Positive Change Podcast

Today, i’m joined by Simon, the founder of the movement Keeping the NHS Honest. With a background in engineering and project management, Simon’s own experiences navigating the NHS as a patient opened his eyes to systemic failings that too often leave people unheard and unsupported. Rather than staying silent, he’s turned his experiences into action – creating a campaign that calls for transparency, accountability, and genuine change within the NHS. Simon’s work is challenging the status quo and giving a voice to those failed by the very system meant to care for them.

Here are the links to his socials:

Website:  ⁠Campaigning for an independent NHS Complaints Process⁠ (⁠https://www.keepingthenhshonest.co.uk/⁠)

X (twitter):  ⁠(5) X⁠ ⁠https://x.com/keepnhshonest⁠

Simon’s LinkedIn Profile:  ⁠Simon Shemilt | LinkedIn⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-shemilt-706326274/⁠

Facebook Campaign Group (Private):  ⁠(1) Campaign for Positive Change for a Better NHS | Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/2265686493638190⁠

Facebook Page that people can follow:  ⁠Facebook⁠

⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572640654843⁠

Say So, and upcoming joint venture:  ⁠Confidential Reporting & Speak Up Services for Safe Workplaces | Say So⁠⁠https://www.say-so.co.uk/⁠

Today, we’re joined by Simon, the founder of the movement Keeping the NHS Honest. With a background in engineering and project management, Simon’s own experiences navigating the NHS as a patient opened his eyes to systemic failings that too often leave people unheard and unsupported. Rather than staying silent, he’s turned his experiences into action – creating a campaign that calls for transparency, accountability, and genuine change within the NHS. Simon’s work is challenging the status quo and giving a voice to those failed by the very system meant to care for them.

Here are the links to his socials:

Website:  Campaigning for an independent NHS Complaints Process (https://www.keepingthenhshonest.co.uk/)

X (twitter):  (5) X https://x.com/keepnhshonest

Simon’s LinkedIn Profile:  Simon Shemilt | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-shemilt-706326274/

Facebook Campaign Group (Private):  (1) Campaign for Positive Change for a Better NHS | Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/2265686493638190

Facebook Page that people can follow:  Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572640654843

Say So, and upcoming joint venture:  Confidential Reporting & Speak Up Services for Safe Workplaces | Say So https://www.say-so.co.uk/

Join me as I speak with Alexandra Walker, a certified coach who supports leaders facing life storms to thrive both professionally and personally. She has particular training in trauma informed work, grief and loss, and emotional freedom techniques (tapping).

A former senior civil servant and charity leader, she has overcome a number of challenging life storms, including longstanding emotional abuse from her father, a former UK politician.

She founded Damsel Not In Distress® and published her first book, Reclaiming Christmas, in 2023. An accredited member of the ACCPH and a trustee of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, she lives with her husband Simon in the North West Highlands of Scotland.

Damsel Not In Distress Summit 2025 - launches on 12 May - click below to find out more and join all the other amazing women reclaiming their power as they navigate life storms.  https://summit.damselnotindistress.co.uk/summit-2025?am_id=lizacollins8744

Dr. Mary Crossan is a Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Strategic Leadership at the Ivey Business School, Western University. In 2021 she was recognised on a global list representing the top two per cent of the most cited scientists in her discipline, and in 2023 she received the life-time career achievement Academy of Management Distinguished Educator award.

Her research on leader character, organizational learning and strategic renewal, and improvisation is published in over 100 articles and books. Her recent research focuses on the development of leader character as a critical foundation to support and elevate leader competencies. The “Developing Leadership Character” and the “Character Compass” books are a culmination of the team’s research on leader character. She is also a co-host of the Question of Character podcast series, a co-founder of Leader Character Associates and co-founder of the Virtuosity app. She works with organisations around the world on developing and investing in leader character.

Here are some links to the resources. 

Virtuosity app - https://virtuositycharacter.ca/

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/make-leader-character-your-competitive-edge/

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/make-character-count-in-hiring-and-promoting/

https://www.cutter.com/article/cracking-code-leader-character-development-competitive-advantage

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/

You can follow Mary on LI here.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-crossan-048ba5269

What does the future of UK healthcare hold for us? Those who work in healthcare know all too well that we are in a crisis - rising healthcare costs, increasing waiting lists and staff burnout. Andy Wilkins explains we are on a burning platform and I agree with him.

Join me as I bring together Andy Wilkins and Dr Simi Godagama to start to explore how old and new medical systems can work together to create a truly holistic healthcare system that empowers us as we enter into a 21st Century Healthcare landscape.

Andy Wilkins is a futurist, speaker and founder of the Future of Health think tank. Andy is also the pioneer of the Imperial College Business School Executive Education course 'Leading Systemic Innovation in Healthcare' and published the exciting innovative research paper 'Health Beyond The Fog' (attached below).

Dr Simi Godagama is the first female president of the British Ayurvedic Medical Association. Simi is an Ayurvedic Doctor, and a senior acupuncturist with over 26 years experience in the field of complementary medicine.  Simi pioneers the first course in Marpapuncture in UK and is the founder of the Little Buckingham Clinic. You can find Simi and Andy here.

Andy Wilkins:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andywilkins

Health Beyond the Fog paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333653217_10-15_Year_Vision_for_the_Future_of_Public_Healthcare_in_a_technology_enabled_21st_Century

Join me as I chat with Simon Long from 55/Redefined, a disruptor that challenges the status quo, advocating for age diversity, positivity and inclusion across all areas and stages of life.

Simon has long harboured an urge to help re-write the rules about being over 50 - at work, home and play. He joined 55/Redefined on a mission to debunk the notion of an older person’s “sell-by” date and unlock the value of an inter-generational world. His focus is on helping organisations attract, grow and engage over-50s talent and consumers.

Highly motivated by purpose, human performance and standing up for the over 50s, Simon is passionate about re-framing traditional notions of what aging and mortality are all about.

You can find Simon here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-r-long

https://55redefined.co

Join me today as I chat with Jan Lawry a patient safety specialist who has spent her entire career in the health and social care sector working across the NHS, private practice, and hospice support.

Jan is the owner of a health and social care consultancy, that primarily focuses on Patient Safety including Incident Investigations – a role she has conducted in several locations in England and Northern Ireland.

Her company has also partnered with the NHS Confederation on their Valuing Patient Time initiative, and she is currently a partner with Public Policy Projects on their Patient Safety Programme.  

Jan has worked extensively on the national Ageing Well initiative, and she is the author of numerous significant reports, including a review of Day Services for Older Adults and those with a Learning Disability, which was commissioned by the Isle of Man Government.  

Jan gained her Patient Safety qualifications through the HSSIB and Cranfield University and she holds Level 3 Child Safeguarding and Level 4 Adult Safeguarding qualifications.  

Jan recently attended the Imperial College Business School on their Leading Innovation and Systemic Change in Healthcare programme – a game changer in terms of thinking about systemic improvements in health and social care.

Jan is Chair of Age UK Gloucestershire, an Elected Governor for Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Non-Executive Director and Trustee of the Milestones Trust in Bristol, and Safeguarding Governor at Hopelands School, Stonehouse. She is very proud to be a UN Women UK Delegate for 2025.   She lives in Eastington Gloucestershire, with her partner, Max, and their 3 beloved dogs.  She is a keen baker, amateur photographer and walker. 

You can contact Jan here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janlawryhealthcare1

Join us for this inspiring chat into what it means to parent in 21st Century and how as parents we can support our children's mental health.

Dr Beth Mosley MBE is a distinguished consultant clinical psychologist who specialises in children’s mental health.

She has worked in the NHS for over twenty years, providing specialist mental health support and developing innovative mental health provisions in schools.

Dr Beth’s contribution to children’s mental health during the pandemic was recognised in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List with an MBE. She regularly speaks on BBC and ITV local news as well as BBC radio stations about young people’s mental health and was named one of 2022’s Suffolk 100 influential leaders.

Dr Beth is the author of Happy Families: How to Protect and Support Your Child’s Mental Health, published throughout the world. Dr Beth’s mission revolves around bridging the gap between psychological theory and practical application – in the context of what is happening today for young people – to ensure everyone has access to this information in a way that feels relatable and relevant to them. 

You can find Dr Beth, her services, free resources and book (Happy Families) here:

 https://www.drbethmosley.com 

Today's podcast I talk with Dr Sarah Brooks. Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour, Sheffield University Management School on how to have courageous conversations about sexual harassment in the workplace - not an easy subject, but a very important one.

Dr Sarah Brooks is an academic researcher and accredited coach and uses her academic knowledge and practical experience and coaching skills to ensure her teaching, research and leadership are evidence-based and practical.

Sarah has over 25 years experience of helping people find and use their voice to create their best life, she specifically works with people who have experienced sexual harassment and want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

You can connect with Sarah at:

https://www.powerfuldreaming.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbrookstuos

It's time to break the taboo and talk about power. Join me as I chat with Catarina (Cat) von Maydell who shares her wisdom on power—something we often avoid talking about because it’s seen as sensitive, controversial, or even forbidden.

Power is often an unspoken and uncomfortable topic—but today Cat asks that we call out the silence and invites us to have deeper, more honest conversation around how we can befriend our power, harness our power with others, and use it to create a thriving future.

You can find Catarina and follow her here.

I loved this one - enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinavonmaydell