121 episodes

A medical humanities podcast for bibliophile health care professionals where we explore themes from fiction, memoir and other non traditional non-textbooks which help to make us better at what we do. Hosted by Dr Tara George, a GP and medical educator in each episode a different guest explores a book that has changed their practice. Follow us on Twitter @bedsidepodcast or instagram @bedsidereadingpodcast. If you'd like to recommend a book or to come on the podcast as a guest please email: bedsidereadingpodcast@gmail.com. Episodes hosted by Tara George, edited by Lewi Gee

Bedside Reading Bedside Reading Podcast

    • Health & Fitness
    • 5.0 • 39 Ratings

A medical humanities podcast for bibliophile health care professionals where we explore themes from fiction, memoir and other non traditional non-textbooks which help to make us better at what we do. Hosted by Dr Tara George, a GP and medical educator in each episode a different guest explores a book that has changed their practice. Follow us on Twitter @bedsidepodcast or instagram @bedsidereadingpodcast. If you'd like to recommend a book or to come on the podcast as a guest please email: bedsidereadingpodcast@gmail.com. Episodes hosted by Tara George, edited by Lewi Gee

    Why Can't I See My GP?

    Why Can't I See My GP?

     I'm delighted to welcome Ellen Welch, GP and writer to today's epsiode of Bedside Reading. Ellen's book Why Can't I see my GP: the past present and future of General Practice came out in February this year and feels such a topical read with everything that's been going on at the moment with the GP contract referendum.  If you are a GP you might well enjoy it, recognise a lot of it and then hand it on to family and friends. But if you don't really understand how primary care works if you don't know why GPs always seem to be moaning about something as we are so frequently accused if you want to understand the health service better I would absolutely recommend it. It's quite a small book. It's very very accessible. And it's certainly one that I'm going to be recommending to medical students and to new GP registrars to give them a bit more context about the system in which they're training and working.

    • 32 min
    A Fortunate Man

    A Fortunate Man

    A warm welcome today to Alan Shirley GP and Medical Educator to talk about A Fortunate Man: The story of a country doctor. The seminal John Berger and Jean Mohr book which has to a certain extent stood the test of time and has very much been the classic book mentioned when people talk about medical humanities or about books that relate to GP training.

    It's not a book just for GPs though and and I really enjoyed my conversation with Alan about the elements of this book that are problematic as well as the elements which have stood the test of time and also how beautifully it sits with Polly Morland's more recent book A Fortunate Woman.

    Alan and I mention a number of models/theories of the consultation and if you want to know more or have forgotten what you once knew this is a great overview https://www.essentialgptrainingbook.com/wp-content/online-resources/04%20consultation%20models.pdf

    We mentioned Darren Garvey's superb book Poverty Safari  as well as Bridget Christie's comedy series "The Change" which is available on Channel 4.

    As ever if you want to buy books I'd always recommend an independent bookshop, my favourite is Scarthin in Cromford and they are amazing online/by phone too:  https://scarthinbooksonline.com/

    • 38 min
    The Book About Getting Older

    The Book About Getting Older

    Dr Lucy Pollock's The Book About Getting Older has got to be one of the most compassionate, wise and useful books I have read. It was a delight to be joined by Lauren Wallis, a GPST2 who has moved from being a gynaecologist with a single system focus to a most excellent generalist with a newfound enthusiasm for frailty.

    • 33 min
    The Grief Nurse

    The Grief Nurse

    Imagine you could be rid of your sadness, your anxiety, your heartache, your fear.
    Imagine you could take those feelings from others and turn them into something beautiful.
    Lynx is a Grief Nurse. Kept by the Asters, a wealthy, influential family, to ensure they’re never troubled by negative emotions, she knows no other life.
    When news arrives that the Asters’ eldest son is dead, Lynx does what she can to alleviate their Sorrow. As guests flock to the Asters’ private island for the wake, bringing their own secrets, lies and grief, tensions rise.
    Then the bodies start to pile up.
    With romance, intrigue and spectacular gothic world-building, this spellbinding debut novel is immersive and unforgettable.

    I'm joined by Anna Young to discuss Angie Spoto's debut novel

    • 34 min
    The Belly of the Whale

    The Belly of the Whale

    Ian Walsh is a Surgeon, psychosexual therapist, academic, musician and an alcoholic. We are talking about Ian's phenomenal book. The Belly of the Whale. It's quite hard to describe this book other than as the rawest most honest warts and all account of his recovery from addiction. There is so much to think about and I'm almost embarrassed to say how much I enjoyed reading it because it takes you to some very very dark places but it's a book I think I will come back to again and again. It is a book I have recommended endlessly to people I really hope that it ends up on reading lists for medical students, for nursing students, for doctors, for nurses, for anybody who is working with anyone who is an addict and recognising how common addiction is that's probably all of us.

    Ian and I talked about the work of the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine https://www.ipm.org.uk/

    Buy your copy of Ian's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belly-Whale-Mr-Ian-Walsh/dp/1722187344

    • 35 min
    Kinder Scout

    Kinder Scout

    Today's book is a slightly different type of book to actually almost anything that I've ever read before Kinder scout the people's mountain by Ed Douglas and John Beattie looks like a coffee table book. It is big. It is full of absolutely beautiful photography but also some incredibly accessible and interesting prose about the social history and the environmental history of the area around kinder scout in the Peak District. It was a real joy today to talk to Nicola Fisher about this book, what the book has meant to her, what Kinder Scout and the outdoors mean to her and how we could all do with considering these areas a lot more in our own lives.

    Follow Nicola on Twitter here https://twitter.com/NicolaFisherRN

    • 33 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
39 Ratings

39 Ratings

Shugfish ,

Excellent Podcast

Excellent podcast, very thoughtful discussions of wide range of books

Black trainers ,

General review

I love this podcast and listening to discussions and a medical perspective on interesting, varied books.

Ella0003 ,

Thank you!

I am really enjoying this podcast. I like the book selections and the interesting conversations. Would highly recommend.
Thank you

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