Sweden's Green Power Struggle

Alistair Heather is not proud of some of his past interactions with women. The Scottish writer explores what more he and all men can do to help women feel safer in the world. Listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0015mgx

A farmer, a cheesemaker, a philosopher and a scientist take us on a guided tour through a cow.

‍

Told in five acts, this programme weaves together the voices of our four guides - artist-philosopher Samar Nasrullah Khan, cheesemaker Peter Dixon, farmer Nikki Yoxall and Professor of Animal Science and Microbiology Sharon Huws.

‍

They take us on a journey from deep in the soil, through a plant, into a cow’s mouth, through her four stomach compartments – home to vast civilisations of bacteria, protozoa and fungi – and, of course, out the other end.

‍

Part documentary, part creative interpretation, the programme uses field recordings to immerse us in the multi-species communities we encounter along the way.

‍

Click here to listen.

‍

One doctor dies by suicide every three weeks, according to figures from the British Medical Association.

In 2021, Dr Lalith Wijedoru left his role as consultant paediatrician in emergency medicine, to focus on supporting workforce health and wellbeing, including those working in healthcare.

Given rare access to a wellbeing and recovery retreat, we hear emotional testimonies from the four groups of doctors at greatest risk of suicide - General Practitioners, anaesthetists, surgeons and psychiatrists.

Their stories - of workplace bullying, isolation, fatigue and fear of patient complaints - suggest a system in which doctors are made to feel like machines, rather than human beings. The concept of 'moral injury' is also a factor - where a doctor is unable to provide the care they wish to give to their patient, due to lack of resources or system breakdown.

These stories take us to the heart of issues being faced by many or most NHS professionals - and by the ‘system’ more generally.

‍

Presenter: Dr Lalith Wijedoru

Producer: Amanda Hargreaves

Sound design: Joel Cox

Location recordings: Jon Calver

Executive producer: Dave Howard

A Bespoken Media Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

‍

Click here to listen.

‍

Five of the world’s top female climbers are thrown into a race to be first to climb all of the world's 14 highest mountains. For the BBC World Service - listen here.