Clinical Conversations

In this episode of Clinical Conversations, Dr Sebastian Spencer and Dr Dan Harman discuss how community and frailty medicine is evolving to deliver proactive, person-centred care closer to home; why frailty matters across all specialties; and how clinicians and healthcare systems can better identify, manage and support people living with frailty.

Dr Dan Harman is a consultant geriatrician and clinical lead at the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre in Hull. He is an expert in frailty, hospital-at-home and community-based care. He has over 20 years of medical, executive management, academic and policy experience.

Dr Sebastian Spencer is a member of RCPE's Trainees and Members' Committee and an academic renal registrar.

-- Useful Links --

Taher, A.S.M., Slavova-Boneva, V. & Battisti, N.M.L. Polypharmacy, Medicine Optimisation, and Medication Adherence in Older Cancer Patients. Curr Oncol Rep 28, 43 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-026-01780-9

Age UK. The Longest Wait to Leave: Tackling the delayed discharges that help to drive corridor care - https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bristol/about-us/news/the-longest-wait-to-leave-report/

British Geriatrics Society - Be proactive: Delivering proactive care - https://www.bgs.org.uk/be-proactive-proactive-care-for-older-people-with-frailty

British Geriatrics Society - Pragmatic prescribing to reduce harm for older people with moderate to severe frailty - https://www.bgs.org.uk/PragmaticPrescribing

Crocker TF, et al. Community based complex interventions to sustain independence in older people: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2024. - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-077764

Recording Date: 29 July 2026

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This podcast is from the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

In this episode, Dr Heather Kennedy is joined by Dr Ailie Young, Consultant in Acute Medicine with special skill in Obstetric Medicine. They discuss breathlessness in pregnancy, covering the approach to initial assessment and investigations in the AMU, the management of acute exacerbation of asthma in pregnancy, and the investigation/management of PE in pregnancy.

Dr Ailie Young is a Consultant in Acute and General medicine with a specialist skill in Obstetric Medicine. She is particularly interested in the investigation and management of the acutely unwell pregnant patient that is admitted to the Acute Admissions unit with a medical problem.

Dr Heather Kennedy is an ST4 in Acute Internal Medicine in Southeast Scotland and a member of the Trainees and Members' Committee.

-- Useful Links --
UK Teratology Information Service - https://uktis.org
Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) - https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org
The Maternal Care Bundle (See Element 1 VTE) - https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/the-maternal-care-bundle/#element-1-venous-thromboembolism-vte
Green-top guideline Thrombosis and Embolism during Pregnancy and the Puerperium - https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/thrombosis-and-embolism-during-pregnancy-and-the-puerperium-acute-management-green-top-guideline-no-37b/

Recording Date: 16 July 2026

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https://www.instagram.com/rcpedintrainees

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https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/events

-- Become an RCPE Member --
https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/membership/join-college

Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

This podcast is from the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

In this episode, Dr Heather Kennedy is joined by Dr Ailie Young, Consultant in Acute Medicine with special skill in Obstetric Medicine. They discuss breathlessness in pregnancy, covering the approach to initial assessment and investigations in the AMU, the management of acute exacerbation of asthma in pregnancy, and the investigation/management of PE in pregnancy.

Dr Ailie Young is a Consultant in Acute and General medicine with a specialist skill in Obstetric Medicine. She is particularly interested in the investigation and management of the acutely unwell pregnant patient that is admitted to the Acute Admissions unit with a medical problem.

Dr Heather Kennedy is an ST4 in Acute Internal Medicine in Southeast Scotland and a member of the Trainees and Members' Committee.

-- Useful Links --

UK Teratology Information Service - https://uktis.org
Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) - https://www.medicinesinpregnancy.org
The Maternal Care Bundle (See Element 1 VTE) - https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/the-maternal-care-bundle/#element-1-venous-thromboembolism-vte
Green-top guideline Thrombosis and Embolism during Pregnancy and the Puerperium - https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/thrombosis-and-embolism-during-pregnancy-and-the-puerperium-acute-management-green-top-guideline-no-37b/

Recording Date: 16 July 2026

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https://www.instagram.com/rcpedintrainees

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https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/events

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https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/membership/join-college

Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

This podcast is from the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

In this episode of Clinical Conversations, Dr Emma Spencer discusses the importance of digital health literacy - the ability to access, understand and use digital health tools - with Professor Mahmood Adil, RCPE's outgoing Clinical Data & Digital Health Lead. Prof Adil provides insights into the evolution of digital health and clinical informatics over his career and how doctors can enhance their digital health literacy.

The introductory resource on clinical data and digital health can be accessed on RCPE's Education Portal: https://learning.rcpe.ac.uk/data-digitalhealth

Professor Mahmood Adil was RCPE's Clinical Data & Digital Health Lead. He is a global expert in clinical data, digital health & innovation fields. He has over 25 years of medical, public health, executive management, academic and policy experience and has delivered on key senior positions in the UK, USA & Middle East.

Dr Emma Spencer is Co-Vice Chair - Education of RCPE's Trainees and Members' Committee and resident doctor in internal medicine.

RCPE would like to thank Professor Adil for his contributions and service as our Clinical Data & Digital Health Lead.

Recording date: 17 April 2026

An extended version of this episode will be released on our sister podcast, Career Conversations, later this year: https://podcasts.rcpe.ac.uk/show/career-conversations/

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This podcast is from the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).

In this episode, Dr Heather Kennedy hears about a case that was challenging but rewarding for Dr Neil Watson, which he had presented at the recent RCPE Medical Trainees Conference. They discuss multi-system disease, and the challenge of connecting the dots between different symptoms and presentations, highlighting the importance of combining specialism and generalism.

Dr Neil Watson is a neurology registrar in NHS Lothian. His research background is in human prion disease, and he completed an MD with the University of Edinburgh in which he led an international study validating the current diagnostic criteria for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Dr Heather Kennedy has completed IMT and is currently working as a locum in NHS Fife. She is a member of the Trainees and Members' Committee (T&MC).

Recording Date: 31 March 2026

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https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/events

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https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/membership/join-college

Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

This podcast is from the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE).