Episodes 29
Avg. Duration 29m
Activity Highly Active
Since Mar 2025
Latest Episode May 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
80%
Hosting
feed.podbean.com

About This Podcast

Step behind the scenes of hospital life with Only Human After All, a heartwarming and insightful podcast that introduces you to the extraordinary people who make healthcare happen. Hosted by Dr. James Thomas, a Deputy Medical Director, and Andrea Clegg, an Associate Director of Nursing, this series uncovers the personal stories of the individuals working tirelessly in our hospitals. Each episode shines a spotlight on a different member of the team, from surgeons and therapists to porters and IT staff. Through candid conversations, James and Andrea delve into their guests’ lives, exploring their childhoods, influences, passions, and the unique journeys that led them to healthcare. Only Human After All offers a fresh perspective on the human side of medicine, breaking down the barriers of uniforms and job titles to reveal the dedication, humor, and heart behind every role. Whether it’s a childhood dream fulfilled, a life-changing event, or an unexpected career path, each story is a reminder that every person has a tale worth telling. Engaging, inspiring, and often surprising, this podcast celebrates the diversity of experiences and the shared humanity that unites us all. Tune in weekly and discover the remarkable people who keep hospitals running—because, at the end of the day, we’re all only human after all.

Podcasting 2.0 Features

chapters transcript

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Recent Episodes

Cherry Lee: Leadership, Lorries and Living Life Unapologetically

May 02, 2026 26m Transcript

Cherry Lee has a shaved head, tattoos and piercings. She drives a lorry. She's the lead singer of an 80s/90s rock band called Thick Skinned. And she's one of the most thoughtful, strategic leaders…

Maxwell Rousell: Finding Your Niche - From Apprentice to Digital Champion

Apr 19, 2026 23m Transcript

Maxwell Rousell is 20. He's a Digital and Social Inclusion Coordinator. And he's spent three and a half years finding out exactly where he belongs in the NHS. His job is to help patients navigate the…

Colin Dunkley: The Quiet Revolutionary - Epilepsy, Emotion and Working Upstream

Mar 22, 2026 33m Transcript

In this episode, we meet Colin Dunkley, a paediatrician who specialises in epilepsy. Colin didn’t choose epilepsy because he loved it - he chose it because it was being done badly and families were…

Arron Smith: From RAF to the Recovery Room - Bringing Structure to Chaos

Mar 08, 2026 29m Transcript

In this episode, we meet Arron Smith, Specialty General Manager for Theatres, Anaesthetics and Critical Care. Arron came to the NHS just over two years ago from the RAF - with zero clinical…

Sally Palmer: Many Hats, One Mission - Inside Infection Control

Feb 21, 2026 26m Transcript

In this episode, we meet Sally Palmer, Nurse Consultant in Infection Prevention and Control. Most people never see what Sally does - and if she's doing it well, they never will. Because the best…

Growing Our Own: Apprentices, Confidence and Second Chances

Feb 07, 2026 30m Transcript

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…

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

Jan 24, 2026 30m Transcript

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…

Jo Freeman: Pharmacy, Purpose and Choosing to Stay

Jan 03, 2026 27m Transcript

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.…

Holiday Special: Andrea in the Guest Chair

Dec 21, 2025 30m Transcript

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…

Holiday Special: James in the Guest Chair

Dec 07, 2025 27m Transcript

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,…

Rachel Gibbons: The Admin That Saved Lives

Nov 22, 2025 21m Transcript

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…

Saroona Haroon: The Sherlock Holmes of the Slide

Nov 08, 2025 27m Transcript

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…

Claire Etches: Teaching Doctors the Paediatric Way

Oct 26, 2025 29m Transcript

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…

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

Oct 11, 2025 29m Transcript

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…

Zahid Noor: Grit, Gratitude and Belonging in the NHS

Sep 27, 2025 31m Transcript

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…

Tania Bacon: Paediatric Nursing, Side Quests and Pink Fluffy Care

Sep 14, 2025 29m Transcript

Fifteen years into paediatric nursing, Tania Bacon is Deputy Ward Leader on Sherwood Forest’s Ward 25 and a driving force behind Greatex — positive incident reporting that captures what goes right so…

Brent Gillicker: From Submarines to Scrubs

Aug 31, 2025 29m Transcript

Brent Gillicker is a registered Operating Department Practitioner who once served as a Royal Navy submariner. He talks about bringing submarine-honed resourcefulness into theatres, expanding the ODP…

Irvine Makani: Emergency Nursing via Aerospace Engineering

Aug 03, 2025 29m Transcript

Irvine Makani’s story is one of transformation, resilience, and heart. Trained in aerospace engineering and once dreaming of becoming a pilot, Irvine’s life took an unexpected turn following personal…

Jodie Ward: Glitter, Grit and the Power of Play

Jul 27, 2025 24m Transcript

Jodie Ward never planned to become a nurse. She joined the hospital as a hostess, delivering meals to patients — until one day, she overheard a nurse calming a distressed family and thought, “I want…

Neelakshi Armugam: Radiology, Representation and Really Good Cake

Jul 06, 2025 28m Transcript

In this inspiring episode of Only Human After All, we meet Dr Neelakshi "Neela" Armugam – Radiology Registrar, newly appointed Chief Registrar and all-round warm and wise presence at Sherwood Forest…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Only Human After All have?

Only Human After All has published 29 episodes since March 2025, covering topics in Health & Fitness, Medicine.

Is Only Human After All still active?

Only Human After All is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 29m.

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