🎙 “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 struck up an instant connection – and this podcast brings it to life. With wisdom, humour, brutal honest...
Jun 28, 2025•59 min
🎙 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 shares her moving memories of a city scarred by bombs but brimming with resilience. Her evocative memoi...
May 05, 2025•55 min
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, and how real health is built in homes and communities, not hospitals. We shine a light on creative co...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 10 min
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Nicola Enoch , founder and CEO of Down Syndrome UK , a powerhouse advocate who is transforming perceptions, challenging outdated maternity care practices, and empowering families. Nicola’s journey is extraordinary—one that began with fear and stigma when she learned her son...
Mar 21, 2025•42 min
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 systems that dismiss patients based on age and those that embrace co-production and shared decision-maki...
Feb 16, 2025•49 min
🎙️ 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 session with moving testimonials, joyful moments, and powerful reflections. 🍋💡🍋 Why listen? The ...
Dec 22, 2024•1 hr 10 min
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 connection – from walking groups that tackle loneliness to blood pressure checks held away from GP practi...
Nov 24, 2024•36 min
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 for those experiencing homelessness. Together, they’ve shown us the power of curiosity, collaboration, an...
Nov 10, 2024•28 min
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-based solutions! Bill talks about the need for primary care to engage with communities and gives ex...
Oct 27, 2024•39 min
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 communities. Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋 🍋 Let’s maximise voluntary sector potential in health care 🍋 Cr...
Sep 29, 2024•30 min
🎙️ 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 discus...
Sep 08, 2024•24 min
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 ...
Aug 04, 2024•50 min
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 recordin...
Jul 07, 2024•26 min
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 strength, surviving the system. Everyone who works with children or has children in their lives needs...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min
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 to improve healthcare systems, Mary focuses on human factors and connecting across boundaries. Mary is...
May 05, 2024•52 min
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 fu...
Apr 07, 2024•57 min
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 woul...
Mar 03, 2024•40 min
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 f...
Feb 04, 2024•52 min
A blaze of ‘lemon lightbulbs’ today talking to Kate Pound, a fabulous nurse focusing on ‘JUST DO IT’ actions that make a big difference. Kate grew up in a hostel for fishermen and that rich and varied experience gave her a deep understanding of people and the imagination to find alternative ways of reaching the so-called ‘hard to reach’. She is a great storyteller and you will pick up LOTS of practical tips. Kate is a trustee of the Fishermen’s Mission and we would love you to learn more about t...
May 28, 2023•48 min
Building on the theme of storytelling and creativity. How do we get people to come along to our events? What is Whose Shoes anyway? Today I am talking to Lyse Edwards and Rachel Crook from the Children and Families team at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust as we prepare for our forthcoming Whose Shoes events in May - looking to make care more holistic for children and families and to improve perinatal mental health. We talk about some of the more creative methods we are using ...
Apr 30, 2023•42 min
Continuing the recent storytelling theme, and in solidarity with the #StartWithPeople event run by the Public Participation team of NHS England this week ... For the first time in the series, I'm picking up threads from our #dementiachallengers work, and where better to start than talking to my friend Pippa Kelly, award-winning, blogger, journalist, dementia campaigner, author and public speaker! Storytelling … and creating ripples ... BIG RIPPLES!! 🍋🍋🍋 Enjoy! Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋 ‘Wild Ca...
Apr 02, 2023•1 hr
People ask me about the Whose Shoes story? 🍋 How did I come to produce a board game? 🍋 What inspired it? 🍋 Has it changed much over the years? Well, on 2 Feb, Kristin Johnstad from Minneapolis, invited me to tell my story at a Liberating Structures Q Community group, using 'Shift and Share' - hopping between breakout rooms, telling the same story to different groups. It was fun getting the reaction and questions from an international audience. It led to a whole month of storytelling adventure...
Mar 12, 2023•30 min
Rosie Murphy is a midwife doing fantastic work around health inequalities, including the coproduction workshop we co-led in Croydon. Our conversation builds on Episode 45 with Noreen Bukhari. I hope Rosie and Noreen will connect and exchange notes on their excellent work in Coventry and Croydon, supporting women from black and ethnic minority communities. I met and became friends with Rosie through her prestigious Darzi fellowship – Rosie's work was rated as exceptional. Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋 ...
Feb 19, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Health inequalities are in the news at the moment, with NHS organisations setting out to understand and address them, with a strong focus on the needs of people from different cultural backgrounds. But where do third sector (community) groups fit in? How do you build trust with women and families from Black and ethnic minority communities and design services that are flexible enough to meet people’s needs? It is not a quick fix. They seem to be doing something right in Coventry but it is a formu...
Jan 29, 2023•55 min
Happy New Year - and thank you for listening! For pretty much the first time ever, I’m starting the New Year with a plan. Or at least I thought I was. But, in the words of John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” so perhaps planning is overrated. Whose Shoes has had a pretty crazy, organic development up until now, so I’m sure it will continue to find its own course. We’ll see. So, in this podcast, I look ahead to some of the Whose Shoes work we have planne...
Jan 08, 2023•25 min
As we hit the festive season, join me and my 'magic mate', Florence Wilcock, as we reflect on 2022 and have a little fun. Florence is a consultant obstetrician, a great friend and my co-founder of #MatExp. We chat about some of our key advent-ures in 2022, building on the #WildObs podcast we recorded at the end of 2021. Florence hosts the informative and engaging The Obs Pod podcast, talking about all things maternity from the perspective of a person-centred obstetrician. It has something for ev...
Dec 18, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Today I am talking to Rachel Power, CEO of the Patients' Association. Huge thanks to our mutual friend, Yvonne Newbold for introducing us! The Patients' Association was established almost 60 years ago and is a membership forum - why not join? Rachel is a strong advocate for patient partnership; her organisation is highly influential, helping patient voices be heard by NHS England and the government. I'm hoping that this important conversation will form a bit of a 'pincer movement' with Episode 2...
Dec 04, 2022•31 min
So today I am fulfilling a pledge. If you look at the Purple Rainbow website, you can make pledges #SomethingForSeth, as part of the legacy for Seth Goodburn, who sadly died of pancreatic cancer in 2014. My pledge was to invite his wife Lesley to share the story on the podcast, and I am delighted to do so today! Lesley has done extraordinary work to raise awareness of this cruel disease and help so many other families going through the same experience. This is my first ever one-to-one conversati...
Nov 20, 2022•42 min
My 1st international guest - Prof. Cath Crock, founder of Hush Foundation, Melbourne. Using music to bring kindness into health care. Cath’s work is 100% in tune 🎹 with Whose Shoes, bringing creativity and humanity into health care. I met Cath through Bob Klaber’s monthly kindness sessions. Cath and Nicki Macklin from NZ are regular contributors, joining in the early hours! Social movements for kindness in health care are growing internationally. The Gathering of Kindness is an amazing line-up ...
Nov 06, 2022•52 min
This week, I was delighted to be invited to kick off the ‘Art of the Possible’ festival, hosted by Fab NHS Stuff. It’s been a lively programme focused on making good stuff happen - five days packed full of short webinars and other goodies, offering practical tips and resources to help people turn their quality improvement pledges into reality. I always enjoy getting involved in simple stuff that makes things happen, and NHS Fab Stuff is up there with the best! I was chatting with Terri Porritt a...
Oct 24, 2022•32 min
