Trigger warning — Suicide & Miscarriage

This episode discusses suicide, miscarriage, grief and trauma. Please take care while listening.

In this one-off special for Suicide Awareness Month, we bring the much-missed Liz Sizer back into the room. Tom Mitchell is joined by Kate Beed, Liz’s sister, for a candid, moving conversation about Liz’s life, career and the circumstances that led to her tragic death by suicide in 2016.

Kate and Tom trace Liz’s story from her physical presence and determination — a 6ft-1 anaesthetic trainee who moved into a male-dominated specialty and later became a consultant at King’s — to the pressures and hidden traumas that accompanied life as a doctor. They reflect on how doctors face repeated exposure to distressing events, how desensitisation can become a coping mechanism, and how that coping, left unsupported, can become dangerously isolating.

Kate speaks openly about her work with Mind following Liz’s death and shares practical guidance on recognising emotional pain in colleagues — what to look out for, how to ask the right questions, and how to offer support. The conversation also touches on miscarriage, grief, generational shifts in how mental health is handled, and the tension between the drive to appear resilient and the real need for headspace and sustainable support.

This episode is a heartfelt exploration of professional pressures, personal trauma, and the consequences of not having the right structures in place to care for those who care for others. It’s a respectful tribute to Liz and a call to action for better duty of care in healthcare.

What we discuss / Key themes

• Liz Sizer’s life, career and legacy
• The pressures of working in medicine: burnout, trauma exposure and desensitisation
• Miscarriage, grief and their impact on mental health
• How to spot if a colleague is in emotional pain and what to do next
• The experience of grieving a colleague and surviving unanswered questions after suicide

If this episode affects you — support & resources (UK)

If you are in immediate danger or feel you may harm yourself, call 999.

• Samaritans: 116 123 (anytime) — samaritans.org
• Mind: mind.org.uk
• NHS mental health services: nhs.uk/mental-health

If you’re outside the UK, please consult your local emergency services and mental health organisations.

About Kate Beed

After a successful career spanning over 20 years in central government delivering diversity and inclusion programmes as well as large scale change programmes, Kate experienced the trauma of losing her sister, Dr Liz Sizer, to suicide. They were close in a way that sisters often are sharing special memories and fun times. Kate was completely devasted by Liz’s suicide.

Kate’s need to know more about how Liz got into such a dark place, led her to join Cambridgeshire Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind to develop a suicide mitigation training programme for GPs and other primary care staff. The programme was recognised nationally when it was awarded a ‘This Can Happen’ award in 2020 for the Best Mental Health Initiative in the Workplace. Kate was instrumental in influencing system-wide thinking across both primary and secondary care in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, as well as working hard to engage the wider community to raise awareness of suicide.

🎙️This episode was presented by You Okay, Doc? Patron, Former England Rugby 7's Captain and Silver medalist Olympian Tom Mitchell.

💜 A big thank you to our sponsor, Pastest for supporting this episode.

👉 Don’t forget to download, rate, subscribe, and share to spread the word and support those who take care of us.

Dr Natasha Binnie is no stranger to the You Okay, Doc? community. In 2024, she completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge with us, and today she serves as a valued trustee of the charity. Tash is also a major voice in the mental health advocacy sphere, bringing a unique blend of personal experience, professional insight, and leadership to the conversation.

In this episode, host Tom Mitchell sits down with Natasha to explore the realities of mental health in medicine. Together, they navigate a wide range of topics, from identity and resilience to the stigma that still surrounds mental health in the medical world.

Tash speaks candidly about her own struggles with mental health during medical school and the importance of seeking support through appropriate avenues. Her openness shines a light on the barriers many young doctors face and the urgent need for cultural change in healthcare.

Beyond her personal journey, Natasha’s achievements are remarkable. She is an award-winning Foundation Year doctor with a keen interest in a career in Psychiatry. In 2023, she received the prestigious Diana Award for her work as co-founder of Future Frontline, a community interest company that inspires and supports both current and future healthcare professionals.

Her influence extends beyond the wards: Natasha has been featured in The Times for her positive impact on social media, where she shares insight and encouragement with her community of over 60,000 followers on @tashbinnie.

🎙️This episode was presented by You Okay, Doc? Patron, Former England Rugby 7's Captain and Silver medalist Olympian Tom Mitchell.

💜 A big thank you to our sponsor, Pastest for supporting this episode.

👉 Don’t forget to download, rate, subscribe, and share to spread the word and support those who take care of us.

We're joined by the infamous Manley Hopkinson. Manley needs no introduction, he's an adventurer, explorer, yachtsman - having circumnavigated the world, faced polar bears on artic expeditions, raced to the North Pole and is a You Okay, Doc? Patron. Tom and Manley from the start enter a conversation packed with pearls of wisdom from managing failure to tips on treating yourself with compassion, this episode is brimming with information. You'll be hanging onto their every word as Tom and Manley effortless navigate the life philosophies of purpose, courage and humanity to live an aligned life.

Manley Hopkinson is a polar explorer, round-the-world yachtsman, and former naval officer who has built his life around the lessons of leading under extreme pressure. He captained teams through the BT Global Challenge yacht race and the Arctic Ocean Race, later applying those hard-won insights into leadership roles in business, the military, and humanitarian projects.

Today, Manley is recognised internationally as a thought leader in Compassionate Leadership — a philosophy that blends courage, resilience, and humanity to help people and organisations thrive. He is the founder of the Compassionate Leadership Academy, an acclaimed keynote speaker, and author of Compassionate Leadership: Sustaining Human Flourishing.

Manley’s mission is simple but profound: to show that compassion is not weakness, but the most powerful form of leadership in the face of adversity.

🎙️This episode was presented by You Okay, Doc? Patron, Former England Rugby 7's Captain and Silver medalist Olympian Tom Mitchell.

💜 A big thank you to our sponsor, Pastest for supporting this episode.

👉 Please download, rate, subscribe, and share to spread the word and support those who take care of us.