Advertise on podcast: Combinations Podcast from Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

Join Frieza as she sits down with Dr Dennis Okolo who's shares his early drive as a competitive child aiming to become an aeronautical engineer, a goal that shifted after his brother passed, who hoped for a medical career.. Dennis followed that path instead that got him to Combined Healthcare. Dennis reflects on the experiences he's had both culturally and the challenges of building his career starting in 1996 in the UK, Dennis talks about all the positives and the challenges he faced. A thoughtful conversation about growth, resilience, and building a career that makes a lasting difference.

Getting mental health prioritised in the first 1,001 days of motherhood can be transformative to a family. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Rachel Grant, a GP by background, in conversation with Dr Sally Arnold, Consultant Psychiatrist. Together, they explore perinatal mental health and the importance of the first 1,001 days, beginning with the first positive pregnancy test and continuing through pregnancy, birth and the early stages of a baby’s life. They discuss how perinatal mental health services can support parents throughout this journey, including perinatal depression, developing a connection with your baby, and learning how to build that important bond after birth. They also explore the role of GPs, medication and the wider support available to families.

Join Frieza as she sits down with Pauline Walsh to discuss her journey into healthcare and how it all began living in nurses' quarters. Pauline reflects on the early days of her career, the experiences that shaped her, and how she transitioned from nursing into education. She also shares the challenges she has faced throughout her career, how she overcame them, and the lessons those experiences have taught her. A thoughtful conversation about growth, resilience, and building a career that makes a lasting difference.

Join Kyle and Rachel for a special on-location episode of the Combinations Podcast as they visit Windmills Charity and explore its new facility, currently being developed to support even more children and families. Windmills provides specialist support for children and young people who have experienced the death of someone close to them, helping them understand grief, express their emotions and develop lifelong coping skills. In this episode, we learn how the charity is changing the conversation around bereavement and why early support can make such a lasting difference to a child's mental wellbeing. Supported through North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust's Community Grant Scheme, Windmills continues to expand its services to ensure more families have access to compassionate, practical support when they need it most.

Join Frieza as she sits down with Prem Gabbi to discuss his journey from growing up in Coventry to becoming a leader and Non-Executive Director. Prem reflects on the world he grew up in, the influence of his parents, and the experiences that shaped his understanding of opportunity, Through his work, he is passionate about creating better opportunities for the next generation, recognising many of his own experiences in the young people of today. This is a conversation about lived experience, aspiration, and the importance of ensuring future generations have the support and opportunities they need to thrive.

Join Kyle on the Combinations Podcast as he visits the Greenfield Centre to spend time with the Carers Group. This group has been created to recognise, support, and connect members of the community who provide full-time care for a loved one. Through conversation and shared experiences, Kyle explores the important role carers play and the support available to them. Being a carer is not always obvious. It is not a role that comes with a title, and often it is not something people consciously choose. Many carers go unseen, quietly dedicating their time and energy to supporting a friend, family member, or loved one. The responsibilities can be demanding, with carers often balancing their own lives while helping to manage someone else's. The Carers Group has been set up to recognise these individuals, providing a space where they can take a moment for themselves, share experiences, and connect with others who truly understand the challenges and rewards that come with caring for someone else. https://www.carersfirst.com/ https://www.n-compass.org.uk/get-support/carers/staffordshire-together-for-carers-service/ https://combinedwellbeing.org.uk/

Join Kyle Live from Port Vale Football Club for this year's Long Service Awards, a special event celebrating the dedication, achievements and years of service of staff across the NHS. Like last year, Kyle will be out among the staff round the tables speaking to colleagues to uncover some of the inspiring stories that have gone untold. From memorable career moments to the people and experiences that have shaped their NHS journeys.

Frieza Mahmood and Ben Richards continue their conversation on leadership, exploring how we tackle workplace culture and why it matters to stand up for those who are often overlooked. They reflect on the different challenges people face, with Ben sharing personal experiences of how certain aspects of his identity impact everyday life, including where he feels able to travel.

Please note, some topics discussed may be triggering for some listeners. To open 2026, we are handing the platform to our executive team to share the challenges they have faced throughout their careers, and how those experiences shape the way they lead today. In this episode, Ben Richards and Frieza Mahmood speak openly about the barriers they have encountered, and how they use those lessons will help build a safer, fairer, and more supportive culture across the Trust.

In this episode, Kyle sits down with the team from the Wellbeing College to talk about the work they do supporting professionals and service users across Stoke-on-Trent. The Wellbeing College delivers a wide range of workshops, each shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience. Together, these perspectives create sessions that are practical, relatable, and grounded in real life. The team has recently celebrated the Wellbeing College’s third birthday, and they join the podcast to reflect on that milestone, share what’s coming up in their latest term, and talk about the lead-up to their big Christmas event. https://wellbeingcollege.combined.nhs.uk/about-us/ It’s a conversation about learning, wellbeing, collaboration, and the power of lived experience, just in time for the festive season.

Join host Kyle for a special episode celebrating Advanced Practice Week (10th–15th November), shining a spotlight on one of the NHS’s most exciting and evolving roles, the Advanced Practice Nurse. Introduced in the late 2010s, this fairly new position bridges the gap between nursing and medicine, offering experienced nurses a new pathway to expand their skills, autonomy, and impact on patient care. On the Podcast with the Advanced Practice Nurses and current trainees, Kyle explores how the role is transforming care across wards and the community, the challenges and rewards of stepping into advanced practice, and what makes this hybrid role such a vital part of the NHS’s future. Whether you are a nurse considering the next step in your career or simply curious about how healthcare is evolving, this insightful discussion offers a fresh perspective on modern nursing and the people redefining what it means to care.

In this episode we are joined by the Lotus Maternal Mental Health Service, a specialist service based in North Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent, offering support for families affected by pregnancy and baby loss. The Lotus team helps people through loss, trauma, miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancies, birth complications, and neonatal death We’re recording today’s podcast to help recognise Baby Loss Awareness Week, which runs from 9th–15th October. Our vision for this episode is to break down some of the common misconceptions around baby loss and to educate people on how they can best support others who have been affected. Please be aware that this discussion may be triggering for anyone who has experienced baby loss, or for those who have supported family members or friends through it. We approach the topic with sensitivity, respect, and care.

Todays podcast our Chief People Officer Frieza and Non-Executive Director Martin officially launched The People Show — a new platform dedicated to shining a light on our staff, their stories, and the behind-the-scenes moments that shape the way we work. The People Show is designed to celebrate the people who make Combined what it is, giving colleagues across the Trust the opportunity to share their experiences, insights, and contributions in their own words.

Join Kyle as he walks around the Long Service Award event, speaking to staff about their experiences, their careers in the NHS, and what’s kept them at the Trust or in the NHS for so many years. From reflections on how things have changed for the better to the funny stories that stay with them, this episode captures the voices of those who’ve dedicated decades to improving healthcare and supporting others.

In this episode, we delve into a quality improvement project that transformed the resuscitation trolley system at our trust, saving over £7,500. What began as a problem with 14 separate orders for the same supplies—where items, like airways, were purchased in boxes of 50 when only one was needed—became an opportunity to streamline the process and reduce waste. By centralising stock and improving the ordering system, we eliminated unnecessary duplication and ensured better efficiency