Medical Minefield
Medical Minefield
Medical Minefield is a new health podcast where we talk about the ethical dilemmas at the heart of the health stories that matter the most. Join Barney Calman, the Mail on Sunday's health editor and deputy Health Editor Eve Simmons every week for a podcast tackling the big questions in health.Follow the podcast:
Why are doctors at war over cholesterol lowering gene drug?
A row has broken out among doctors about new cholesterol-lowering injection inclisiran. Some GPs refuse to prescribe it saying there's not enough evidence to say it's safe and effective. Others, like Birmingham-based cardiologist Professor Derek Connolly, claims those who aren't on board are Luddit…
34:36Clean
Physio exercises for aches and pains are a TOTAL waste of time
That's what some doctors are saying, at least for many people who are offered it to help ease aches and pains. So why are millions of us prescribed it every year? Health reporter Ethan Ennals reveals his own struggles with injuries and his frustration at lengthy and repeated courses of physiotherap…
27:21Clean
Scandal of the thousands of men living with secret bladder problems
One in three men over-65 will experience urinary incontinence, so why is barely anything done to support them? Ethan Ennals and Pat Hagan speak to Prostate Cancer UK's Chiara de Biase about the charity's campaign to create new laws that will help men with bladder issues. Meanwhile, prostate cancer …
22:48
The truth about the new ‘miracle’ breast cancer drug
Nearly 300,000 women will now be offered a daily pill that cuts the risk of breast cancer in half, but top doctors worry that many patients are unaware of the debilitating side effects. Ethan Ennals speaks to GP and MoS columnist Dr Philippa Kaye about weighing up the benefits and risks of anastroz…
25:17
Why the NHS repeatedly fails women like Naga Munchetty
Last month, the BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty told a Parliamentary inquiry that she lived in pain for three decades and was told by GPs to ‘suck it up’ before doctors finally diagnosed her with adenomyosis. Shockingly, she is not alone. This week, Ethan Ennals explores why the NHS has suc…
22:44
Top surgeon: You should NEVER have a cut-price Turkey cosmetic op!
More than 150,000 Britons travelled to Turkey for a cosmetic op last year, but NHS surgeons report they are increasingly seeing patients who return from a trip with horrific complications, and there have now been 25 deaths. The team speak to obesity expert Professor David Kerrigan who warns that cu…
27:48Clean
Spinal taps done by untrained staff?! NHS doc reveals all
NHS junior doctor Jatinder Hayre reveals the truth about physician associates, the new hospital workers who treat patients are just two years training. In his hospital, these low-skilled medics are bending the rules to write prescriptions - something only a doctor or highly qualified nurse is legal…
32:09Clean
I spent 30 years searching for my sperm donor father
From this month on, people born using a sperm bank in the UK who turn 18 will be able to find out the identity of their biological father because of a landmark change in the law back in 2005, barring anonymous donation. But what of those conceived before the change? This week Barney and award-winni…
33:20Clean
Can we trust food scientists who are paid by junk food giants?
This week Barney and Eve discuss the controversy that continues to rage around ultra-processed foods, and examine the truth about extraordinary claims that scientists are paid off by junk food companies to cover up the truth: that they're as harmful to our health as tobacco. They also speak to King…
41:25
The REAL reason YouTube won't take Eugenia Cooney off air
This week the team talk about concerns for the health of YouTube star Eugenia Cooney, who is severely underweight. Eve, who was hospitalised with anorexia in her 20s, asked the social media giants why they weren't stepping in to take the Eugenia off air, in a bid to force her into treatment - and w…
40:41