Fifteen years into paediatric nursing, Tania Bacon is Deputy Ward Leader on Sherwood Forest’s Ward 25 and a driving force behind Great X — positive incident reporting that captures what goes right so teams can learn from it. Tania takes us inside a 34-bed children’s ward where nurses often care for parents as much as for resilient young patients, and where playful “pink fluffy care” helps reduce fear and build trust. She shares how one night with a septic baby became a turning point, prompting nurses to train in bloods and cannulation and proving that celebrating excellence can change practice. Through fellowships and “side quests” Tania has found her voice as a leader who chooses bedside influence over climbing the ladder. Warm, honest and energetic, this is leadership made human.

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 role as a surgical first assistant, and why details like a neat suture line matter to patients. Brent shares a simple idea that speeds change — his “iterative meeting” — and a leader-leader mindset inspired by Turn the Ship Around. We also explore the Armed Forces support network at Sherwood, mental health first aid, and the power of tenacity and apprenticeships to open NHS careers.

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 loss—and led him into nursing.

In this powerful conversation, he reflects on his journey from South Africa to Zimbabwe to the UK, shares what it’s really like working on the frontline of emergency care, and opens up about race, identity, and finding belonging in the NHS. With wisdom, honesty, and humility, Irvine speaks about the emotional toll of abuse in healthcare, the power of professional kindness, and what it means to lead by example—even when the job is tough.

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 to do that.”

In this heartwarming episode, Jodie takes us on her extraordinary journey from dinner trolley to children’s ward rising through the ranks as a single parent, becoming one of our first paediatric nursing associates and finally qualifying as a registered children’s nurse.

She talks with humour and honesty about bringing joy into dark situations, why she decorates the ward with eight Christmas trees, the power of play, glitter, and sick bowls worn as hats and the people who believed in her when she almost gave up.

It’s a story of compassion, creativity, and courage — and proof that sometimes, the best nurses are the ones who never saw it coming.

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 Hospitals. Neela shares her fascinating journey from a Mauritian family of nurses to becoming a doctor in a specialty she clearly loves. She opens up about her hopes for junior (or rather, “resident”) doctors, the importance of being seen and valued, and the power of food, gardening, and cake to build belonging.

In this inspiring episode, we meet Nicki Williams, a passionate and compassionate arrhythmia nurse specialist who opens up about her journey through cardiology, patient advocacy and life as a mum navigating serious health challenges at home. From supporting patients with complex heart rhythms and life-limiting conditions to her powerful volunteer work with POTS UK including a recent visit to Parliament, Nicki shares how listening, educating and empowering are at the heart of everything she does.

We explore how she turned early career rejection into a thriving vocation, why she’s aiming for a PhD and how her experiences as a parent of a child with life-threatening allergies have deepened her commitment to patient-centred care. It’s a conversation full of warmth, wisdom and a few chickens—don’t miss it.

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 leadership into project management, and how her nursing identity continues to shape her work. She gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the new Community Diagnostic Centre in Mansfield, a project that will deliver faster and more accessible tests in a welcoming community setting. Amanda shares the complexities of designing a new healthcare facility from scratch, her passion for patient-centred improvement, and the emotional moments that stay with her from her clinical career.

The conversation also touches on her pride in seeing her daughter become a children’s nurse, and the value of following your own path in healthcare. This is a thoughtful and inspiring episode about legacy, leadership, and never losing sight of the patient.

This week on Only Human After All, we meet Tom Palmer—an NHS financial controller with a surprising story.

Tom shares how a love of maths and a leap into a finance apprenticeship led him into a decade-long NHS career. Along the way, he’s learned that good financial leadership isn’t about saying no—it’s about working alongside clinical teams to enable better care.

He opens up about being an introvert in a collaborative world, overcoming a childhood stammer, and finding pride in helping turn spreadsheets into scanners and ideas into impact. This is a warm, honest conversation about values, self-belief, and the quiet power of doing your job with integrity