Eastern Promise - The Podcast

“Pharmacy is maybe a little bit like magic, in the sense that everything should happen behind the scenes and you don’t see it.” — Dr Georgina Marsh

Pharmacy is changing fast.  Once seen primarily as the profession that dispenses medicines, it is increasingly becoming a frontline clinical service—one in which pharmacists prescribe, manage long-term conditions and give patients accessible, expert care.

In Episode 183 of Eastern Promise, Dr Georgina Marsh, Head of Pharmacy and Prescribing at the University of Suffolk, joins your host Mike Rigby to explain what this transformation means for patients, the NHS and the next generation of pharmacists.

Georgina also introduces the University’s new four-year MPharm programme, due to begin this month (September 2026), and discusses how it has been designed around professional standards, regional workforce needs and the future direction of healthcare.

Dr Georgina Marsh is Head of Pharmacy and Prescribing at the University of Suffolk. A pharmacist by training, she is leading the development of the University’s MPharm programme and oversees its non-medical prescribing provision. Her research interests include pharmaceutical 3D printing and the potential for personalised, point-of-care manufacture of medicines.

Dr Marsh describes pharmacists as “scientist healthcare practitioners”. Their work spans the whole life cycle of a medicine: discovery and development, formulation and packaging, understanding where and how it acts in the body, and helping patients use it safely and effectively. That scientific foundation is matched by clinical judgement and human skills—from reading body language to adapting advice for someone processing a new diagnosis.

The programme responds to a clear regional need. Dr Marsh cites a 2024 community-pharmacy workforce survey indicating a vacancy rate of around 19% in the area, alongside shortages of early-career hospital pharmacists. Developed with input from hospitals, community pharmacies, GP practices, industry and the local Integrated Care Board, the course supports a wider “grow our own” approach to developing the healthcare workforce.

Students will complete 14 weeks of placements across community, hospital and GP settings during the four-year degree, beginning in the second semester of year one. They will also learn in a simulated pharmacy, purpose-built laboratories, clinical-skills suites and mock ward environments. By the fourth year, teams will be expected to run realistic pharmacy services, respond to patients and clinicians, manage long-term conditions and deal with the practical problems of day-to-day practice.

The aim is not to force students into an early specialism, but to give them the broad foundation needed to move between sectors and specialise after registration. Alongside that flexibility, the curriculum addresses the pressures of professional practice through mentoring, leadership, team management, resilience and psychological wellbeing—helping future pharmacists recognise when they need to pause, reflect and ensure they remain safe to practise.

The conversation closes with a look at the future: a digital thread running through the course, including AI and remote consultations; closer links between university research and patient care; expanded continuing professional development; and pharmaceutical 3D printing that could one day produce medicines tailored to an individual patient and dose.

The Eastern Promise Podcast: Water Matters in the East of England

In this special episode, Mike Rigby is joined by three leading figures from the water sector to discuss one of the East of England's biggest strategic challenges: securing enough water to support growth, agriculture, industry, communities and nature in a changing climate.  

The East of England is becoming the UK's test bed for next-generation water management.

Delivering future resilience will require major infrastructure investment, smarter regulation, behavioural change, environmental stewardship and new technologies including AI, reuse systems, desalination and smart water networks.

"Anyone can start a fight. Creating lasting friendships and partnerships takes work."

In this episode of Eastern Promise, we visit award-winning wildlife park owner, farmer, conservationist and broadcaster Jimmy Doherty for a wide-ranging conversation about animal welfare, rare breeds, conservation, science education and the future of East Anglia.

Jimmy shares the remarkable story behind efforts to rescue and rehome moon bears from South Korea, explains why he believes positivity and action matter more than protest alone, and reflects on the grassroots organisations making a genuine difference to wildlife around the world.

We also discuss:

🐮 Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park

🐻 Animals Asia

🌿 Space for the Wild

🐾 Korean Animal Welfare Association (KAWA)

To contact Eastern Promise, enquire about partnership opportunities or to listen to our full back catalogue, visit https://easternpromise.org.uk.

Eastern Promise is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.    

What happens when an entire village decides to break free from fossil fuels?

Mike Rigby travels to Swaffham Prior, a Cambridgeshire village near the Suffolk border that has become a pioneer in community-led, retrofitted sustainable energy. 

Through determination, collaboration and a shared vision, local residents, the Swaffham Prior Community Land Trust - with the help of Cambridgeshire County Council and Equans - have delivered one of the UK's most ambitious rural district heating schemes.

We hear from Emma Fletcher, one of the driving forces behind the project, as she explains how concerns over rising oil prices, energy security and the future of village life sparked a decade-long journey towards clean, green heat.  Local resident Roz Fairburn also joins us to share the reality of living with the new system, and we take you behind-the-scenes of the village's Energy Centre, exploring how this remarkable transformation is powered and controlled.

It's a story about communities taking control, building resilience, rejecting fossil fuels, and creating practical solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing rural England.

Eastern Promise would like to acknowledge the kind assistance of Cambridgeshire County Council and Equans in the production of this episode.

Timestamps:

01:35    Introduction

02:15    Emma Fletcher: Why Swaffham Prior decided to leave heating oil behind…

04:24    Resident Perspective: Roz Fairburn…

05:27    The challenges of connection…

15:21    How district heating works for residents…

17:19    The connected home, inside & out …

19:16    Connecting to the network…

23:41    The role of the Community Land Trust and Cambridgeshire County Council

24:55    Tour of the Swaffham Prior Energy Centre

34:42 Action Points!

37:20 Coming Next Week

Mike is joined by Suffolk broadcaster, author, farmer and wildlife champion Jimmy Doherty, the founder of Jimmy's Farm & Wildlife Park on location at the park itself!  Yes indeedy!

Eastern Promise celebrates and showcases the people, projects and ideas helping the East of England achieve more together.  

Find more episodes and discover the stories shaping the region in the podcast feed or at Easternpromise.org.uk.

Contact us about recordings, our upcoming schedule, collaboration and sponsorship opportunities at [email protected] 

Eastern Promise is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.

This week:  With the Summer holidays upon us, what better time to explore Watatunga Wildlife Reserve in the company of Reserve Operations Manager, Molly Ruder!  

Join Molly and your host, Mike Rigby, as they head into Watatunga's 170 acres of breathtaking woodland, grassland and lakes  - a stunning recreation of the natural habitat of the endangered deer and antelope from across Africa and Asia that now reside just south of Kings Lynn. 

You'll hear about the Watatunga ethos of animal care, the inspiration behind the park and learn about some of the furred and feathered characters that call the park home, not least Water Buffaloes Rocket and Slice, and Hattie the Eurasian Crane. 

Why not give Watatunga a try for a Summer Safari?  You can find out more at: https://watatunga.co.uk/ 

For more information about Eastern Promise, to listen to our back catalogue or to contact us, visit: https://easternpromise.org.uk.

The Eastern Promise podcast was made in The Podding Shed in partnership with Mills & Reeve: https://mills-reeve.com. 

This Week: I'm chatting to journalist-turned-visionary Shiv Malik, as Eastern Promise takes a look at Forest City 1.

It's an exciting scheme that's certainly turning heads, as well as both asking big questions about how we want to live our lives in the future, and providing one possible answer. 

The scheme, which has attracted some controversy(!), proposes that a city be built between Newmarket and Haverhill, at a scale that allows it to be infrastructure first and with a vision of municipal life last seen in the Garden City movement.  

Eastern Promise host Mike Rigby met with Shiv at the National Trust's Hatfield Forest in Essex to discuss how the vision for Forest City 1 originated, what the proposal actually entails, and what the scheme might deliver for the region beyond its bounds. 

It's a fascinating insight into a bold proposal.

To find out more about Forest City 1 click here: https://www.forestcity.uk/.

To find out more about Eastern Promise, to contact us and to listen to our back catalogue, visit our website here: https://easternpromise.org.uk.

This week: Welcome you to the brickmakers' city, which sits across the main arteries of communication for all four points of the compass!  This is the Beginner's Guide to PETERBOROUGH!

Our panel of local and sector specialists are:

ARU Peterborough's Assistant Principal (PFHEA) Professor Tom Williamson;

Multi-hat wearing local champion Al Kingsley MBE;

MD of Cap Air Systems, board member and advanced manufacturing advocate Katy Davies; and

Engagement Manager at the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and Trustee of Peterborough Cathedral Connor Butler.

Together, the panel identify the heart and soul of Peterborough, the engines of growth and innovation in the city, and their hopes for the coming years as exciting projects are rolled out and the Mayoral Development Corporation gathers pace.

And, speaking of the Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Paul Bristow, he and Leader of Peterborough City Council, Cllr Dr. Shabina Quayyum open this episode by underlining the potential of Peterborough, as well as some inspired dining recommendations! 

But there's more love for Peterborough in another Eastern Insight from resident of the city and regional hotelier Gez Chetal!  

It's all in Peterborough so listen in and then get going! 

You can find out more about Eastern Promise, listen to our back catalogue or contact us by visiting: https://easternpromise.org.uk

This episode of Eastern Promise was made in The Podding Shed in partnership with Mills & Reeve: Achieving more, together. 

From the sun-kissed garden of O2H Group's UK HQ, Hauxton House, Eastern Promise brings you our contribution to Cambridge Wide Open Week 2026:

'Everything you ever wanted to know about Cambridge (but were afraid to ask)...'

Your host Mike Rigby has the questions and we've assembled an incredible panel who have the answers!  They are:

We discuss the ingredients of the city's 'Secret Sauce', making opportunity available for all, whether you have to be good at networking in Cambridge to have a great network here, and more.  O2H's own Francois Meullenet and Sunil Shah also join the fun.

You can find out more about Cambridge Wide Open Week here, and you can sign up for 2027's celebration of the Capital City of Science here.  Well, go on then! 

To find out more about Eastern Promise, listen to our back catalogue and to contact us, visit https://easternpromise.org.uk.  

The Eastern Promise podcast is made in The Podding Shed and is proud to be supported by Mills & Reeve.

In this second part of our mammoth two-part roundtable featuring the UKRI-funded institutes and partners on the Norwich Research Park, we look at how these institutes communicate the impact of research, the commercialisation of discovery and the way science and research influence the policy-making process. 

Your host Mike Rigby chats with the returning stars of episode 174, who are:

We also welcome a special guest appearance from back in May - Prashant Shah of O2H Group and Cambridge Wide Open Week, recorded at #UKREiiF 2026 last month.

Join us now for this fascinating exploration of research and how it's used - plus our list of action-packed Action Points!

You can listen to the Eastern Promise back catalogue and contact the show at: https://easternpromise.org.uk or at [email protected]

Eastern Promise is made in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve. 

This week: You join us for Part One of a mammoth two-part roundtable, taking in the UKRI-funded institutes and partners on the Norwich Research Park.  In this opening episode, your host Mike Rigby finds out more about the all-new Innovation Zone at this year's Royal Norfolk Show.  Joining us are:

The Royal Norfolk Show is the UK's largest two-day agricultural festival; very much Norfolk's shop window, pulling in tens of thousands of visitors each year.  That being so, finding out what the city's tight-knit scientific community can offer in the landmark innovation zone is very important.  And frankly, it sounds amazing!

The show is on until Thursday 25 June 2026 and you can buy your tickets here: https://royalnorfolkshow.co.uk/tickets/

You can listen to the Eastern Promise back catalogue and contact the show at: https://easternpromise.org.uk.

Eastern Promise is made in The Podding Shed in proud association with Mills & Reeve.