Benny Hill, Goat Curry and Isabel Oakeshott

Explicit content warning

08/03/21 • 38 min

In the last Placemat of the season, the boys join Simon Stevens and the Financial Times for a good lunch in one of London’s grittiest districts before celebrating all that’s bravest and best about NHS chief executives. Thank you for all you do, you modest people. And thank you for letting the HSJ write about it so that we all know how unassuming you are. What would Benny Hill make of it all? We cover that too.

Our resident junior doctor, Pete Turton, strikes a serious note about striking doctors. Why are they so bad at saying what they want, what they really, really want?

As if all that wasn’t enough, our special guest is the outspoken journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who brings more than a touch of glamour to the proceedings. She’s not afraid to say what she thinks about the NHS either, which means you’ll all hate her. Fortunately, she doesn’t care what you think. That’s why we asked her on.

Did we mention that this is the last show of the season? An exclusive account of how sad we feel about that will appear in next week’s HSJ. We’ll be back of course.

Support the show

Our resident junior doctor, Pete Turton, strikes a serious note about striking doctors. Why are they so bad at saying what they want, what they really, really want?

Did we mention that this is the last show of the season? An exclusive account of how sad we feel about that will appear in next week’s HSJ. We’ll be back of course.

Support the show

Previous Episode

A nice cup of tea and a slice of Jeremy Hunt

By the time you listen to this we may have a new secretary of state for health and social care, so hurry and grab a tasty chunk of what could be the very last Matt Hancock Time. It will be heart-breaking to say goodbye to that catchy little number, which is probably how the minister feels about his advisor.
Will he cling on to take the blame for everything or will he have to take the blame for everything after he's been sacked? Who knows, but we don't let serial attention seeker and sausage wrangler Matt Hancock overshadow our other talking point of the week, the identity of the next NHS CEO. Could it be the safe but boring candidate, Amanda Pritchard, the controversial diminutive jockey and mobile phone saleswoman Dido Harding, or rank outsider and chart-topper Sir Cliff Richard?
You're going to have to listen to find out.
There's more of course. We have an interview with the man who looks likely to hang on to his record as the NHS's longest serving health secretary - at least for now - the right honourable Jeremy Hunt. Mr Hunt turns out to be right charming too, though he declines to be drawn on the subject of hopelessness.
We also find out about the latest plan by NHS comms to celebrate our wonderful health service and say thank you to doctors and nurses for going to work and doing their jobs. And thank you NHS comms for all your warm, brown ideas.
Finally, you won't want to miss the latest monologue from the laconic and deeply humble Dr Pete Turton. Thank you for everything you do, Pete.
And thank you for pressing play. We love you all, but you'll forgive us if we're less demonstrative than Mr Hancock. We need to keep it legal and safe.

Support the show

Next Episode

Superduperforecasters

The Placemat has a long history of correctly predicting the major events in the NHS and beyond.
In this special bonus episode we showcase some of our finest and most prescient moments, from the resignation of Simon Stevens and the appointment of Amanda Pritchard, to the results of the Euro 2020 competition, the Covid pandemic, the outbreak of the first world war and Judas' betrayal of Jesus.
We confidently predict that we'll be back for another season of The Placemat later in the year.
The Placemat - forecasting with compassion since 3600 BC.

Support the show