Anaesthesia 2025 podcast - Human Factors - Hewitt lectureship

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 2025 Related information: OxSTAR - Helen Higham Lectureships | The Royal College of Anaesthetists

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 2025 Related information: Juggling the list – patient care and training opportunities | The Royal College of Anaesthetists Making the most of stage 2 and 3 training 

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 

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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