Podcast

This episode tackles one of the most difficult consultations we face in primary care: supporting someone who may be thinking about suicide. Nik and Lee explore how to ask clear, compassionate questions; understand thoughts, plans and intent without relying on tick-box risk scores; and respond with safety planning, appropriate referral…

Adverse childhood experiences do not stay in childhood. They can echo through physical health, mental wellbeing, health behaviours and the way people engage with care. This episode explores the landmark ACE research, what it can teach us about complex and recurrent presentations, and how a trauma-informed approach can make consultations…

“Can you just have a look at this mole?” and “I can’t take penicillin” are familiar phrases in primary care, but both can lead to difficult decisions. In this episode, we explore how to recognise suspicious, unusual and easily missed melanomas, including which risk factors and examination clues matter most,…

Not every consultation about periods or pregnancy comes with a straightforward answer. Join Nik and Lucy as they unpack reproductive health in inflammatory bowel disease, including contraception, medication reviews, pregnancy and breastfeeding, before tackling the questions that often make adolescent menstrual consultations tricky: what is normal, what needs investigating, which…

Ever said “yes, that’s fine” while every part of you was quietly saying “absolutely not”? In this episode, Nik is joined by Red Whale mental health lead Lee David for a practical, warmhearted conversation about communicating our needs and setting boundaries in primary care. They explore why clinicians so often…

This is a timely, thoughtful episode that tackles two issues primary care can’t afford to file under “too difficult” or “summer problem”. Fiona and Nik explore how bias can quietly shape consultations, clinical reasoning and patient experience, especially when we’re tired, rushed or relying on first impressions, with practical ways…

Dementia prevention and men’s health are two topics that can feel too big for a ten or fifteen minute primary care consultation. Helping to make it feel more manageable, Fiona Ritchie and Nik Kendrew explore how we can talk positively about “brain health”, make sense of the 14 modifiable dementia…

Gout is common, painful and might not get the attention it needs. This episode reframes gout as a long-term condition that deserves confident, compassionate consultations in primary care. Nik and Fiona unpack the key practice-changing points from the latest guidelines and evidence, including why serum urate testing at presentation may…

Haven’t got time for CPD? Think again! In this super short special listener question episode, Nik and Fi respond to one of our listeners, Emma from Sheffield. She asks a deceptively tricky question: what actually counts as “normal” weight gain in pregnancy? With NICE not giving a neat definition of…

PMS and PMDD can be easy to miss, hard to diagnose, and life altering for the people living with them. In this special episode, Nik and Red Whale mental health lead Lee David tackle the patterns, pitfalls and practicalities that primary care teams need to know — from spotting cyclical…

Homelessness isn’t just “sleeping rough”, it’s far more common than most of us realise. In this special episode, Nik and Fi unpack why health outcomes are so stark (including a 30 year life expectancy gap) and how much of the harm is potentially modifiable with effective healthcare. You’ll hear about…

Hay fever consultations on your triage list, and runners limping in after the marathon/parkrun boom? This episode is just what you need! We challenge the “minor ailment” myth of allergic rhinitis with 3 practice‑changing takeaways you can start using today. We also highlight some new allergen immunotherapy options you’ll start…

Burnout often creeps in while you keep showing up for everyone else. In this special episode, Nik and GP and Red Whale Mental Health Lead Lee David explore: What burnout really looks like in healthcare The early signs we often miss in ourselves (and spot in others) How burnout can…

Headache in the consultation room is common; a brain tumour is (thankfully) not — and that’s exactly why we’re so prone to worry and to miss the subtle clues. In this episode, Nik and Fi cut through the noise on headaches, red flags and brain tumours. They explore how no…

Do you ever feel a bit lost when you see someone with a sore mouth, a furry tongue, or bad breath? This episode is your rapid confidence boost, delivered as a cheeky (virtual) 'million pound question' quiz between Nik and Fi. You’ll get a practical, primary care friendly approach to:…

Are you ready for a prescription that comes with sequins? This episode dives into the Let’s Dance campaign with special guests Angela Rippon and our very own Hussain Al‑Zubaidi, unpacking why dance isn’t just “a bit of fun” but a proper health intervention. Only 2% of UK adults dance regularly,…

Two potentially practice changing pearls in one episode: we tackle obesity & weight management in pregnancy: how to raise it sensitively, what to do with BMI at booking, how to handle GLP‑1s pre‑conception, and what to say about folate, vitamin D, diet and activity. Then we demystify perianal masses: the…

This time Fiona and Nik serve up two “don’t miss” clinical challenges: precocious puberty—what’s normal vs red flags, who warrants urgent paediatric referral, and how to use the RCPCH puberty growth charts. And bullous pemphigoid—how to spot it fast, common drug links and when to phone dermatology today: when was…

Grief touches every consulting room. In this episode we gently unpick how to support people after loss, using the RCGP framework “A Compassionate Bereavement Response”. Practical language you can use tomorrow, how to recognise prolonged grief disorder (including in children) and when to refer. The overlap with PTSD, and realistic…

Fiona and Nik break down the latest evidence on menopause, HRT and cognition so you can feel confident when patients ask, “Should I be worried?” Plus: in our second Pearl in this episode, practical tips for behaviour change that actually sticks, including how to spot those golden moments and use…

Domestic abuse affects patients and colleagues, yet it’s often unseen- so in this compassionate, practical episode Fiona and Nik walk you through what primary care can do right now: How to spot warning signs How we should use clinical inquiry (not universal screening) How to respond to a disclosure with…

Have you heard of Alpha-gal syndrome? It was new for nearly all of us at Red Whale too. Kick off the year with some free CPD as Fi and Nik share what you need to know in this week’s round-up of Red Whale Pearls. They discuss: What Alpha-gal syndrome is…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: It’s beginning to…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss : Spotting adrenal…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: Genital warts: spotting, treating…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik have special guest Lucy Cox,…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and perhaps a pumpkin spice latte, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: The NEW cervical…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and enjoy the crunchy leaves under your feet as you savour your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Obesity and weight management…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, a cozy jumper, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Gonorrhoea:…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice- and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: Hyperhidrosis- a year-round…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice- and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: Contraception, weight and…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: E-cigarettes and vapes… in the news…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Potassium 6.1… what should we do?…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: The gut microbiome: what do we…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Glue ear: should we refer as…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Lynch syndrome: what’s the role of…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Neurodiversity in the workforce. We’ve been…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: What jumped out at us from…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your gardening clothes or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: Anabolic steroid use.…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: ‘I’ve got a pain in my…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your dancing shoes or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali, Nik and special guests Hussain Al-Zubaidi…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: Spinal cord compression and cauda equina…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: Acute cough and pneumonia in adults.…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: Wintering, time to restore ourselves. We…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 3% of adults presenting to primary…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your jingle bells, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: Diagnosing diabetes: do…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your jingle bells, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: Chronic urticaria. How…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a pumpkin spice latte and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. October was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into…

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a pumpkin spice latte and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. October was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into…