The Placemat

In the fourth and final episode of "Rise," titled "Anger is an Energy," Craig Gould presents a deeply emotional yet uplifting message of hope to others facing similar battles. 

This episode captures Craig's unwavering optimism, even as he confronts the next stage of his journey with cancer. 

Reflecting on his experiences, Craig shares how he transformed anger and adversity into a driving force for positivity and resilience. He discusses where to find hope in the darkest times and how to harness inner strength. 

Listeners will be moved by Craig's heartfelt advice and his ability to find light in the face of overwhelming challenges. This episode is not just a reflection but a beacon of inspiration, embodying the spirit of eternal optimism that Craig represents.

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In this third episode of Rise, Craig Gould takes us through the intense and perilous journey of his second bone marrow transplant. 

Facing near-fatal complications and a fight for survival, Craig's story is one of extraordinary resilience. 

This episode sheds light on the physical and emotional challenges he endures, the impact on his mental health, and the unwavering support of his family, including his wife and children, through these testing times. 

Join us for a powerful narrative that showcases the human spirit's capacity to find strength and humour amidst life's toughest battles with a Christmassy happy ending.

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In "Part 2 - A New Normal," the second episode of this special podcasts season, "Rise," Craig  takes us through the challenging phase of his cancer treatment, including intensive chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. This episode provides a candid look at Craig's journey towards adapting to a drastically altered way of life, a 'new normal' that tests the limits of physical and emotional endurance. It also delves into the impact of this uncertain period on his family, highlighting the delicate balance of shielding his children from the harsh realities of his condition. Join us in this deeply moving episode as he navigates the complexities of hope and resilience in the face of life's most daunting challenges.

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In the first episode of our Rise special episodes, a  good friend  Craig Gould shares the earth-shattering moment of his cancer diagnosis, its impact on his family, and the life-altering discussions with his wife. This episode not only explores their challenging journey through the NHS but also Craig’s near-death experiences and the flicker of hope that sustained them. This sets the stage for upcoming episodes, where Craig will delve into his treatments, personal battles, the power of support systems, and the invaluable lessons learned throughout his extraordinary 12-year journey.

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So the boys are back in town with a brand new season of the Placemat.

What have they learned during the hiatus? Well, not an awful lot to be honest. 

Is the new CEO of NHS England worth investing in or should you wait for the next update?

Find out who Ed Waller and Ian Dodge are and the safeguards NHSE has to stop the magic being ruined in Skipton House.

Find out how and if GPs would ever strike and how they might organise themselves, as long as they get backfill for it. 

And finally listen to Chris Hopson talk candidly about the NHS, GPs and how he once chained himself to a railing.

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The Placemat has a long history of correctly predicting the major events in the NHS and beyond. 

In this special bonus episode we showcase some of our finest and most prescient moments, from the resignation of Simon Stevens and the appointment of Amanda Pritchard, to the results of the Euro 2020 competition, the Covid pandemic, the outbreak of the first world war and Judas' betrayal of Jesus.

We confidently predict that we'll be back for another season of The Placemat later in the year.  

The Placemat - forecasting with compassion since 3600 BC.

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In the last Placemat of the season, the boys join Simon Stevens and the Financial Times for a good lunch in one of London’s grittiest districts before celebrating all that’s bravest and best about NHS chief executives. Thank you for all you do, you modest people. And thank you for letting the HSJ write about it so that we all know how unassuming you are. What would Benny Hill make of it all? We cover that too. 

Our resident junior doctor, Pete Turton, strikes a serious note about striking doctors. Why are they so bad at saying what they want, what they really, really want? 

As if all that wasn’t enough, our special guest is the outspoken journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who brings more than a touch of glamour to the proceedings. She’s not afraid to say what she thinks about the NHS either, which means you’ll all hate her. Fortunately, she doesn’t care what you think. That’s why we asked her on.

Did we mention that this is the last show of the season? An exclusive account of how sad we feel about that will appear in next week’s HSJ. We’ll be back of course.

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By the time you listen to this we may have a new secretary of state for health and social care, so hurry and grab a tasty chunk of what could be the very last Matt Hancock Time. It will be heart-breaking to say goodbye to that catchy little number, which is probably how the minister feels about his advisor.

Will he cling on to take the blame for everything or will he have to take the blame for everything after he's been sacked?  Who knows, but we don't let serial attention seeker and sausage wrangler Matt Hancock overshadow our other talking point of the week, the identity of the next NHS CEO. Could it be the safe but boring candidate, Amanda Pritchard, the controversial diminutive jockey and mobile phone saleswoman Dido Harding, or rank outsider and chart-topper Sir Cliff Richard?

You're going to have to listen to find out.

There's more of course. We have an interview with the man who looks likely to hang on to his record as the NHS's longest serving health secretary - at least for now - the right honourable Jeremy Hunt. Mr Hunt turns out to be right charming too, though he declines to be drawn on the subject of hopelessness.

We also find out about the latest plan by NHS comms to celebrate our wonderful health service and say thank you to doctors and nurses for going to work and doing their jobs.  And thank you NHS comms for all your warm, brown ideas.

Finally, you won't want to miss the latest monologue from the laconic and deeply humble Dr Pete Turton. Thank you for everything you do, Pete.

And thank you for pressing play. We love you all, but you'll forgive us if we're less demonstrative than Mr Hancock. We need to keep it legal and safe.

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Remember that film with Bill and Jeff? You know the one, the gay revenge drama set in a U-boat. No? Never mind.

In the latest episode, the boys consider whether Dominic Cummings was right to compare the government’s handling of the pandemic to sci-fi movie Independence Day, if Rosemary West would have done a good job of promoting the vaccine programme and what sort of health secretary Priti Patel would make. 

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Baroness Harding makes a welcome return as theoretical NHS chief executive Dido Harding, and Baron Finkelstein of Pinner, the journalist and political commentator better known as Danny Finkelstein, is our special guest. 

Plus all your usual favourites, including Virtue Signal of the Week and Pete Turton’s mum’s second favourite hospital doctor, Pete Turton, with an in-depth investigation into the issues that really matter to clinicians. 

Younger, groovier fans will be delighted to hear that the talented rapper and health policy analyst Hurricane Ceasar is back with another musical reflection on the state of the NHS. We think it’s his best work since the Five Year Forward View.

Warning: Contains scenes of poor taste, swearing and Andy Cowper. 

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In the latest episode of the NHS's most influential and serious podcast, hosts Mike, Julian and The Other Guy take the burning issues of the day and attempt to run with them, like three inept athletes at the start of a very bad olympic games.  
What has forced rhubarb got to do with integrated care in west Yorkshire? Should patient directors be allowed to run airlines and railways? Why has John got an erection in the garden and should we have one in London to honour nurses?
Find out the answers to all these questions and - if you can bear it - listen to our moving appeal for adoptive homes for GPs who used to work in clinical commissioning groups. Who will pat them, untangle their cardigans and toilet train them now?
On a lighter note, our special guest is Baroness Tanni Grey-Thomspon the multiple gold medal winning paralympian wheelchair racer and cross-bench peer.  She tells us why she has a particular reason to be grateful to the NHS and what she has tattooed on her foot.
Plus, we reveal the amazing reason why Pete Turton is still better known as a doctor than a comedian, another heartwarming Virtue Signal of the Week and a premature musical farewell to everyone's favourite five year forward viewer from everyone's favourite South African rapper, Hurricane Caesar. 

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