Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

About Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

Ask the Specialist is a podcast for health professionals who work with First Nations peoples in the place colonisers called the Northern Territory of Australia. Healthcare providers ask Arrernte, Larrakia, Tiwi, Warlpiri, Yolngu, Anmatjere, Western Aranda, Pitjantjatjara and Pintupi-Luritja leaders their "burning questions" which span clinical to philosophical ideas. The Specialists are: Aunty Bilawara Lee, Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri, Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman and Bernadette Nethercott, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner, Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, Selina Napaltjarri Bob and Isobel Nampitjinpa Major. Ask the Specialist was supported by the Communicate Study at Menzies School of Health Research. Episodes 8-10 were created in collaboration with Purple House, the Djalkiri Foundation and NT Health. Episodes 11-14 were created in collaboration with Purple House, 8CCC Community Radio and Swinburne University of Technology. Ep 1-7: Hosts: Vicki Kerrigan and Stuart Yiwarr McGrath Voice over: Richard Margetson Sound production: Hamish Robertson Producer/Executive Producer: Vicki Kerrigan Ep 8-10 Hosts: Kelly Clark and Christine Sanderson Voice over: Brendan Phelan and Natasha Bertschi Producer: Caddie Brain Executive Producer: Vicki Kerrigan Ep 11-14 Hosts: Donna Lemon Napaltjarri and Mario Faggion Producer: Will Tinapple Executive Producer: Vicki Kerrigan Funding: Harry Christian Giese Research Into Action Award, Medical Research Futures Fund and National Health and Medical Research Council. Artwork: Amber Young Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.

Publisher

Vicki Kerrigan

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 May 2020

Latest episode

24 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Aug 2026

   11. Intercultural communication in healthcare

   What does it mean to make an effort to communicate across languages and cultures? Learn why even attempting a greeting in a local Aboriginal language can help build connection, why it is important to ask patients where they are from and what language they speak, and how interpreters and Aboriginal Liaison Officers can help provide safer care. Discover why something as simple as waking a patient from sleep can require cultural understanding and care. This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podc...

2. 

   24 Aug 2026

   12. Trust and relationships in healthcare

   Trust is not automatic; you have to earn it! Learn how healthcare professionals can build trust with Aboriginal patients who may already be carrying vulnerability from previous experiences with healthcare. Discover how to ask sensitive questions about food, money and living circumstances without causing embarrassment, why relationships matter, and how slowing down and paying attention to how you make people feel can change a healthcare experience. This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcas...

3. 

   24 Aug 2026

   13. Navigating kinship in healthcare

   Kinship is central to Aboriginal identity and shapes family responsibilities, relationships and decision-making. Learn how healthcare professionals can ask about kinship and find out who should be involved in decisions about a patient’s care. Discover why avoidance relationships matter in healthcare settings, why family members may need time to arrive before decisions can be made, and how healthcare workers can balance medical responsibilities with cultural and family priorities. This is Ask ...

4. 

   24 Aug 2026

   14. Cultural safety among a transient health workforce

   What does cultural safety look like when healthcare workers may only be in Central Australia for a few months? Learn why relationships still matter, even when staff are only passing through, and why coming in “as a half a glass” and being ready to learn can make a difference. Discover how healthcare workers can learn from Elders, community members and Aboriginal colleagues, and why supporting Aboriginal health workers and creating stronger pathways into the workforce is essential to improving...

5. 

   28 Mar 2025

   8. The “D word”, sorry business and smoking ceremonies

   Discussing end-of-life care can be very challenging—what words should you use? Can you call someone by their name? In this episode, the Specialists discuss the language to use before and after someone passes away, and the policies and procedures regarding sorry business and smoking ceremonies. This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning ...

6. 

   28 Mar 2025

   10. Supporting families and pain medication at end of life

   Learn how kinship roles shape who can visit a loved one—and why absence can be a sign of deep respect. Discover why some families might fear pain medication, and why the right setting for end-of-life care discussions isn’t always a hospital room. Providing care that is both clinically and culturally safe starts with understanding these perspectives. This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrern...

7. 

   28 Mar 2025

   9. “Skin and kin” and culturally safe communication at end of life

   Have you ever wondered how to handle end-of-life talks with First Nations peoples? In this episode, the Specialists explore how "skin and kin" defines family roles and responsibilities—and why the decision-maker isn’t always the “next of kin” as described on a hospital form. This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions fro...

8. 

   3 Jun 2020

   7. Perspectives on health and well-being

   Some Aboriginal patients may have a different perspective on health compared to the western biomedical approach which underpins mainstream healthcare delivery. A culturally safe health professional has an awareness of differing worldviews and also reflects on their own culture and how they can change. In the final episode in this series, you’ll gain insights into Aboriginal perspectives on health and sickness. Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerri...

9. 

   2 Jun 2020

   6. Recognising and addressing racism

   "Hospitals aren’t a place that people really want to be, but is it that unpleasant for people that it's a horrible sort of racist place? What's it like being a patient there?” In this podcast, the Specialists address doctors’ questions about racism. For many Aboriginal people, hospital has a lot of negative connotations and for some that means they will choose not to accept hospital treatment. The Specialists also talk about why Aboriginal people don’t like going to hospital and w...

10. 

    2 Jun 2020

    5. Informed consent

    As a health professional working in a hospital, gaining informed consent is critically important. Unfortunately, patients often sign the consent form without understanding the procedure and associated risks. In this podcast, Tiwi Elder Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri shares his own hospital experience and the Specialists share tips on how to ensure your patient is fully informed. Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

11. 

    2 Jun 2020

    4. Patient centred care

    Host Stuart Yiwarr McGrath says when a health professional is talking to an Aboriginal person, they automatically feel inferior. The Specialists have some suggestions about how to redress the power imbalance so you can deliver patient centred care. Plus, what to do when a patient needs to leave hospital for Sorry Business or other obligations. Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

12. 

    2 Jun 2020

    3. Communicating with interpreters and your patient

    In the Northern Territory of Australia, there are about 75 thousand Aboriginal people and about 100 Aboriginal languages and dialects are spoken. So, unless you speak an Aboriginal language, or many languages, communicating with patients through Aboriginal interpreters seems like a good option to consider. Unfortunately, at Royal Darwin Hospital in 2020, only a small number of patients who need an interpreter get one. Take a listen to how you can work with interpreters to improve patient outc...

13. 

    1 Jun 2020

    2. Communicating with your patient

    Communication is often called a soft science. The suggestion is communication is easy but it’s not. Not being able to communicate is stressful for you and your patient. Poor communication is one of the ways patients experience racism. Poor communication has led to patients dying. But the good news is, there are many things you can do to improve communication. Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

14. 

    31 May 2020

    1. Get to know your patient

    "Is it ok to make eye contact?" is one of the most frequently asked questions about working with Aboriginal patients in the Northern Territory of Australia. In this first episode of Ask the Specialist you’ll get practical tips on how to develop rapport with your patient, learn how to say 'hello' in the Tiwi language and get an answer to the eye contact question. Getting to know your patient is part of delivering good health care. The Specialists say that if you spend a little time getting to ...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

194,471

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

22

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

0

Contact Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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