🎙️ 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 health and well-being—and why simply prescribing medication isn’t the answer.

Gill and George discuss real-life examples of how local care partnerships and community support networks are making a difference in Leeds. From housing and domestic violence to food hunger, George shares his team’s innovative approaches to tackling the root causes of illness. Listen in to learn how co-produced solutions and third-sector collaboration are transforming lives—like “V,” who went from being dependent on medication to becoming a community leader.

If you’re passionate about social justice, healthcare reform, or community well-being, this conversation will inspire and challenge you.

Tune in and take a walk in someone else’s shoes! 🎧

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋
🍋The NHS is medicalising poverty - we need to address the root causes of health inequalities - the wider determinants of health
🍋 George shares practical examples of how we can work together to create a healthcare system that truly supports those in need
🍋 Use asset-based approaches
🍋 Focus on addressing need
🍋 Go out to where people are, rather than expecting them to come to you
🍋 Storytelling is very powerful in this
🍋 Co-produced solutions and third-sector collaboration are transforming lives
🍋 More resources would mean more people could be helped

Links to earlier episodes in this Universal Healthcare series:
Becky Malby - What is universal healthcare and why does it matter?
Tom Holliday - Children get less

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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 healthcare works in practice, breaking down traditional barriers to deliver more personalised care in a more equitable and human way.

Tom, as well as being a great friend of mine, is a very forward thinking consultant paediatrician. He is also now leading the Darzi Fellowship programme, with which I work closely every year with Whose Shoes.

Children Get Less. Not here! We have put them FIRST!

After all, they are our future.

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋
🍋 Follow this series to learn ALL about Universal Healthcare - and why it matters!
🍋Children are often pushed to the back – so we’re putting them first!
🍋 Good healthcare should come to where families are, not expect people to visit lots of separate buildings and specialists
🍋 Integrated care is jargon. Best practice care is what we must aim for
🍋 It is about providing the holistic care a child needs.
🍋When you are passed on from service to service, important information gets lost through the gaps.
🍋 It’s all about relationships! Across care boundaries!
🍋 If you swap GPs, you shouldn’t have to start again with a new CAMHS referral!
🍋 The NHS incentivises and measures activity; it should focus on meeting need
🍋 if you meet need, the overall level of need goes down
🍋 Third sector organisations need sustainable funding to plan longer term
🍋 If you can tackle issues via primary care, people don’t need to come to hospital
🍋 Complex problems can be resolved through good multidisciplinary working
🍋 If you don’t know the answer, phone a friend!
🍋 Physical health and mental health are interconnected
🍋 Children get less - especially mental health provision
🍋 CYP mental health services might talk in terms of a waiting list
🍋 Families, waiting for mental health support, talk in terms of “this isn’t a wait, it’s a life on hold!” 😢
🍋 Prevention and early intervention make all the difference
🍋 It’s not rocket science. It’s actually quite easy!
🍋 The patient is the expert in their own condition and how it feels
🍋 It’s all about teamwork and learning from others – nobody is doing this work alone!

Links:
Universal HealthCare National Inquiry
Easy Read Executive Summary
10 Leaps Forward - Innovation in the pandemic
Bob Klaber - kindness matters
Gill's Universal Healthcare work with MPFT

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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 making it happen in different parts of the country.

To start (and later finish) the series, we are recording a couple of ‘bookends’, chatting to the inimitable Becky herself to find out more.

Becky Malby is a well-known mover and shaker in the world of health care, and I've been proud to work closely with her over the last 10 years or more as an associate of the London South Bank University Health Innovation Lab, and specifically working with each cohort of Darzi fellows using the Whose Shoes? approach to coproduction and helping future healthcare leaders understand more about working with people and finding out what's important to them.

I've always been a bit blown away by the work that Becky does, the common sense approach to working out what sits behind problems in healthcare systems, of finding radical and innovative ways to create the best care for people across boundaries.

There is BIG synergy between the goals and values of universal healthcare and Whose Shoes?, for example, the report stresses the importance of seeing things from different perspectives, flattening the hierarchy and bringing people together to have open, honest conversations, to make change across the system. Start small and most importantly, start somewhere. #JFDI #NoHierarchyJustPeople

There is also big synergy with the aims of my podcast in terms of seeking out exciting people who are developing innovative healthcare solutions, and sharing them widely. So it's a win win, and we're all excited to be doing this.

So over coming episodes, I'm going to be talking to (at least! – it is having a bit of a snowball effect already!) four more special guests who will give us practical examples of universal health care in action and the difference it's making in their communities.

So what is universal health care?

Why does it matter?

Are we in danger of medicalising poverty?

What can we do to make things fairer?

Find out by listening to Becky Malby here!

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋
🍋 Follow this series to learn ALL about Universal Healthcare - and why it matters!

Links:
Universal HealthCare National Inquiry
Easy Read Executive Summary
10 Leaps Forward - Innovation in the pandemic
Noreen Bukhari - supporting women from ‘BAME’ communities
Gill's Universal Healthcare work with MPFT

#coproduction #communities #funding #equity #healthinequalities #storytelling #passion #QI

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
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I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

• You have to find your own path; no-one can do it for you
• Commit your goals to paper; make it real
• Start small and build - drip by drip, day by day
• We all need someone to believe in us
• Looking back at a turbulent childhood through adult eyes brings new understanding
• You can't force trust - you have to grow relationships
• Care records need to be written with sensitivity for the grown-up child to read one day
• Loads of different adults telling you different things is confusing and traumatic
• Learning about your past while still navigating the care system can be overwhelming
• The organismic self - the itch inside you that makes you YOU, desite everything
• Nature versus nurture - fascinating!
• Living in care made Steven super adaptable
• Stories resonate because all human beings connect!

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
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I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

• Be curious and furious about bringing real action
• Children with clinically complex needs need to go home rather than staying in hospital, if non-medical factors are holding them back – find a way to make it happen
• Listen deeply, learning the language and drivers people are using
• The Canal and Powering Up projects are EXCELLENT examples of coproduction - enabling young people to share their ideas about the future of health care
• Coproduction must be authentic, starting with relationship building and creating the conditions for people to feel safe to discuss difficult topics
• Learning from Excellence is powerful
• Networking leads to meaningful connections and potential solutions to share challenges
• Witnessing positive connections can give people hope and inspire ripples and action, way beyond the original conversations
• Use all platforms to amplify the best ideas within the NHS and save people from re-inventing the wheel
• Break out of tribal silos!
• Use creativity to make your voice heard - pink hats, lemons or whatever it takes! #JFDI and don’t forget to have fun!
• Lyse Edwards talks about a Harry Potter version of Whose Shoes; Mary talks of a Mary Poppins toolkit!
• Hold an #IntentionalCoffee with someone who inspires you ☕☕️

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
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I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

I first met Angela Catley in the very early days of Whose Shoes?, so back in about 2009, when she did a very lively and slightly bonkers presentation at a conference.

I remember how Angela used her slides as just a very rough guide, while telling wonderful stories, and occasionally flicking on from one slide to the next as she went. I found it refreshing!

It was full of energy, and she spoke common sense which really resonated with me. She despaired about bureaucracy and talked about HR type functions as the ‘Stuff department’ - often stuff getting in the way of organisations, and particularly good small providers, trying to get on and run a quality service.

You can feel the synergy to my #WhoseShoes work!

Angela was working for Community Catalysts, enabling everyday people to develop brilliant, quirky, creative, life-enhancing solutions to their own challenges. I loved it!

Fast forward … in this episode, we talk about the ‘When I Get Old’ campaign.

We link up with other social movements that celebrate and support people’s strengths rather than their weaknesses, and focus on what matters to people.

How we can all get the best out of systems to live – and carry on living – our best lives?
Even when we get old.

Many of us have banged the drum for our parents, trying to get the best for them. But we can only pick from available choices, and often we know that this is NOT what they wanted.

Have YOU got a clear plan as to what you would like to happen … or are you going ‘La, la, la, la …. Ooooh heck!

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

• Be curious and furious - Furiosity! (shoutout to Mark Adam Smith!)
• There are SO many splendid, creative people - connect with them!
• Discover your shared passions - have conversations!
• Ageing - plan ahead - we can switch from ‘Us’ to ‘Them’ in seconds
• Care Land. Stuff. … keep it real for real people
• Collaborate - join up with like-minded movements. #StrongerTogether
• Head in the sand leads to … La, La,La, La,La ….. oooooh heck!
• Life is a lottery. We can’t all be David Attenborough in the ageing stakes
• Will the options you would choose even exist?
• Crisis … is never a good time to make decisions
• Creativity can help unlock imaginative solutions
• The power of the self-funding pound. Own your paying power!
• Get involved in the #WhenIGetOld campaign!
• Personal choice is specific - not just wine or beer
• Think differently - chat to your friends to see what emerges
• Some great solutions are potentially right there - in your community!
• Don’t let services - eg befriending services - get in the way of friendship
• Relationships matter! Cultivate them and defend them … with furiosity!

Some links you will enjoy:

Join the #WhenIGetOld campaign !

Angela's 'Ta ra' blog when she left Community Catalysts

A pioneer of #WhenIGetOld type thinking : the late, great Dorothy Runnicles

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
please share your thoughts by leaving a review (Apple is easiest to leave a review) and comment on your favourite episodes.

I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

Today, I invite you to meet Dr Matt Hill – I hope you enjoy the warmth and wisdom he brings to this podcast series as much as I do!

I heard Matt speaking at the online NNAP conference, the National Neonatal Audit Programme, which showcased best practice in neonatal care.

Matt is the Clinical Adviser on Safety Culture for NHS England and was one of the keynote speakers.

He was talking about creating the conditions for a perinatal team to flourish – but it became clear to me that what he said would help ANY healthcare team to flourish.

There were so many practical examples of what makes a good team, and how is leads to well-being and a positive safety culture.

There was an emphasis on collaboration, inclusion, empathy and relationships.

There is huge synergy with our ‘Whose Shoes’ work, particularly around our core principle that you have to create the conditions for meaningful conversations, coproduction and teamwork!

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

• Health care in its broadest sense is about people - people caring for each other.
• Be curious about people; nurture and invest in them; share personal stories
• Look for those moments of human interaction
• Create space to get to know people as human beings and build trust among colleagues
• Learn about and recognise the value and unique contribution each individual brings
• Kindness and compassion helps good team dynamics, and improves culture and safety
• Create a welcoming environment for new staff members
• Introduce yourself as a person, rather than solely by job title, to foster a more inclusive and connected environment
• Flattening the hierarchy in workplace conversations makes it easier for junior members to share their thoughts and feelings with more senior colleagues
• Recognise and value diverse perspectives in healthcare, rather than prioritising a narrow view
• Understand patient experiences and preferences - ask what matters to each person to provide effective care
• Small gestures matter, such as using people’s preferred names, in building trust and psychological safety
• People may have different interpretations of the same words or actions
• Establishing positive relationships improves care outcomes, especially for the most vulnerable people
• Focus on doing things differently, rather than just measuring what we do!

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
please share your thoughts by leaving a review (Apple is easiest to leave a review) and comment on your favourite episodes.

I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

Hey, it’s great to be back! 🍋🍋🍋

So, for all those who enjoy the ‘Wild Card - Whose Shoes?’ podcast, welcome to Season 2!

It has been lovely to hear from so many of you, saying that you are missing the podcast and asking when it is coming back. Well, here it is!

At the beginning of last year, 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. And not for the first time.

Being quite a private person, but also quite out there, in terms of Whose Shoes events, social media, hosting a podcast and so on, I found it hard to know how to handle that. As you may imagine.

I was trying to manage my illness and treatment alongside deadlines from my ‘real’ work, so when I reached episode 50 I decided that made a very neat if rather long, Season 1!

But I have been raring to go with Season 2 and wondered how best to re-launch.

I found the perfect podcast guest – and today is the perfect day to post our conversation – 4 February 2024, World Cancer Day!

Sam Jackman is an inspirational woman - a multi-award winning entrepreneur and a disruptor. Sam offers a breath of fresh air (literally!) to women who have had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. She is rocking the world of conventional prostheses through her innovative Boost products.

Boost products are 100% inspired and designed by women for women.
We need to make sure that women hear about them!

It is an extraordinary story

• the lived experience of Sam’s Mum
• finding a huge gap in the market - and doing something about it!
• courageous entrepreneurship
• rocking the world of conventional solutions
• putting women first

And all from the deepest reaches of rural Cornwall.

Sam is highly entertaining. We are joined briefly by Blue, Sam’s emotional therapy dog!

It is a story with a difference, making a difference and I am very proud to support ‘We Wear Boost’ innovations, who have made a BIG difference to me personally. Thank you, Sam!

Key link
Breast Forms | Lightweight Breast Forms UK | We Wear Boost
Daughter creates design after mum's mastectomy - BBC News

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

• If you want something amazing to happen, you may have to do it yourself!
• Don't listen to the naysayers
• We need to bridge the 'us and them' divide between clinicians and patients
• Co-design with the people using the product will NOT fail
• Be inspired. Achieving this from Cornwall was NOT easy!
• Men in suits are not the experts on breast forms and nipples! ;-)

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
please share your thoughts by leaving a review (Apple is easiest to leave a review) and comment on your favourite episodes.

I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.