RCP Medicine Podcast

In this episode of the RCP Medicine Podcast, Dr Raj Amarnani, consultant in sport, exercise and musculoskeletal medicine, Fellow of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, and current president of the Royal Society of Medicine Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Section, joins Dr Alice Cole, clinical education fellow at the Royal College of Physicians, to explore how motivational interviewing can support the NHS shift from treatment to prevention.
Raj explains why patients are often not lacking information but are instead overwhelmed, ambivalent or unsure where to start. Together, Raj and Alice discuss how motivational interviewing helps clinicians unlock a patient's own reasons for change, making conversations about physical activity, medication adherence, smoking cessation and other health behaviours more effective and patient-centred.
Using practical examples and role-play scenarios, they demonstrate simple techniques clinicians can introduce immediately, including the OARS framework, ask-offer-ask conversations, confidence scaling and strategies for supporting sustainable behaviour change. They also discuss physical activity guidance, exercise "microdosing" and how even brief conversations can have a lasting impact on patient outcomes.
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Ep 1 - 49 'Impressive Deals' - Nicolai Heidlas 
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Coeliac disease is often viewed as a straightforward gastrointestinal condition, but its presentation, diagnosis and long-term management can be far more complex than many clinicians appreciate.
In this episode of the RCP Medicine Podcast Dr. Dushen Murugiah, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Trust Lead for Nutrition at Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, joins Dr Abhishek Ray to explore the modern approach to coeliac disease.
Together they discuss classical and non-classical presentations, the challenges of diagnosing an often under-recognised condition, the role of serology and small bowel biopsy, and the importance of considering celiac disease in patients presenting with unexplained anaemia, nutritional deficiencies and other extraintestinal manifestations. The conversation also explores refractory celiac disease, practical challenges associated with lifelong gluten avoidance, and promising future therapies currently under investigation.
This episode offers practical, evidence-informed insights for physicians, trainees and healthcare professionals involved in the assessment and management of patients with suspected or confirmed coeliac disease.
 
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Ep 50 onward - Bensound.com  
Ep 1 - 49 'Impressive Deals' - Nicolai Heidlas 
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In this episode of the RCP Medicine Podcast, respiratory consultant and clinical lead for environmental sustainability Dr Thom Daniels joins host Dr David Charles to explore why air quality should be treated as a core clinical issue rather than a distant environmental concern. Drawing on landmark coroner’s cases, including the deaths of Ella Adoo Kissi Debrah and Awaab Ishak, they examine how outdoor and indoor pollution contribute to asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease, stroke, dementia and health inequalities across the life course. The discussion covers practical ways to ask about air quality in consultations, from unexplained coughs to secondary prevention clinics, and sets out simple, evidence informed advice clinicians can offer to patients. They also consider policy and global perspectives, racial and social justice dimensions, and how clinicians can support patients who feel fatalistic about the environment.
Resources 
https://www.rcp.ac.uk/policy-and-campaigns/policy-documents/a-breath-of-fresh-air-responding-to-the-health-challenges-of-modern-air-pollution/ 
https://www.rcp.ac.uk/news-and-media/news-and-opinion/air-pollution-linked-to-30-000-uk-deaths-in-2025-and-costs-the-economy-and-nhs-billions-warns-royal-college-of-physicians/
https://www.rcp.ac.uk/media/5r2kmmi4/rcp-full-report-a-breath-of-fresh-air-responding-to-the-health-challenges-of-modern-air-pollution.pdf
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Ep 1 - 49 'Impressive Deals' - Nicolai Heidlas 
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In this powerful and timely episode, Dr Ahmed Seedat — respiratory and general internal medicine consultant, global health specialist, and former policy fellow — joins Dr Krishna Misra, an experienced GP in inclusion health, for an in‑depth exploration of migrant and refugee health. Together with host Dr Rohan Mehra, they unpack the realities facing displaced populations today: from the impact of geopolitical instability and the climate emergency, to the language and stigma shaping public attitudes, to the structural barriers embedded within UK health systems.
Through expert insight and frontline experience, the conversation delves into the drivers of forced migration, the consequences of restricted safe routes, the challenges created by the UK asylum backlog, and the complex interplay between trauma, mental health, and chronic disease. Importantly, the episode also highlights a successful collaborative model between primary and secondary care in South East London — demonstrating the power of relationships, community, and advocacy to improve outcomes for some of the most marginalised people in society.
Listeners will leave with a richer understanding of migrant health, actionable advice for clinicians, and a hopeful reminder that community truly is a superpower.

Resources
Doctors of the World:
Advice line - Doctors of the World
urgent_care_guidelines.pdf
 Home 2026 | Refugee Week
BMA:
Refugee and asylum seeker health resource updated 2025
BMJ:
Knights F, Munir S, Ahmed H, Hargreaves S. Initial health assessments for newly arrived migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers BMJ 2022
Initial health assessments for newly arrived migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers | The BMJ
Other
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

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Ep 50 onward - Bensound.com  
Ep 1 - 49 'Impressive Deals' - Nicolai Heidlas 
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In this episode of the RCP Medicine Podcast, Dr Aula Abbara, consultant in infectious diseases and internal medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and an infectious diseases and malaria advisor to MSF Amsterdam, joins Dr Bryony Alderman, palliative medicine consultant and RCP Sustainability Education Fellow. Together, they explore how climate change is reshaping global health, with a particular focus on infectious diseases, health inequalities, forced displacement, and the increasingly complex connections between environment, conflict, and disease transmission.
Resources
MSF UK | Médecins Sans Frontières
Explore our CPD portfolio by your career stage
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Music
Ep 50 onward - Bensound.com  
Ep 1 - 49 'Impressive Deals' - Nicolai Heidlas 
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