In this final episode of Series 8, we are joined by Dr Ellie Cannon — NHS and private GP, women’s health specialist, Mail on Sunday health columnist, and author of The Little Book of HRT. The conversation ranges from the evolving landscape of menopause treatment and the dangers of health misinformation online to the role of the media in shaping public health behaviour.
Ellie reflects on her 18-year career as a GP on Abbey Road in North London and her work bringing calm, evidence-based medicine to an increasingly crowded and often sensationalist health media landscape. We explore the nuances of HRT prescribing, including the thorny topic of duration of use, while also discussing her earlier book Is Your Job Making You Ill? and the profound impact that work and workplace relationships can have on health and wellbeing.
The episode’s micro discussion examines a systematic review of patient access to clinical notes, weighing the benefits for patient empowerment and safety against concerns about data quality, clinician intentions and unintended consequences.
Impact of online patient access to clinical notes on quality of care: a systematic review https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/35/4/266
As with all of our guests, Ellie shares with us her Memory Evoking Medicine, a career anthem and book. Her book choice is particularly poignant.The Little Book of HRT: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/little-book-of-hrt-9781399423694/
Is Your Job Making You Ill? https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/dr-ellie-cannon/is-your-job-making-you-ill/9780349416755/
From Prescription to Ocean — A TEDx Talk by Jamie HayesWe’re incredibly proud to share that Aural Apothecary co-host Jamie Hayes has taken to the TEDx stage with a thought-provoking talk: Prescription to Ocean: The Hidden Impact of Medicines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swCLNaAG5qYJamie explores a fascinating and urgent question: What happens to our medicines once they leave the prescription pad — and how do they impact the world beyond the patient? It’s a journey that connects healthcare, the environment, and our shared responsibility for the future. You’ll never think about prescribing (or taking) medicines in quite the same way again.Please take a few minutes to watch, reflect, and share — this is a conversation worth having.Please follow us on
LinkedIn! Let us know what you think of the show.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/auralapothecary/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/auralapothecary/?viewAsMember=true)
You can listen to the Aural Apothecary playlist here; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3OsWj4w8sxsvuwR9zMXgn5?si=tiHXrQI7QsGtSQwPyz1KBg
You can view the Aural Apothecary Library here; (https://about) https://litalist.com/shelf/view-bookcase?publicId=KN6E3O
Our website is https://www.theauralapothecary.com/
To get in touch follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky and X @auralapothecary or email us at auralapothecarypod@gmail.com. Don’t forget to rate us and comment wherever you have got this podcast from.


