Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
A pioneering surgeon and world expert in keyhole surgery, nicknamed Robo-Doc for introducing front-line technology to the operating theatre, and a health minist
On the island
Eight records
I used to be an altar boy in a church, in Baghdad, in an Armenian church, every Sunday. Very long service, three hours. I could see the pictures, the smells, and uh a three hour church service in a very hot environment, and this reminds me of those days.
it reminds me of the second decade of my life and it was my first trip to the US and we went to California to see the university that my my dad went to and Tubular Bells was the theme and I remember first exposed to that song was in the US actually visiting the campus.
reminds me of the many, many nights, enjoyable nights, that I've had in a very specific pub in the West of Ireland called Dirty Nellies.
reminds me of As After After I Qualified, Don't Give Up.
reminds me of the sort of towards the end of my postgraduate training in London.
7 SecondsFavourite
Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry
Youssou N'Dour, Neneh Cherry, Cameron McVey, Jonathan Sharp
reminds me of uh of the time of uh my marriage and also the birth of our two children, Freddie and Nina. And it was a very touching song and I I loved it and I've continued to listen to it.
reminds me actually back to 1994 where I had to make another decision, which is to move from Centre Middlesex, where I was appointed into St Mary's. You know, the bit about Charits of Fire is that we also had one very distinguished neurologist, Sir Roger Bannister, and his contribution also both the the neurological field, but more importantly his contribution to sports in St Marys.
I love the the lyrics in this, the words, and it just reminds me of my early days being sent out to be educated, to be if you can hear the words, of being more sensible and more logical. And at the same time also reminds you that as you grow up in life you need to be careful in what you say and how to bring people with you, otherwise you might be accused of being fanatical or even cynical.
In conversation
Presenter asks
1:17Why on earth did you take on the task [of being a health minister and reviewing the NHS]?
Well, I got the phone call last year from the Prime Minister, and to my complete shock, I was gopsmacked when he turned around and said he wishes me to undertake a review of the NHS and appoint me as a Minister of Health in his government. A great privilege to be asked. I've always enjoyed a challenge. It was very challenging. Decision to make for a period of time, but once I I was convinced that I could maintain my clinical and scientific activity. I was more than happy to contribute four days a week to lead this major review of the NHS.
Presenter asks
5:20What was life like as a little boy, a tiny boy [in Baghdad]?
What I remember of it, it was fine. I mean, Baghdad in those days was a very nice cosmopolitan city, little clubs where you can play tennis and sports. There was a significant Jewish community there. And both, you know, the Armenians and the Jews very much stuck together. I went to a Jewish school, very disciplined school, very academic, you know, not even a playground. There was no such thing as sports. It was really, you know, grilling of academic activities, what I remember of it.
Presenter asks
10:24Why Dublin?
We went to Dublin for a number of reasons. Firstly, my parents had friends in Dublin. And more importantly, they felt that it's a much safer environment to have someone at the age of 17 ending up in college there. I think it was about a year earlier that I decided, actually, in fact, I really want to do medicine. And it's interesting, even to this day, I can't remember what made me change my mind. And it could have been the meningitis. Or knowing me now, probably it was something in me that said I want to do something different than my dad did.
The keepsakes
The book
Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay
I'm going to take Yes, Minister, to further demystify civil service and know a bit more about it.
The luxury
I will take a pencil and a paper, and the reason for that is I'm constantly thinking what I could do better, and I would like to put my thoughts on paper.
Presenter asks
16:20Why would you have wanted to give up? Why would you have felt that a song like [Don't Give Up] was important?
Well, I qualified in 1984, and it was a big day. It was actually more of a big day for my mum and dad. … I decided at that stage I'm going to become a surgeon. And this songs remind me of that first application. I applied, my first job I applied was to do neurosurgery, which is brain surgery. So I applied for this job and I didn't hear anything. And then I looked into it. The job was shortlisted. I was interviewed and someone else was appointed. I was taken back that I wasn't even given the chance of an interview. … they looked at my name and they decided that you probably didn't speak English and I wasn't shortlisted.
Presenter asks
23:31How much resistance have you encountered throughout your years of trying to move things forward?
I've had that throughout my career as a surgeon, and I think at the end of the day, you always come back to the basics, and that's the way I drive it. I look at the evidence. Very important. You have to have the determination and you have to have the courage. You know, on a racing track, you look forward, you don't actually look side to side, and you take people with you. You try your best to take people with you. In any community, there are loggers, and they will eventually catch up with you.
Presenter asks
30:30Can you tell us about [the occasion you were called to help in the House of Lords]?
Lord Brennan stood up and spoke. He was a senior judge. … suddenly from you know, I could see from the corner of my eye, Lord Brennan was not very well and he sort of collapsed and You just forget where you are. So I started getting up the benches and going and seeing what's happening and ended up doing a mouth-to-mouth and a heart massage to see whether I get him back. … And eventually I asked for a defibrillator, which is the thing that shocks the heart. And I shocked him in the chamber. And I got him back. As I was shocking him, I also saw the Archbishop of York doing his prayers, and I shocked him. And I got him back, and I could see life coming back to Lord Brown. And I tell you, that's the most gratifying thing you do in medicine.
“I took someone's appendix out. It was the most exciting day in my life. You know, I was a medical student. I had a year to go to become a doctor. And I was allowed to do this. I have done a lot of practicing because I remember taking suture material from the nurse's station and tying knots around my knee at night. And so I did this operation. And it was my first sense of accountability because I remember going back and seeing this patient on an hourly basis to make sure the patient was okay.”
“I've been in Whitehall for 11 months now, and I could tell you, I have all the evidence that no change could happen from Whitehall. The change has to happen locally. If I want to make a change in my practice, it's done in St. Mary's Hospital on the shop floor with the nurses and other doctors.”