Worthing doctors keen to combat coronavirus myths launch medical podcast

A pair of married doctors from Worthing who want to combat misinformation around the coronavirus have launched their own medical podcast during lockdown.
David Stokes has launched The Doctor Family podcast with his wife NinaDavid Stokes has launched The Doctor Family podcast with his wife Nina
David Stokes has launched The Doctor Family podcast with his wife Nina

The Doctor Family podcast is the brainchild of David and Nina Stokes, who both work at St Lawrence surgery in Worthing, where Mr Stokes is a partner.

He said: “At the beginning of the pandemic I was struck by how much misinformation and dangerous information was out there going around.

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“We started to get a lot of calls from patients at the surgery asking for clarity about what was going on from someone they trusted.”

Being big fans of the podcast format themselves, they decided to launch their own – with the first few episodes focusing on coronavirus and featuring interviews with front line health workers.

Issues explored included virus risks for people with underlying health conditions and the pros and cons of wearing masks.

Episodes have since branched out into other topics – including blood clots and osteoarthritis.

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Another featured a cancer expert who spoke about how coronavirus had affected the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the UK, as Mr Stokes said: “One of the big worries I had was realising that we weren’t seeing nearly as many patients as we normally see with symptoms that could potentially be cancer.”

While the surgery has remained open during the pandemic, Mr Stokes has been dealing with patients remotely wherever possible to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

He said: “I really miss that face to face contact with patients.”

As a GP, Mr Stokes is used to explaining complicated medical concepts using everyday language, and he said the podcast was aimed at the ‘interested public’, as well as those with more medical knowledge.

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“I’m hopeful it’s pitched at a level that most people can take something from,” he said, adding that even he was learning something new with every interview.

Both Mr and Mrs Stokes, who have a young daughter, started off their careers as scientists before becoming GPs and have many contacts in different fields of health they have been reconnecting with for the podcast.

Recording from their home in Worthing has been a new experience, and Mr Stokes said: “I’ve enjoyed it very much. There’s a significant amount of work that goes into producing a podcast, which has been interesting.

“It’s free, there’s no advertising, and it’s just done at the moment for the love of doing it.”

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Feedback had been very positive so far, he said, with people finding it ‘interesting and valuable’.

Listen to the podcast on Apple, Itunes, or any other podcasting platform.

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