This film is part of Free
Mrs Hodgson
"Won’t somebody please think of the patients?" A free-ranging interview on health services with the founder of the Patients Association.
Overview
Medical advances of the 20th century didn’t always happen without backward steps. Part-time teacher Helen Hodgson was motivated by issues such as the thalidomide scandal and the ethics of organ donations to start an association to represent the rights and needs of patients, as individuals and as a group. The Patients Association continues today as an independent charity, "Listening to patients, speaking up for change"
Medical training, transplants and the right to death all feature in this free ranging interview conducted by Canadian actor and broadcaster Bernard Braden for his unrealised current affairs series, Then and Now. Helen Hodgson’s meticulous yet succinct answers to Braden’s question are revealing of her drive and determination, and likely effectiveness as a negotiator. It certainly seems to have the camera operator quaking in their boots as the image is far from steady in the latter stages of the interview.
Related
Your Very Good Health Your Very Good Health
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1948 9 mins
Long before the ‘Charley Says’ campaign of the 1970s and ‘80s, another cartoon Charley was used to demystify the newly created NHS.
The Dentist The Dentist
1993 15 mins
This 1993 profile of local dentist, Brian Harvey, shows how he splits his time between a local practice and an advisory role - while leaving ample time to socialise at the local rotary club.
Life in Her Hands Life in Her Hands
Instructional 1951 55 mins
Kathleen Byron - of Black Narcissus fame - stars in one of the most ambitious recruitment films ever made.
Natural Born Smoker Natural Born Smoker
Public Information Filler 1985 1 mins
A sense of 1980s stylistic sheen filters through this sci-fi-tinged anti-smoking advert.
The Strange Case of Penny Allison The Strange Case of Penny Allison
Training 2002 18 mins
Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie as you've not quite seen them before: in a comedy training video for Britain’s National Blood Service.
Polio - Diagnosis and Management Polio - Diagnosis and Management
Government sponsored film 1948 59 mins
Britain’s first Polio epidemic in 1947 demanded a coordinated response, and this film was a key part of readying postwar doctors for a new fight
New Perspectives: La Haine New Perspectives: La Haine
Short documentary 2025 4 mins
Charlie Hammersley, a student from Northumbria University, explains how Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film holds up a mirror to society.
Dreamers Q&A Dreamers Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
The film-makers behind a haunting tale of love and community within a UK immigration detention centre visited the BFI Southbank to discuss their film.
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 50 mins
Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio in Conversation at BFI Southbank, discussing the making of One Battle After Another.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.