Chrisitan Medical Fellowship in the UK is part of a much larger international network of over 80 similar fellowships (and growing!) known as the International Christian Medical and Dental Association (ICMDA). In this episode, we talk to its CEO, Peter Saunders, about the work of ICMDA, and in particular how it has been able to marshall support to help get medical supplies to the embattled people of Ukraine.

If you want to know more about ICMDA visit icmda.net

ICMDA has an extensive webinar programme covering a huge range of topics from world leaders in their fields at Webinars – ICMDA

You can find out more about the Ukraine appeal (and how you can volunteer in the UK) at Ukraine Appeal – ICMDA

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In this episode, Steve Fouch chats with Paul Coulter and Giles Cattermole, two doctors who have recently had books published by CMF. Both books look at the difference Christian faith makes in everyday life and everyday clinical practice. Giles' book 'Whatever' explores a cross-centred approach to ethics, while Paul's book, 'Serving Two Masters?' looks at how science, medicine, and faith intersect and add to each other rather than being in conflict. In a wide-ranging conversation, they look at the importance of worldview and building strong faith foundations.

Both books are available from the CMF Bookstore - cmf.org.uk/bookstore/

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In our second episode of 2022, we're introducing the new Chair of CMF, Euan McRorie. We don't often talk about what we do at Christian Medical Fellowship on this podcast, nor a lot about the people behind the fellowship, so in this episode, I'll be chatting to Euan a bit about who he is, what his role as Chair means, and why he is excited about taking it on at this time.

You can find out more about CMF at www.cmf.org.uk

And you can read some of our blogs on current issues at www.cmfblog.org.uk

You can find out more about local CMF Catalyst Teams atwww.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

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In our first episode of 2022, we're looking once again at Covid vaccines. On 31 January 2022, the British Government announced that it was suspending its policy of mandatory Covid vaccinations for all health and social care staff in England. Various professional bodies, from the Royal College of Nursing to the Royal College of GPs, had opposed this. CMF's Associate CEO, Dr John Greenall, launched an open letter in January to the Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, asking for a pause and rethink. But not everyone agrees, and there has been debate among CMF members who take a variety of positions on the issue. Indeed, across society, almost anything to do with Covid vaccinations seems to lead to often ill-tempered debate, generating more heat than light!

So, John and Steve decided to sit down, chat through the issues, and ask how we can better listen to and understand one another.

CMF's blogs on Covid vaccines can be found at cmf.li/vaccination
CMF file #73 - Vaccines at cmf.li/3e2pCsa
other CMF COVID-19 resources at cmf.li/covid19Res

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Leave your faith at the door. Don't bring your God to work. Religion is a private matter. We've all heard things similar to this, and maybe we've thought them ourselves. In the modern world, faith is not something that seems to have a natural space in the workplace or the public square. There is a definite sacred/secular divide in public thought, and, if we are honest, in much of the church.

CMF has always been committed to what we call 'whole life faith', and at the heart of our mission is our strapline 'uniting and equipping Christian doctors and nurses to live and speak for Jesus Christ'. But what does this mean in practice? What is the sacred/secular divide? Should we bridge it, and if so, how?

In this edition of 1st incision, I'll be talking to Sue Holcombe, who has just taken up a role as CMF's Associate for Whole Life Faith to find out the answers to all these questions, and more.

To contact Sue, email her at [email protected]
To find out more about our Saline Solution courses visit www.cmf.org.uk/doctors/saline-solution/
You can watch talks from Mark Greene from the 2021 CMF National Conference on what 'whole life faith' is all about on the CMFtv YouTube channel.
You can find out more about our national network of local Catalyst Teams here: www.cmf.org.uk/catalyst-teams/

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 Welcome to the first episode in the latest series of CMF's ist incision podcast. We've been away for quite a few months, but there is a lot to talk about, and we start with an issue that remains at the top of the news.

Every few weeks we see another headline about assisted suicide. Someone with a serious illness has been to Zurich to die at the Dignitas clinic, complaining that they should be able to choose when and how they die in the UK, but the law won't allow it. Polls show that the majority of the British population would like people to have that option. And politicians and celebrities campaign for changes in the law to allow this.
 
 Why should this not happen? Why have changes to the law on helping someone to end their own life when they are already dying or suffering not happened yet in Britain?
 
 In today's first incision I am talking to Gordon McDonald, the CEO of Care Not Killing, a campaign group opposing a change to the law on assisted suicide and euthanasia, and Dr Mark Pickering, CEO of the Christian Medical Fellowship and a prison GP.

For more details about Our Duty of Care (ODOC) see ourdutyofcare.org.uk

CMF has run a number of blogs on end-of-life issues, as well as other resources on our website.
 

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 This is the last episode in our current season of 1st incision. And we thought it would be good to revisit some of the diverse range of issues we have discussed since we began our sixth season of the podcast in April.

In the last four months, we have looked at everything from God's concerns for our everyday lives and how we can have a positive impact in the lives of colleagues and patients through God's work in and through us. We have considered the way the UK treats refugees and asylum seekers and how, as Christian health professionals we can stand for godly values and justice even when the law and society are going in the opposite direction.

We have heard about Parish nursing as an ancient form of Christian ministry being restored to the church today, and about vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. And above all, about how we can find confidence in a God who is with us through all the storms and chaos that we face, especially in a time of global crisis such as we find ourselves today.

We will be back in the autumn, so until then, thank you to all who have contributed to its season, thank you for listening, and thank God for making it all happen!

See you in September!

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As medical technology advances and the values at the heart of our society change, health professionals can often find their own values clashing with the demands of clinical specialties and employers. Whether that is being involved with abortions, new fertility technologies, or end of life care decisions, we may all, regardless of faith or other beliefs and values, find ourselves asking 'should I really be doing this?'

Freedom of conscience has long been a cherished value in our culture and our health professions, but it is increasingly coming under attack. We are told we should do whatever the patient needs, whatever our personal ethical and conscience problems may be.

Today, I am talking with Melody Redman and Mark Pickering about this increasingly fraught topic, and looking at why conscience matters, how we develop and inform our conscience and how we practically and thoughtfully live and work with our colleagues, patients and leaders in line with our values and without violating our consciences.

Resources:

• CMF File 39 - the doctor's conscience
• CMF Blogs on conscience issues
• A Guide to Christianity for NHS employers
• Religion, morality, ethics, and war [for reflections on 'moral injury']
• GMC - GMC Personal beliefs and medical practice
• NMC - Conscientious objection by nurses, midwives and nursing associates

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The treatment of people fleeing war, persecution and poverty has had a lot of coverage in the news and has been a major issue in referendums and elections in the UK and other nations for many years.

 Is this an issue that should concern us, both as Christians and health professionals? What are the issues, and how do we address them?

 In this episode, Steve Fouch will be talking with Dr Becky McFarlane about her work in providing healthcare to refugees and asylum seekers in Glasgow.

Becky and Steve refer to several resources that can help you engage with the issues raised in the podcast:

• The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) at https://naccom.org.uk/
• The Doctors' of the World safe surgeries toolkit
• Welcome Churches - no refugee alone
• Jubilee-Plus
• CMF & Integritas Health + Justice Track
• CMF Refugee & Asylum Seekers Health course 
• CMF Brief on healthcare charging in the UK for people with insecure immigration status

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In this edition, Dr John Greenall discusses with Dr Pete Carter of Heaven in Healthcare a diverse range of topics about health, healing, and how our understanding of heaven and what it means to be whole in Christ affects our attitudes towards medicine, miracles and God's healing in our lives. We also talk about disappointment when fervent prayers for healing seem not to be answered, and about how prayer can be offered as a complementary therapy on the NHS!

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