Confidence To Thrive - a podcast for ambitious healthcare practitioners and entrepreneurs

Christopher Cloke Browne
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Confidence to Thrive is a podcast built for practitioners and healthcare entrepreneurs who are doing something that matters - building innovative practices in functional medicine, aesthetics, integrative healthcare and mental health, while navigating the regulatory complexity that comes with it. 

  1. Episode 14 - Neurodegeneration and functional medicine - an interview with Dr Kirstie Lawton, founder and director of You Nutrition Clinic

    2d ago

    Episode 14 - Neurodegeneration and functional medicine - an interview with Dr Kirstie Lawton, founder and director of You Nutrition Clinic

    Nutrition, Neurodegeneration and Functional Medicine: Raising Standards and Building Multidisciplinary Care In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Owlicity director Christopher Cloke Browne speaks with Dr Kirstie Lawton PhD, CNHC-registered nutritional therapy practitioner and founder and director of You Nutrition, a clinic, research hub and educational platform specialising in neurological and neurodegenerative conditions including motor neuron disease/ALS, Parkinson’s, dementia/Alzheimer’s, brain injury, neuroimmune conditions, and complex paediatric cases.  Dr Lawton shares her path from public health nutrition and international work to functional nutrition and argues for evidence-based functional approaches alongside conventional medicine.  They discuss challenging “nothing can be done” narratives, improving quality of life, concerns about ultra-processed PEG feeds, and the need for multidisciplinary teams, higher practitioner standards, new training courses, and research using clinic data. Episode time stamps: 01:03 Introducing Dr Kirstie Lawton01:27 You Nutrition Clinic and team overview02:21 Early influences and career path05:26 The switch to focus on neurodegeneration 06:43 Doctors and functional medicine12:33 Mission and education Plans16:22 Nutrition basics and mitochondria17:58 Challenging the use of ultra processed food20:28 Regulation and professional divide24:37 Advocating a multidisciplinary care model31:39 Opportunities for research  Follow Dr Lawton's work via the links below: Insta:  @younutritionkids @nutritionandthebrain @drkirstielawton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kirstie-lawton-phd/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/drkirstielawtonphd Blog: www.nutritionandthebrain.com/blog Clinic website: www.younutritionclinic.com Educational platform: www.nutritionandthebrain.com  Who are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    35 min

  2. Jun 24

    IPM26: Functional medicine goes mainstream - Insights from the Integrative Personalised Medicine Congress 2026

    This episode is recorded on the exhibition floor at the Integrative Personalised Medicine Congress 2026 at the QEII Centre in London,  With more than 3,000 registered attendee - and many more walk ins - IPM26 is a third bigger than last year. Walking on the floor, both Roger and Christopher highlight how there is a stronger buzz to proceedings and broader mix of exhibitors, from supplements and fungi to diagnostics, lab testing, compounding labs and prescription-focused stands.  One significant change is a higher GP attendance than ever before, suggesting functional medicine is gaining a foothold in mainstream practice.  They also highlight the expanded programme of talks and workshops, including a session by the Chief Medical Officer, a significant event for the sector.  Also noted by Christopher and Roger is the bigger international speaker presence, especially from the US.  Discussion also covers the scientific depth of nutritionist training, multidisciplinary clinic teams, prominent lifestyle oncology content, increased networking, and examples shared of reported Alzheimer’s reversals. Who are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    15 min

  3. Jun 17

    Episode 12 - Struck off and not insured? The risk of working outside your scope of practice - a real-world GMC case

    When Insurance Fails: A Real-World GMC Case and the Risks of Working Outside Your Competence In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Owlicity directors Christopher Cloke Browne and Roger Houston discuss a real case showing how quickly things unravel when medical insurance and scope of practice are misaligned.  This case involved an individuals who was asked to administer a treatment remotely supervised via video by another doctor, despite stating she was not competent. Something went wrong and the patient complained to the clinic, resulting in the clinic reporting the incidence to the CQC, who then referred the doctor to the GMC via a third-party complaint.  The insurers repudiated cover for both negligence and GMC disciplinary costs because the procedure was outside her declared sphere, leaving the individual to face potentially being struck off and personally covering legal costs and a potential negligence claim.  In the episode, Christopher and Roger discuss how this could have been avoided and what medical practitioners need to do to ensure they are covered.  Episode timestamps: 00:45 Overview of the case01:54 The treatment03:12 The patient complaint05:55 Insurance repudiation08:36 Lack of phone support 10:51 Clinic liability questions12:48 CQC reporting explained15:10 How this could have been avoided17:08 Other insurance piitfalls23:45 Being proactive around insuranceWho are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    27 min

  4. Jun 10

    Episode 11 - AI in private healthcare - assessing the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence many practitioners overlook

    AI in Private Healthcare: Opportunities, Liability, Insurance and Data Protection Risks In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Owlicity director Christopher Cloke-Browne discusses how AI is reshaping private healthcare and the risks practitioners may overlook.  Christopher outlines growth opportunities including AI-driven note-taking, diagnostic support, and treatment planning (including patient-specific cancer applications), framing AI primarily as a productivity tool.  He explains that in clinical professional services, liability cannot be delegated: the treating professional remains responsible for judgments and records, and AI cannot currently be treated like a defendant under negligence tests such as Bolam.  Christopher also highlights major data protection concerns under GDPR, including where consultation data is processed, stored, and which jurisdiction applies, illustrated by a case involving voice-stress software and server location. Episode time stamps 00:45 AI opportunities in private healthcare practices04:23 Using AI for note taking and diagnostics05:34 Liability and insurability of AI09:13 AI as a support tool11:07 Data protection issues around AI15:46 Real world AI risk stories19:06 The reality of the insurance market's view on AI21:08 AI in aesthetics businesses - good or bad?24:05 Practical steps for healthcare practitioners and businessesWho are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    26 min

  5. Jun 3

    Episode 10 - Growing a mental health practice - the challenges, claim risks and debate on potential ADHD prescribing class action

    Mental Health Practice Regulation: ADHD Prescribing, Repeat Prescriptions and Reducing Claims Risk In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Owlicity director Christopher Cloke-Browne talks about navigating regulation and risk when building and growing a private mental health practice.  Christopher explains that the private sector, including functional medicine, has led mental health provision while the NHS has been under capacity, creating fewer consistent standards to draw on in a deeply individualistic and higher-risk area.  He also notes the rapid rise in ADHD diagnoses and medication, the shift toward online diagnosis, and the tightrope of selecting and monitoring medication given side effects and repeat-prescription risks.  Christopher warns of ethical and regulatory exposure where financial incentives drive prescribing, highlights the likelihood of future claims or class actions around misdiagnosis/overmedication, and stresses rigorous documentation, clear criteria, regular review, and swift complaints handling, alongside considering non-medication options such as lifestyle and social prescribing. Episode time stamps 00:41 The growth of mental health services in the private sector02:23 The gaps in regulation standards03:55 The ADHD prescribing debate05:39 Ethics and financial incentives07:32 The question of  repeat prescription reviews09:29 The risk of class action - and defence15:38 Neurodiversity and Spotify 19:36 The importance of keeping up with policy 22:01 Key takeaways Who are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    25 min
  6. Episode 9 - Off-label prescribing in functional medicine: why informed consent and defensibility are key

    May 27

    Episode 9 - Off-label prescribing in functional medicine: why informed consent and defensibility are key

    Off-label prescribing in functional medicine: indemnity, informed consent and defensibility In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Owlicity directors Christopher Cloke-Browne and Roger Houston discuss off-label prescribing and how functional medicine practitioners can protect themselves.  They define off-label use as prescribing outside British National Formulary licensed indications or doses, and explain how standard indemnity policies often exclude such use, leaving practitioners uninsured and unprotected. They discuss the significance of Owlicity’s functional medicine indemnity with explicit off-label cover, the growing underwriting focus on detailed disclosure and “statement of facts,” and the need for contract certainty.  Their discussion also covers the need to build defensible practice through evidence, enhanced monitoring, and transparent informed consent - particularly important with emerging, unregulated treatments like peptides - as well as the added regulatory risk from GMC scrutiny and third-party complaints from other clinicians. Episode time stamps 00:45 What is off-label prescribing?02:25 The pitfalls of generic insurance 06:19 Evidence and innovation08:50 The reality of underwriting 10:15 Why peptides offer a unique challenge12:55 The importance of informed consent and disclosure15:24 GMC complaint risks17:04 Thyroid case study24:04 A practical checklist for practitionersWho are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    29 min

  7. May 20

    Episode 8 - Revealed! The biggest mistakes healthcare practitioners make when handling a complaint or claim

    The Biggest Mistakes Healthcare Practitioners Make When Handling a Complaint or Claim On this episode of the Confidence To Thrive podcast, Christopher Cloke Browne and Roger Houston reveal the most common mistakes that practitioners and private healthcare business owners make when handling complaints and claims. In most cases, many of these issues are easily avoided with the right processes and approach - and Roger and Christopher explain in detail what separates those practices who avoid damaging legal action and those that don't. The most important aspect to take from this episode is that the incidence of claims is rising and that being subject to a claim or complaint is not the end of the world for a practice. You just need to know how to deal with it. Who are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    35 min
  8. Episode 7 - Improving outcomes from difficult intravenous access through innovation - interview with Airglove CEO Jason Ram

    May 13

    Episode 7 - Improving outcomes from difficult intravenous access through innovation - interview with Airglove CEO Jason Ram

    Episode 7 - Improving outcomes from difficult intravenous access through innovation - interview with Airglove Medical Ltd CEO Jason Ram What if there was a technology to simplify difficult IV access and improve patient outcomes?  In this episode of Confidence to Thrive, Christopher Cloke Browne of Owlicity speaks with guest Jason Ram, CEO of Airglove Medical, about Airglove, a patented device designed to support difficult intravenous access and venipuncture.  Jason shares his vascular access background and explains how the technology originated from an NHS innovation request at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells in 2009, leading to a Version 1 launch in 2018 and the development of Version 2 based on clinical feedback.  They discuss why oncology, haematology and related services are an initial focus due to repeated access needs, while highlighting broader applications across healthcare to reduce multiple attempts, complications, delayed treatments and traumatic patient experiences.  Jason outlines plans to deepen NHS partnerships, collect more data, strengthen regulatory and compliance work, expand into the US, Australia and Europe, and pursue a mission to assist 1 billion cannulations globally through a simple, accessible system. Episode timestamps 00:59 Introduction to Airglove Medical CEO Jason Ram01:23 Jason reveals his vascular access journey03:00 Jason discusses the origins of Airglove 03:39 Why Airglove is now on a version two upgrade and what that means for patient outcomes05:28 Why there is an oncology-first focus07:48 Assessing the impact on patient safety 10:03 How Airglove is working within NHS and private healthcare to deliver results10:16 Jason outlines Airglove’s ambitious growth plans 13:43 Why Jason believes simplicity is the path to equity in healthcare Discover more about Airglove Medical Ltd and connect with Jason on the links below: Airglove Medical Ltd LinkedIn - Jason Ram LinkedIn - Airglove Medical Ltd Who are Owlicity? This podcast was brought to you by Owlicity Insurance Advisors who support your business ambitions.  Owlicity advises practitioners, owners, and entrepreneurs of healthcare practises on mitigating risks so your business can thrive.  Learn more about how Owlicity can support here: Owlicity.co.uk  Call us on 0203 988 8090 Follow us on social media LinkedIn Instagram YouTube

    15 min
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Confidence to Thrive is a podcast built for practitioners and healthcare entrepreneurs who are doing something that matters - building innovative practices in functional medicine, aesthetics, integrative healthcare and mental health, while navigating the regulatory complexity that comes with it. 

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