Only Human After All

Growing Our Own: Apprentices, Confidence and Second Chances

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026, this special episode of Only Human After All explores how apprenticeships are transforming careers.
We meet three apprentices at very different stages of life and work.
Richie is about to qualify as a physiotherapist in his 30s after years of practical experience and self-doubt about whether he had the “right” grades.
Lacey thought her university plans had collapsed before discovering an apprenticeship she didn’t even know existed.
Vinzlee never believed she was “smart enough” and credits the people who believed in her first.
We also speak to Carolyn, our Apprenticeship Lead, about the power of growing our own workforce, widening access and recognising that intelligence is about far more than exam results.
This episode is about confidence, experiential learning, belonging and the impact of someone saying, “You can do this.”
If you think apprenticeships are only for school leavers, this conversation may change your mind.

From the Archives: Amanda Barrett - A Nurse's Journey from Bedside to Blueprint

In this episode of Only Human After All, we meet Amanda Barrett, a nurse by background who now leads major improvement projects across diagnostics.
Amanda talks about her personal journey from ward leadership into project management, and how her nursing identity continues to shape her work. She gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the new Community Diagnostic Centre in Mansfield — now open and delivering faster, more accessible tests in a welcoming community setting. Amanda shares the complexities of designing a new healthcare facility from scratch, her passion for patient-centred improvement, and the emotional moments that stay with her from her clinical career.
The conversation also touches on her pride in seeing her daughter become a children's nurse, and the value of following your own path in healthcare. This is a thoughtful and inspiring episode about legacy, leadership, and never losing sight of the patient.
This episode was originally recorded in June 2025.

Jo Freeman: Pharmacy, Purpose and Choosing to Stay

In this episode, we meet Jo Freeman, Assistant Chief Pharmacist at Sherwood Forest Hospitals for the past 12 years.
When the chief pharmacist post came up, people kept asking why she wasn’t applying. But a colleague warned her about the flattery trap - and Jo chose to stay where she adds the most value.
We explore the misunderstood world of hospital pharmacy, the weight of becoming a prescriber, and why being really good in your job is a complete answer. Jo shares how you can walk into pharmacy with no qualifications and build a career to master’s level, why her teenage dream of being a solicitor lives on in her governance investigations, and the freedom that comes from choosing purpose over promotion.
For anyone who’s ever felt the pressure to climb a ladder they’re not sure they want to be on.

Holiday Special: Andrea in the Guest Chair

Andrea finally sits in the guest chair — the second of our holiday specials where the hosts swap roles.
James and Vicky ask about the patient whose husband she sat with all night, learning to champion the underdog after her own work-related stress, why joy and mischief matter as much as care, and the sliding doors moment when a young PA changed the entire direction of her career.
A conversation about giving the same attention to teams that she once gave at the bedside, staying true to your morals and why being a really good right-hand woman might be the most valuable leadership role of all.

Holiday Special: James in the Guest Chair

After dozens of interviews, co-host James Thomas finally takes his turn in the guest seat — the first of two holiday specials where the hosts swap roles. 
Andrea and Amanda ask about Lego obsessions, losing a Welsh accent at medical school, that first patient who died, learning to delegate without red pen and why wandering through a career without a plan might be the best advice he's ever followed.
A conversation about shyness beaten out by medicine, creativity in different forms, inclusion work that matters and bringing your whole self to work — even when it's uncomfortable.
Next time: Andrea's turn in the hot seat.

Rachel Gibbons: The Admin That Saved Lives

Rachel Gibbons works on reception in histopathology at Sherwood Forest Hospitals. She greets people with a smile, types reports and prepares MDT slides – but her knowledge gained from years in the department has saved lives closer to home than she ever imagined.
In this episode, Rachel shares how her understanding of pathology helped spot cancer in three family members: her stepson's rare sarcoma, her own endometrial cancer, and a malignant melanoma on her husband's back. All three survived, thanks to early detection and NHS care.
Rachel also reflects on the vital role of admin staff in healthcare, why AI can't replace human intuition, and what it means to work behind the scenes in one of the hospital's most critical departments. A powerful reminder that every role matters – and that knowledge, kindness and paying attention can change everything.

Saroona Haroon: The Sherlock Holmes of the Slide

Dr Saroona Haroon is a histopathologist at Sherwood Forest Hospitals and a self-described "detective of the microscope." In this conversation, she reveals the world behind the biopsies – the careful art of diagnosing disease from tiny tissue slices, the three-micron precision of lab work, and the deep satisfaction of solving diagnostic puzzles that directly help patients she'll never meet.
Saroona talks about growing up surrounded by microscopes and x-ray boxes in her grandfather's GP practice, following her mother into laboratory medicine, and finding her passion in dermatopathology. She shares how her faith guides her approach to work and life, the importance of halal income, and how she balances clinical excellence with raising a family.
This episode celebrates the heroes behind the scenes – the pathologists, biomedical scientists and lab teams whose meticulous work underpins diagnosis and treatment across the NHS. Saroona's infectious enthusiasm for her specialty reminds us why histopathology matters, even if most patients never see the people examining their slides.
A conversation about precision, purpose and the joy of work that genuinely fulfills.

Claire Etches: Teaching Doctors the Paediatric Way

Claire Etches has spent 20 years caring for sick children on Ward 25. Two years ago she did something pretty unusual – she started teaching medical students. Not nursing students. Medical students.
In this conversation, Claire talks about what it's like being the first nurse in her role at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, demystifying paediatrics for terrified students who've never held a baby, and why sometimes the best teacher for a junior doctor is the nurse who's been doing it for two decades. She also discusses imposter syndrome, the power of someone believing in you and why her signature lemon drizzle might need to compete in a medical education bake-off.
This is a story about breaking down artificial barriers, multi-professional learning done right, and what happens when someone taps you on the shoulder and says "you'd be brilliant at this"

Kate Wright: Celebrating Allied Health Professions, 14 Roles, 1 Purpose

In this special episode for Allied Health Professional Day, Andrea and James celebrate the extraordinary world of AHPs with Kate Wright, Chief Allied Health Professional at Sherwood Forest Hospitals.
Kate lifts the lid on the 14 professions that make up this vital, diverse workforce — from dietitians and physiotherapists to orthoptists, radiographers and paramedics. Together, they explore what unites these roles: a holistic approach to care, deep compassion for patients, and an ability to bring people back to independence and hope.
Kate also shares her own story — from nursing auxiliary in Oxford to Chief AHP — and reflects on moments that shaped her journey: a single inspiring physio, a role she helped to design, and the importance of believing in yourself (and others) before you feel ready.
The conversation celebrates what makes AHPs special: teamwork, adaptability, kindness and quiet excellence — the threads that hold our health service together.

Zahid Noor: Grit, Gratitude and Belonging in the NHS

Respiratory physician and Associate Medical Director Dr Zahid Noor joins us to share a 35-year story of courage, grit and service — from arriving in the UK from Pakistan in 1989 to mentoring hundreds of internationally educated doctors at Sherwood Forest Hospitals. He recalls the early hurdles of PLAB, culture shock and living on £5 a week for food, right down to the “burnt chickpeas and baked beans” phone-home moment. 
With warmth and humility, Zahid explains why “thank you, please and sorry” are the three most useful words for new colleagues, and how conduct and culture matter as much as clinical skill.  He demystifies medical appraisal — a developmental conversation, not performance management — and how five-yearly revalidation reassures the public that doctors stay current and safe. 
We also touch on a sensitive shift over time: from education-driven migration to more economic drivers, and why a balanced, humane approach helps patients, staff and the wider NHS. Through it all, Zahid’s message is simple: work hard, support one another, and help people belong.