Rachel Clarke

From War Zones to Wards: The Many Chapters of Dr. Rachel Clarke’s Life

This week on the podcast, I’m joined by someone whose career defies convention and whose work has touched lives across war zones, hospital wards and the written page. Dr Rachel Clarke began as a broadcast journalist, reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous places — covering Al Qaeda, the Gulf War and the civil war in the DRC. Then, at 29, she retrained as a doctor, specialising in palliative care, where she now helps patients live their final days with dignity and as much comfort as possible.

Her bestselling books; ‘Your Life in My Hands’, ‘Dear Life’, ‘Breathtaking’ & ‘The Story of A Heart’ have become essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the human side of healthcare. ‘Breathtaking’, her searing account of the COVID-19 frontline, was adapted into a critically acclaimed ITV drama in 2024, co-written by Rachel herself alongside Jed Mercurio and Prasanna Puwanarajah.

Rachel’s also a fierce NHS advocate and a public voice for compassion in medicine. I’m in awe of every guest I speak to, but Rachel’s story is one of extraordinary reinvention, resilience and radical empathy. In this podcast we explore how Rachel’s managed to excel in journalism, medicine, activism, storytelling and what drives her to keep speaking truth to power.