcare professionals. Helen gives us an insight into her career and professional life, and bangs the drum for the importance of quality improvement, simulation and team-based learning and how central anaesthesia and its culture is to these practices in medicine.Recorded 20 May 2025Related information: OxSTAR - Helen Higham Lectureships | The Royal College of Anaesthetists
• The experience of becoming a consultant anaesthetist 03.10.2025 50min

  In this podcast Dr Jennifer Proc talks to Dr Tara Byott and Dr Sarah Muldoon about their experiences becoming consultant anaesthetists.They discuss how Sarah and Tara became consultants, and Jennifer's own experience working towards that, and cover topics including: the first appraisal, preparing for managing anaesthetists in training, handling expectations with surgeons and patients alike, imposter syndrome, advocacy for theatre teams, and more.Tara and Sarah provide lots of advice drawn from their personal experiences, much of it not exclusive to the consultant role, with reflections on authority, responsibility, and gender that may be applicable to anyone moving to a more senior position. Recorded 9 September 2025Related information: Juggling the list – patient care and training opportunities | The Royal College of Anaesthetists Making the most of stage 2 and 3 training 
• CPOC patient safety 2025 prizewinner podcast 19.09.2025 22min

  In this podcast Dr Hattie White talks to CPOC Director David Selwyn and CPOC Fellow Claire Frank about her prize winning presentation “Improving Clinical Incident Reporting in a District General Hospital Anaesthetic Department.” They discuss Hattie’s QI work, how she came up with the idea, the challenges and her contributions to perioperative care as a result. We hope this will be of interest to listeners who are thinking about embarking upon their own QI project.Related information: Dr Hattie White's prize-winning poster Patient Safety in Perioperative Practice 2026 event 
• Portfolio pathway - episode 5: Assessor viewpoint 05.09.2025 14min

  This is a special podcast mini-series focusing on the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) programme, the process that enables doctors who don't hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to join the GMC's specialist register and therefore be eligible to take up substantive consultant posts.We have created this mini-series to support those already undertaking the programme or for those interested in following the programme. The series consists of 5 episodes as below: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathways programme and this series Non-Clinical domains Clinical domains SIAs Assessor viewpoint Related information:  RCoA portfolio pathway page Information for portfolio pathway applications Specialty Specific Guidance Special Interest Area Guidance Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) LLP Webinar
• Portfolio pathway - episode 4: SIAs 05.09.2025 9min

  This is a special podcast mini-series focusing on the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) programme, the process that enables doctors who don't hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to join the GMC's specialist register and therefore be eligible to take up substantive consultant posts.We have created this mini-series to support those already undertaking the programme or for those interested in following the programme. The series consists of 5 episodes as below: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathways programme and this series Non-Clinical domains Clinical domains SIAs Assessor viewpoint Related information:  RCoA portfolio pathway page Information for portfolio pathway applications Specialty Specific Guidance Special Interest Area Guidance Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) LLP Webinar
• Portfolio pathway - episode 3: Clinical domains 05.09.2025 9min

  This is a special podcast mini-series focusing on the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) programme, the process that enables doctors who don't hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to join the GMC's specialist register and therefore be eligible to take up substantive consultant posts.We have created this mini-series to support those already undertaking the programme or for those interested in following the programme. The series consists of 5 episodes as below: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathways programme and this series Non-Clinical domains Clinical domains SIAs Assessor viewpoint Related information:  RCoA portfolio pathway page Information for portfolio pathway applications Specialty Specific Guidance Special Interest Area Guidance Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) LLP Webinar
• Portfolio pathway - episode 2: Non-clinical domains) 05.09.2025 13min

  This is a special podcast mini-series focusing on the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) programme, the process that enables doctors who don't hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to join the GMC's specialist register and therefore be eligible to take up substantive consultant posts.We have created this mini-series to support those already undertaking the programme or for those interested in following the programme. The series consists of 5 episodes as below: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathways programme and this series Non-Clinical domains Clinical domains SIAs Assessor viewpoint Related information:  RCoA portfolio pathway page Information for portfolio pathway applications Specialty Specific Guidance Special Interest Area Guidance Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) LLP Webinar
• Portfolio pathway - episode 1: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathway programme 05.09.2025 9min

  This is a special podcast mini-series focusing on the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) programme, the process that enables doctors who don't hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) to join the GMC's specialist register and therefore be eligible to take up substantive consultant posts.We have created this mini-series to support those already undertaking the programme or for those interested in following the programme. The series consists of 5 episodes as below: Introduction to the Portfolio Pathways programme and this series Non-Clinical domains Clinical domains SIAs Assessor viewpoint Related information:  RCoA portfolio pathway page Information for portfolio pathway applications Specialty Specific Guidance Special Interest Area Guidance Lifelong Learning Platform (LLP) LLP Webinar
• Remembering the Omagh bombing - Anaesthesia 2025 podcast 15.08.2025 40min

  In this podcast, recorded at Anaesthesia 2025, host Dr Helgi Johannsson talks to retired anaesthetist Dr John Maginness. On 15 August 1998 a bomb was detonated in Omagh town centre, in Northern Ireland. John, who lived locally, was a member of the medical team who responded. John joined the panel discussion on the Omagh bombing at our 2025 Belfast annual conference and in this podcast, recorded in Belfast, John shares his recollections of that day in 1998. John discusses his and Helgi's shared personal experiences of terror attacks and major incidents, how responses have developed (and what has stayed the same), and John's appreciation for the professionalism and competence of the many allied health professionals who worked in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb.Our Anaesthesia 2026 conference will take place in Brighton and online over three days in May 2026. If you want to hear from leaders in anaesthesia and get the latest insights and professional development book by 31 December to get 20% off. More details: Anaesthesia 2026 | The Royal College of Anaesthetists.
• GPC Hub - Anaesthesia 2025 01.08.2025 25min

  In this podcast, recorded at Anaesthesia 2025, host Dr Toni Brunning and guest speakers Dr Joe Lipton, Dr Joe Hogan,  Dr Hannah Headon, Dr Chris James and Dr Soumen Sen talk about the GPC (Generic Professional Capabilities) Hub, where the idea came from, and what others can learn through their experiences.Our Anaesthesia 2026 flagship conference will take place in Brighton and online over three days in May 2026. Book by 31 December to get 20% off! More details: Anaesthesia 2026 | The Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Nociception monitoring - Anaesthesia 2025 25.07.2025 15min

  In this podcast, recorded at Anaesthesia 2025, Professor Anil Hormis and Dr Rosie Hogg talk about Nociception Monitoring. They discuss what nociception is, what the NOL monitor is and how it works. Our Anaesthesia 2026 flagship conference will take place in Brighton and online over three days in May 2026. Book by 31 December to get 20% off! More details: Anaesthesia 2026 | The Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Simulation-based education in anaesthesia 11.07.2025 28min

  In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, former Dinwoodie Simulation fellow Dr Steffan Glaze, Professor Cristina Diaz-Navarro and Dr Ed Mellanby (simulation leads in Wales and Scotland, respectively) discuss simulation-based education in anaesthesia and the context in medical simulation around recent guidance from the College.They share how they've developed their own work in simulation, how listeners can use recommendations in the guidance to improve and influence their own practices, and what future simulation faculty can do to develop their skills, and even apply an understanding of anaesthetic simulation to their work in novel ways.
• Creativity and clinical practice 30.05.2025 43min

  In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air, past president of the RCoA Dr Fiona Donald talks to Dr James Nickells about his career in anaesthesia and critical care, and his rich hinterland in medical illustration, portrait art, and more, and how James has combined his clinical and outside interests over his career.  Related information: www.globalportraitproject.com https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg7pz7xq87o http://www.instagram.com/globalportraitproject The Global Portrait Project - YouTube
• The benefits of cold water swimming - re-published 30.04.2025 16min

  In this episode of Anaesthesia on Air,  we are re-publishing an archived episode by Dr Toni Brunning and Dr Lucinda Williams as they discuss clinician wellbeing with a focus on open-water and cold-water swimming,  including the physical and emotional benefits. The podcast explores how cold-water swimming can enhance circulation, boost the immune system, and increase endorphin production, leading to improved physical health. It delves into the mental health advantages, such as reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood, and a sense of accomplishment associated with regular cold-water swimming. The discussion emphasizes the importance of self-care among healthcare professionals and how engaging in activities like cold water swimming can contribute to overall well-being.Related information: CHILL – not for profit organisation who run cold water sessions across the country Outdoor Swimming Society – organisation supporting safe outdoor swimming