meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Woman's Hour

Merope Mills on her daughter Martha, Rugby World Cup preview, Truss impersonators, Iran update

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.22.9K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2022

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Merope Mills’ 13-year-old daughter Martha died in hospital in August 2021. She had sustained a rare pancreatic trauma after falling off a bike on a family holiday, and spent weeks in a specialist unit where she developed sepsis. An inquest concluded that her death had been preventable, and the hospital has apologised. Merope, who is Editor of the Guardian’s Saturday magazine, says her daughter would be alive today if doctors had not kept information from them about her condition, because as her parents they would have demanded a second opinion. She joins Emma for her only broadcast interview. As the Prime Minister Liz Truss jets off to Prague to a meeting of a new political club of nations, the summit of the European Political Community - the impressionists have been busy at work. Politicians have always been their lifeblood especially our Prime Ministers. Jess Robinson who does many of the famous female voices for Spitting Image and Jan Ravens from Radio 4's Dead Ringers join Emma. It has been three weeks since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who fell into a coma hours after being detained by morality police on 13 September in Tehran for allegedly breaking the strict law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. She died in hospital three days later. It sparked widespread unrest in Iran which has moved to the classroom where schoolgirls have been removing their hijabs. Meanwhile the protests are going global. Last week British Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe cut her hair and yesterday a video was posted in which 50 high profile French women also cut their hair in support, including the actor Juliette Binoche. On Tuesday Abir Al-Sahlani, MEP for the Swedish Centre Party made a speech in the European Parliament where she cut her hair while standing behind a podium. Abir joins Emma along with Faranak Amidi, This Saturday marks the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup. It's being held in New Zealand and England are the runaway favourites. Wales and Scotland are also taking part and Northern Ireland, who play as Ireland, failed to qualify. To give us a preview Emma is joined by Ali Donnelly, podcast host and author of Scrum Queens, the story of women's rugby and Rocky Clark, England's most capped player (men and womens). Rocky represented England in the last four World Cups, lifting the trophy with her team in 2014.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts

0:05.2

Hello, I'm Emma Barnett and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.

0:09.8

Today we've got you covered with not one but two Liz Truss impersonators.

0:14.2

They watched and listened to the Prime Minister's conference speech,

0:17.0

so you don't have to.

0:18.2

And I here to continue the rich tradition of lampooning our political leaders.

0:22.4

Radio 4 Dead Ringer star Jan Ravens is on hand,

0:25.2

as is the spitting image impersonator Jess Robinson.

0:29.4

The women's rugby world cup starts this weekend,

0:31.9

two women in the know will tell you all you need to know.

0:34.1

And what time you have to set you alarm clock if you are so inclined.

0:38.0

And we will have an update from Iran,

0:40.0

as schoolgirls are the latest cohort to take to the streets in protest

0:44.2

against the morality police after a woman died in custody.

0:48.7

But my first guest today wants to share her family story

0:51.9

because she would like us to reassess our relationship

0:55.0

with doctors and the NHS.

0:56.8

Maripi Mills is 13-year-old daughter Martha,

1:00.0

died in hospital in August 2021.

1:03.3

She had sustained a rare pancreatic trauma

1:06.4

after falling off her bicon of family holiday

1:08.6

and spent weeks being treated in a specialist unit in London

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.