What really happens to patient complaints in the NHS?
Why do waiting lists keep growing?
And is the real problem funding… or culture?

In this powerful episode of Health Applied, Kelly and Harriet sit down with Kerry Riches, former Head of Patient Experience at the NHS, MS ambassador, disability advocate, and familiar face from Big Brother.

Kerry shares:

• Her deeply personal journey of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

  What actually happens behind the scenes when patients complain

  The cultural issues inside the NHS no one talks about

  The emotional toll of working in healthcare during COVID

  Why communication failures are costing more than money

  The three changes she believes could fix the system

  From powerful stories of end-of-life care to the reality of staff burnout and leadership challenges, this is an honest, emotional and eye-opening conversation about what healthcare should really look like.

  If you’ve ever been a patient, worked in healthcare, or care about the future of the NHS, this episode is essential listening.

  
  

  CHAPTERS

  • 00:00 – Introduction & Meet Kerry Riches
  • 02:00 – Being Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
  • 06:30 – Why Early Diagnosis Matters
  • 08:15 – What Really Happens to NHS Complaints?
  • 11:00 – “In Your Shoes” – Facing Patients After Harm
  • 14:00 – Do Patients Feel Safe Speaking Up?
  • 18:00 – COVID Inside the NHS
  • 21:45 – The Story That Broke Kerry
  • 25:40 – Is the NHS Broken?
  • 30:30 – Culture vs Funding: What’s the Real Problem?
  • 37:00 – Leadership, Communication & Burnout
  • 42:30 – When Human Error Becomes Dangerous
  • 46:00 – Should GP Appointments Be Paid For?
  • 49:30 – Why Hospital Experiences Differ So Much
  • 53:00 – The 3 Things That Could Fix the NHS
  • 57:30 – Final Thoughts & Gratitude

What happens when you know something is wrong, but no one listens?

In this deeply personal episode, Kelly and Harriet share the powerful “why” behind Health Applied , from years of misdiagnosis and medical trauma to learning how patient knowledge can save lives. This conversation is for every woman who’s ever been told “it’s normal” when it didn’t feel right.

Chapters

00:00 – Why This Podcast Exists

00:45 – Introducing Health Applied

01:20 – Kelly’s Health Journey

03:40 – Staying Positive Through Chronic Illness

04:45 – Witnessing Medical Trauma as a Loved One

06:15 – Why Doctors Don’t Always Have the Answers

08:30 – The Danger of Medical Misinformation

09:30 – Why Patient Empowerment Matters

10:30 – Being Dismissed by the System

12:00 – Misdiagnosis & Women’s Health

13:50 – Emergency Surgery & Trusting Your Body

15:45 – Learning to Advocate for Yourself

16:40 – Our Mission Going Forward

In this powerful episode of Health Applied, we’re joined by Chantal Cox, a former NHS doctor turned venture capitalist, to unpack the gender bias in healthcare, the lack of funding in women’s health, and why women are so often misdiagnosed, dismissed, and underserved by the medical system.

We talk openly about:

• Why healthcare is designed around male bodies

• The shocking lack of research funding into women’s health

• Pregnancy loss, miscarriage care & postnatal trauma

• Why women’s pain isn’t taken seriously

• The venture capital funding gap in femtech & women-led health startups

• How women are forced to advocate for themselves in broken systems

• Why every woman seems to have a healthcare horror story

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and miscarriage.

Chapters:

00:00 – “Healthcare treats women as small men”

00:30 – Introducing Chantal Cox & the gender bias in healthcare

02:17 – From NHS doctor to venture capitalist

05:17 – The shocking lack of funding in women’s health

08:07 – Why women’s health startups struggle to get investment

10:28 – Money, confidence & why women struggle to raise funding

14:19 – Social media algorithms & silencing women’s voices

17:47 – Why women’s healthcare experiences are so broken

20:19 – Advocating for yourself in medical emergencies

21:36 – Pregnancy pain dismissed & misdiagnosis

24:53 – Miscarriage, trauma & navigating care alone

30:17 – Why every woman has a healthcare horror story

31:45 – Childbirth, fear & lack of proper support

33:08 – What is a doula & why women need advocates

36:41 – Birth choices, C-sections & maternal mortality

38:56 – Breastfeeding pressure & postnatal reality

41:41 – Is the NHS fixable? The future of women’s healthcare

43:17 – Final thoughts & call to action

If this episode resonates with you, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who needs to hear it.