Sickle Cell, the NHS, and the Fight to Be Believed — with Prof. Arlene Wellman MBE

About this episode

<p>It's World Sickle Cell Day, and the NHS Modernisation Bill, which proposes a single patient record bringing together a patient's full medical history in one place, has just reached committee stage in Parliament.</p><br><p>In this episode, we speak with Professor Arlene Wellman MBE: a senior nurse leader and strategic adviser at the Florence Nightingale Foundation with over 27 years' experience across the NHS, and the first internationally educated nurse to serve as a Group Chief Nurse. She's also the mother of a son living with sickle cell disorder.</p><p>We talk about what it's like to repeatedly explain a chronic condition mid-crisis, the gaps in NHS information-sharing that can cost real harm, and whether the single patient record will actually reach the people who need it most, the ambulance crew at 2am, the unfamiliar A&amp;E department, the moment when missing information is the difference between fast treatment and dangerous delay.</p><br><p>Guest: Professor Arlene Wellman MBE, Florence Nightingale Foundation</p><p>Welcome to <strong>The Marvyn Harrison Podcast</strong> — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.</p><p>In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.</p><p>Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.</p><p>This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>