麻豆官网首页入口

4th February 2025

bbc.co.uk/accessall

Access All 鈥� episode 145

Presented by Emma Tracey

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EMMA-听听听听听听听听 I am honoured to be speaking to Nobuyuki Tsujii. Nobu, as he鈥檚 affectionately known, is a fabulously talented and hugely successful professional pianist from Japan. He鈥檚 blind from birth, and he has played in the most famous classical concert venues, including the Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House, and he鈥檚 soon to play the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London鈥檚 Southbank Centre. Let鈥檚 meet Nobu. Hi, Nobu, how are you today?

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 I am fine, thank you.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Oh, thank you for the English, I really appreciate it, because Nobu is mostly going to speak to us through a translator today. You鈥檙e really welcome to Access All, Nobu. Can I start by asking you, how did you start to learn the piano? Was it difficult to find teachers?

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 [Speaking through a translator]

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 I started learning properly from when I was 4 years old, and my mother found a teacher. Went straight into the pieces that what I wanted to learn, but through playing those pieces I learned some of the basic skills and techniques.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Now you鈥檙e a very famous concert pianist and the pieces that you play are long and difficult often, how do you go about learning those now?

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 Around until when I was primary school, I used to use the braille musical scores. But there is some music available, some pieces are not available, and also it took too much time to learn from music scores, so nowadays I have an assistant who can record each hand separately to learn and listen, and also they can explain what鈥檚 written on the score to me.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Do you learn each hand separately and then put them together?

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 Yes. I learn the whole thing by each hand separately and then put both hands together.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That鈥檚 fascinating actually. Does it take longer to learn for you than a similar pianist who can see?

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 He never thought about it! But also it depends on the pieces, how long those pieces: if it鈥檚 short pieces, it鈥檚 easier to remember; but if it鈥檚 long and complicated, it takes two or three weeks to remember the actual piece. So it鈥檚 really depending on the pieces.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That does sound very speedy, three weeks to learn a whole long difficult piece. How about when you鈥檙e playing with an orchestra, how do you connect with the conductor and the other players when you can鈥檛 see the conductor鈥檚 arm movements?

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 I can feel and hear his breathing, or grasp the feeling of the orchestra, and try to understand each other and feeling each other. If you continue repeating the performances, then we get to know each other even more.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Thanks, Nobu, that was really, really interesting.

NOBU-听听听听听听听听听 Thank you very much.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 On with the show.

MUSIC-听听听听听听听听 Theme music.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Hello, I鈥檓 Emma Tracey and this is Access All, the disability and mental health podcast from 麻豆官网首页入口 News, and we are a podcast fully committed to diversity and inclusion. If you want to get in touch with us, we鈥檙e on the socials @麻豆官网首页入口AccessAll on Insta and X, and you can email accessall@bbc.co.uk. I absolutely love to hear from you.

Later in this episode, I鈥檒l be speaking to Michael Patrick whose award winning adaptation of Richard III draws on Michael鈥檚 experience of having motor neurone disease.

But first, the charity Mencap has said that it fears for the lives of people with learning disabilities after NHS England dropped several targets relating to the community from its annual priorities plan. A target to ensure that 75% of people with learning disabilities get an annual health MOT, and a goal to add the community to a specialist GP register, have failed to make it in to the 2025-2026 priority guidance. The charity fears that these changes could lead to failure to detect cancer and other serious health conditions. And that鈥檚 in a community where people already die up to 23 years earlier than the general population, and where 42% of those deaths are preventable. We鈥檒l speak to a couple of people affected in a moment. But first, Jon Sparkes is the CEO of Mencap, and his charity is leading the campaign against the removal of these targets. Hi, Jon, and welcome to Access All.

JON-听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Hi, Emma.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Jon, it鈥檚 an interesting time. Can you tell me what is the annual health MOT and why it鈥檚 so important?

JON-听听听听听听听听听听听听听 It鈥檚 literally what it says on the tin, it鈥檚 an annual health check. It鈥檚 really important because accessing the health system can be difficult at the best of times. If you have a learning disability and you鈥檙e trying to make an appointment or you鈥檙e trying to get a reasonable adjustment to have a longer appointment or something like that, it can be quite difficult to access. And of course, if you鈥檙e not accessing the health system in a timely way, then you鈥檙e missing out on early diagnosis. So by having an annual health check, it makes sure that people who would otherwise miss out on early diagnosis, don鈥檛 do. And that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important, and that鈥檚 why this is such a serious issue for us and for people with a learning disability.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 If I give you one example, and it鈥檚 a pretty stark example, but if you look at things like screening rates for cervical cancer, people with a learning disability are half as likely to have the screening in a timely way as the general population.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And why is the engagement with cervical cancer screening so low amongst women with learning disabilities?

JON-听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Mostly I think it鈥檚 to do with the fact that people aren鈥檛 easily accessing the health system. If the information you read about screening isn鈥檛 an easy read and is not understandable, then that鈥檚 a barrier. If you鈥檙e calling for an appointment and the receptionist is frustrated because they can鈥檛 really understand what you鈥檙e saying, that鈥檚 a barrier. If you need a bit longer with a GP than the standard few minutes to have your appointment to be able to explain what your symptoms are and communicate effectively with the doctor, that鈥檚 another barrier. Every time there鈥檚 one of these barriers, that鈥檚 less people who are getting early diagnosis of all sorts of illnesses.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 One person who has historically found the annual health MOT鈥檚 really useful, is Rahima. Rahima has a learning disability, she鈥檚 got cerebral palsy, and she speaks through a very cool Eyegaze speaking device. And her sister, Ferdus, is here to support her. Hi, Rahima, and hi, Ferdus.

RAHIMA-听听听听听 How are you? Hi. Thank you for letting me be on your show today. How are you?

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 The pleasure is all mine. And I鈥檓 really well, thank you. Rahima, you have had annual health checks before with your GP. What is it about them that works so well for you?

RAHIMA-听听听听听 I have a good relationship with my GP as he has known me for many years. This means that I don鈥檛 have to repeat myself, which gets very tiring. I have routine appointments with him, and it helps because you know that there will always be someone that checks in. Finding out that there鈥檚 going to be cuts to this is upsetting, because it鈥檚 hard to get appointments as they are making it harder and harder to access healthcare, which isn鈥檛 fair because we already struggle with accessing a system that hasn鈥檛 been able to adapt to those with learning disabilities and other healthcare needs.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 I think it鈥檚 really good that you鈥檝e got a good relationship with your GP. But you have also had bad experiences in the NHS, Rahima, haven鈥檛 you, like that time when you went in to hospital for a chest infection?

RAHIMA-听听听听听 During COVID a doctor was speaking to my sister and I was awakened. He told her that she should contemplate letting me go because of my quality of life. This was so upsetting to hear. I was there because of my health condition and infection. It felt like they had just given up on me. Also, the fact that he didn鈥檛 respect me enough to speak to me or involve me, felt like I was not a person but a thing.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That sounds incredibly upsetting for both of you at the time, my goodness me. What do you think could be done better in the NHS to help people like you who have a learning disability?

RAHIMA-听听听听听 More communication between nurses and doctors so everyone is on the same page and understanding. Directly involve me in decisions and discussions regarding my care. Be familiar with my hospital passport. This had everything that they struggled with understanding. For example, how to communicate with me was in there.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Rahima, is it okay to ask your sister what the passport is?

RAHIMA-听听听听听 Yes.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Thank you. Ferdus, what does Rahima mean by the passport?

FERDUS-听听听听听听 So, a hospital passport, it鈥檚 not a legal document, it鈥檚 not legally binding. But what it is, it鈥檚 an overview of their health conditions, and basically everyone that鈥檚 involved in their care, so all health professionals, so like a speech and language therapist, their contact details, where to find them, social workers, things like that. Then it also has things that they dislike, that they do like, how to communicate with them, what to do if they鈥檙e distressed. It鈥檚 a guide on how to manage their care better.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And Rahima, what advice would you have for other people with a learning disability who are worried about their health?

RAHIMA-听听听听听 Update your hospital passport regularly and carry it with you everywhere to your appointments. Make a list of issues you have in writing and what you would like to happen before you attend appointments. Ask for contact details for people you can follow it up with.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That鈥檚 great advice. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, and I鈥檓 sorry that you鈥檝e had such a hard time in the past, and I hope that you do continue to be able to have those annual health checks, Rahima.

RAHIMA-听听听听听 Thank you.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Nigel, you鈥檙e here with me to tell me your story. And Nigel, you have a learning disability and you were diagnosed with bowel cancer nearly five years ago is it now?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 That鈥檚 correct.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And how are you doing today?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Excellent. Excellent.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Oh, so are you cancer free just now then?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Yes. I was clear.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 They said you were clear, oh that鈥檚 fantastic.

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Thank you.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Do you have an annual health check?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 I do, once a year.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 What鈥檚 it like going for your annual health check?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 For me, having an annual health check is brilliant, because I see the nurse for the first part for blood, water taking and all that lot, then I see the doctor afterwards.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And do they give you enough time in the health checks?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Yes, they do. It鈥檚 absolutely brilliant.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And do they explain everything for you?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Yes.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 How was your cancer picked up, Nigel?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Well, I actually go for appointments and it was a camera test, and they said, 鈥淲e want you to come back in a couple of minutes, we think we鈥檝e found a problem,鈥� and the problem was they found cancer. If it wasn鈥檛 for that, I wouldn鈥檛 have known.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And why did you get the cameras, were you not feeling very well?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 That was one of the health checks that I do.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Do you think these annual health checks, especially for people with learning disabilities, are they different to other medical appointments that you have?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Annual health check to me is check what鈥檚 going on. Is it something new, or is it something old? Do you know what I mean by that?

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Yeah. So if it relates to something that鈥檚 already happening, that they already know about, or if it鈥檚 something that they need to worry about.

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Everyone should have an annual health check.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And Nigel, have you heard that they鈥檝e dropped the target to get 75% of people with learning disabilities to have this health check from the NHS priorities? Did you know that?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 I didn鈥檛 know that.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 They were only promising to give 75% of people with learning disabilities annual health checks, but now they haven鈥檛 made that promise this year. The health checks will still be there, but they haven鈥檛 made a promise to make sure they happen. What do you think about that?

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 They should promise and give a proper answer, because you may get people who do not understand what鈥檚 going on.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Well, I鈥檓 glad you had yours, Nigel, and that they picked up your cancer and that you鈥檙e now cancer free, that鈥檚 fabulous. Thank you so much for speaking to me.

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Thank you.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 The NHS, we often hear that it鈥檚 struggling, financially struggling to cope. The targets that have been laid out for this period are around decreasing A&E wait times, decreasing ambulance response times. Is there another way of making sure that these health checks happen, rather than relying on NHS to make sure that they do, and to make it their priority when there鈥檚 so much else going on?

JON-听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Yeah, I think that鈥檚 an important question. The MOT鈥檚/annual health checks will still happen where local commissioners decide that they鈥檙e a priority, and where local GP surgeries decide that they鈥檙e a priority. Of course, flexibility means that someone might decide it鈥檚 not a priority. We鈥檙e going to be writing to all of the Integrated Care Boards anyway and asking them to continue with this. The importance of this is, we need support and training and communication at the level of the clinician, we need concerted effort at the local level through the Integrated Care Board, and we think we need concerted effort at a national level as well to make this priority. People with a learning disability die 23 years younger than the general population. But that has been improving. Since 2018, life expectancy for people with a learning disability has gone up by a year, so something鈥檚 working, and we think if something鈥檚 working don鈥檛 try and fix it.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Jon Sparkes OBE, CEO of Mencap learning disability charity, thank you so much for speaking to me on Access All.

JON-听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Thank you, Emma.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 On its commitment to the healthcare of people with learning disabilities, NHS England told us:

MALE-听听听听听听听听听 Adults and young people aged 14 and over with a learning disability are still entitled to an annual health check to help manage long-term conditions and spot any health problems sooner, so they can get the treatment they need to stay well. The new NHS planning guidance makes it clear that all local services must still address health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 This story could impact quite a lot of people, so if that鈥檚 you, please do get in touch with us. You can email accessall@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a WhatsApp message, voice or text, to 0330 123 9480. Thank you to Rahima and Nigel, and to Jon Sparkes from Mencap as well.

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Is that a wrap?

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That鈥檚 a wrap Nigel, you鈥檙e out.

NIGEL-听听听听听听听听听 Three, two, one, cut.

听

听

MUSIC-听听听听听听听听 Music.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 My next guest was at a glitzy ceremony recently at the Royal Opera House to receive The Stage Judges鈥� Award for his unique take on Shakespeare鈥檚 Richard III. Now, we know that Richard III was disabled from early life due to scoliosis, but in Michael Patrick鈥檚 version he has a progressive condition, and that鈥檚 because the play was drawing on Michael鈥檚 experience of having motor neurone disease. The production also included multiple disabled actors and wheelchairs when it was staged at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast late last year. The judges from The Stage were clearly impressed, so let鈥檚 find out more about the play and the man behind it, Michael Patrick is here.

MICHAEL-听听听 How鈥檚 it going? I brought my award with me.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Have you? Tell me, what does it look like?

MICHAEL-听听听 What is it, plexiglass, with a sort of blue background, and it says, 鈥淢ichael Patrick, for the tragedy of Richard III.鈥�

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Very nice. How proud are you of that? What was it like to win that award?

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah, very proud, yeah. It was amazing. Not just for all the work that everyone put in to do the show, but also just to sort of celebrate theatre in Belfast as well, sometimes it gets a bit lost in the conversation from Dublin and London, so it was nice to have that celebrated, you know?

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Why did you decide to take on such a play and adapt it?

MICHAEL-听听听 I love Shakespeare, always have, and then I did some time at the Royal Shakespeare Company before COVID. Richard III is kind of the disabled role in the sort of western canon, and whenever I was diagnosed with MND, I put up a sort of jokey Facebook post saying that I have an authentic limp, because at the time I wasn鈥檛 in a wheelchair, I was just limping, if anyone wants to cast me as Tiny Tim or Richard III, please do. And Jimmy Fay from the Lyric in Belfast got in touch and was like, 鈥淎re you serious about this?鈥� and I was like, 鈥淵eah, I am now.鈥� So then myself and my creative partner, Ois铆n听Kearney, met up with Jimmy Fay, and he鈥檚 like, 鈥淚f you have a take on Richard III we鈥檇 be happy to put it on at the Lyric.鈥� So yeah, it was brilliant.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Wow, no pressure! So, how did you go about adapting it then? What did you do to it?

MICHAEL-听听听 Well, we cut it down by a lot. Two reasons: 1) that it鈥檚 a very long play, it鈥檚 about four hours long, no-one wants to see four hours of any theatre; and 2) we didn鈥檛 have the budget for that many actors. So we were told we鈥檇 get nine actors, so just tried to streamline the plot as much as possible, if something didn鈥檛 make sense to us, we cut it.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And then how did you change it to draw on your own experience of MND then?

MICHAEL-听听听 Well a lot of it was just in the presentation of it, so we didn鈥檛 change a lot of the lines, it was just sort of showing that Richard is getting progressively more sick as time goes on. It started off, I was in a manual wheelchair, then I moved to an electric wheelchair, and in the second half I was using an oxygen tank. Then at the very end Richard died. He鈥檚 supposed to be killed Henry VII in Battle of Bosworth, but we did it so that Henry had the sword to Richard鈥檚 throat, and then he walked away, and Richard died because he couldn鈥檛 breathe anymore. So it was the MND that got him in the end rather than the final blow from Henry.

So what we did was we tweaked it so the very final monologue we put together from different Shakespeare plays, which is about time being the enemy.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 An interesting ending from your perspective as someone with motor neurone disease is time your enemy, and like how much did that monologue represent your feelings?

MICHAEL-听听听 Oh, 100%. That was the part in the play where I pretty much cried every night. Yeah, it was the line, 鈥渕ake war upon this bloody tyrant time,鈥� so sort of a call to people to say Richard didn鈥檛 have long left, he murdered everyone to become King, probably not the best use of his time. But anyone else out there, what are you going to do with your time that you have left?

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 What impact does motor neurone disease have on your life these days then?

MICHAEL-听听听 My upper body鈥檚 kind of fine, but I am in a wheelchair at the minute and my legs don鈥檛 work at all, I can鈥檛 move them at all. They can鈥檛 even bear my weight if I鈥檓 using my arms. So it鈥檚 very awkward now getting in and out of wheelchairs, into bed, stuff like that, it鈥檚 a pain in the arse. And I鈥檓 feeling my lungs are going a wee bit as well, so it can be difficult to breathe when I鈥檓 lying flat on my back, so I have a mask that I wear in bed. It鈥檚 not great.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Yeah. Other than the mask, how have you had to adapt your life then? Did you have to move house, what have you had to do?

MICHAEL-听听听 Very luckily, me and my wife live in a ground floor flat in Belfast so there鈥檚 no stairs or anything. But I did have to have a friend who鈥檚 a contractor come round and widen all the doorways, get rid of carpets, put in wooden floor, put in a ramp at the back door, stuff like that. And I鈥檝e got a car now that鈥檚 fitted with hand controls, which is fun.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 As a disabled person now and someone with a progressive condition, what have you noticed about the world?

MICHAEL-听听听 It鈥檚 just that people don鈥檛 realise, people think places are accessible and they鈥檙e really not. I get told a lot, 鈥淥h, there鈥檚 only one step,鈥� and it鈥檚 like, 鈥淲ell I can鈥檛 get up any steps so why are you saying it鈥檚 accessible when you鈥檝e got a step?鈥� Or a lot of times you go and there鈥檚 a disabled toilet somewhere, but they鈥檙e using it as storage almost so you can鈥檛 get in.

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听The annoying thing for me is getting about into Belfast. I have quite a good electric chair that I can sometimes get in and out to town quite quickly, but it鈥檚 taxis are a pain. Taxis aren鈥檛 great in Belfast at the best of times, but trying to get a disabled taxi鈥檚 even worse.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 How has having motor neurone disease changed your career and the directions it鈥檚 taken, etc?

MICHAEL-听听听 Definitely getting fewer auditions through. But then at the same time, things like Richard III wouldn鈥檛 have happened if I didn鈥檛 have MND, so it鈥檚 kind of helped my career in terms of that. In terms of writing, certainly there鈥檚 a USP I have now.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 But you were also already talking about health stuff really honestly in your writing. You did My Left Nut for 麻豆官网首页入口 Three, what was that about?

MICHAEL-听听听 My Left Nut, as the title suggests, was about my left nut. When I was a teenager I developed a large swelling in my testicle, and I didn鈥檛 tell anyone for a long time and thought it was cancer and all this. It turned out to be nothing, it turned out to be a hydrocele, which is just a collection of fluid and all they have to do is drain the fluid. We were as a one man play first and took it to Edinburgh and did well, and then adapted it for 麻豆官网首页入口. But the thing was, that it started off as this is going to be a silly teenage comedy about balls, but it actually then became about how I never really processed my grief when my dad died, because my dad died of motor neurone disease in 1998.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And how does that affect how you now deal with having motor neurone disease and how you live your life, having seen your dad die from it?

MICHAEL-听听听 It鈥檚 weird, because you kind of know what鈥檚 coming in a sense. But also dad鈥檚 was very quick, he was diagnosed in February and he died the following October, so within a year he had died after his diagnosis. The disease is more understood now: I鈥檓 on a drug trial in Dublin; there鈥檚 much more assistance in terms of wheelchairs and hoists and things.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 My Left Nut was about the grief of losing your dad, and your mum played a big role in that play and in that drama. Tell me about your mum鈥檚 part in all this.

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah, she鈥檚 somebody. Well my mum, I don鈥檛 know how she does it. I don鈥檛 know how she manages to keep it all together seeing her husband die of motor neurone disease and then her son has it now too, and her daughter actually because my sister has it as well. So it鈥檚 all pretty horrible for my mum. But she鈥檚 there for us all the time, she鈥檚 amazing.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That does sound just really difficult for your whole family.

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah, it is very strange, you know? And my two other siblings could have it as well, they could have the gene, but no signs of anything yet. It鈥檚 basically a 50/50 chance.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Can they find out if they want to?

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah. My younger sister is finding out, but my younger brother doesn鈥檛 want to know, he鈥檚 just like, 鈥淚f I start getting symptoms I鈥檒l go, but right now I don鈥檛 want to get tested.鈥�

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And an interesting relationship between you and your sister because her progression is different because of the drug trial as well, I guess?

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah. Well, hopefully because of the drug trial, you know? It鈥檚 also people don鈥檛 know enough about the progression, it can be different where it starts, where it progresses to.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Tell me a bit more about the drug trial.

MICHAEL-听听听 There is this woman in Dublin who鈥檚 like one of the top MND researchers in the world, Orla Hardiman is her name. She鈥檚 unbelievable. Within a few weeks I was down visiting her, and she has so many different drug trials on the go that she was like, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to test you for your gene, because the gene related drugs seem to be more promising that non-gene related drugs.鈥� So then I got my gene, and it turns out my family are the only family in Ireland with this gene. Coincidentally, this was the gene that Orla Hardiman鈥檚 team had a drug for, so she was all excited, she was like, 鈥淔inally I have someone to give this drug to.鈥�

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 What are gene related drugs? What does that mean?

MICHAEL-听听听 It means it鈥檚 a drug that specifically targets the faulty gene I have that causes MND. Rather than certain drugs which are just trying to treat the symptoms of MND, this sort goes in and tries to fix the faulty gene. It鈥檚 a spinal injection I get every three months, I get a lumbar puncture.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That sounds really painful.

MICHAEL-听听听 It鈥檚 not great, but sure it鈥檚 better than dying of motor neurone disease!

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And you鈥檙e writing something about being a man in his 30s with motor neurone disease, so drawing from your own experience again.

MICHAEL-听听听 Yeah. It鈥檚 about a man in his 30s who gets MND. But it鈥檚 definitely a comedy, because so much stuff has happened to me that I鈥檓 like, 鈥淵ou have to put this, it鈥檚 so funny, it鈥檚 so weird.鈥�

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Like what?

MICHAEL-听听听 Like some people haven鈥檛 heard of MND and you鈥檙e really psyching yourself up, you go, 鈥淩ight, so I鈥檝e got motor neurone disease,鈥� and they go, 鈥淎h right, what鈥檚 that then?鈥� and you have to try and explain to them, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a terminal illness,鈥� 鈥淎h right. Ooh, I probably should have reacted a bit more when you told me that,鈥� I鈥檓 like, 鈥淵eah, you probably should have.鈥�

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 Michael Patrick, it鈥檚 been an absolute pleasure to talk to you.

MICHAEL-听听听 Likewise. Thanks so much.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 And also let us know how you get on in your drug trial as well.

MICHAEL-听听听 Absolutely. Thanks so much for chatting to me, it鈥檚 very nice.

MUSIC-听听听听听听听听 Music.

EMMA-听听听听听听听听 That is just about it for this episode. Thanks to the guests, and thanks to you for listening. And tell me about what鈥檚 going on in your world, is there something that we should be investigating in relation to disability and mental health? Do get in touch. You can find us on social media, we鈥檙e on Instagram and X @麻豆官网首页入口AccessAll, our email is accessall@bbc.co.uk, and our WhatsApp is 0330 123 9480, just put the word 鈥淎ccess鈥� before your message so that we can find it more easily. And if you haven鈥檛 already, please do hit that big subscribe button on 麻豆官网首页入口 Sounds and you will get Access All onto your device every week without doing a thing. See you next time, bye.

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FEMALE-听听听听听 And I was like, 鈥淕o on Kay, put some more welly into it!鈥�

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