Somerset MP Anna Sabine says voice is almost back after thyroid surgery
Somerset MP Anna Sabine says her voice is almost back after thyroid surgery, though one vocal cord remains paralysed, and she is campaigning for more speech and language therapy.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on Sabine's voice recovery, Commons return and speech therapy campaign.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
BBC One West reported that Anna Sabine, the Somerset MP, lost her voice after thyroid surgery and now says it is almost back to full voice.
The broadcaster said Sabine was alerted in April by an ENT surgeon from the West Midlands who spotted a large lump on her thyroid during a TV appearance on Politics Live. She was told within weeks that it was not cancerous but should be removed, and had surgery at Bath Royal United Hospital in June.
According to BBC One West, the operation caused a rare side effect: one nerve to her vocal cords was severed, leaving her struggling to speak. Sabine said five days after surgery that her voice would improve from that point.
BBC One West reported that she returned to the House of Commons in early September with extra help, including a microphone, and found speaking there awkward. The report said further surgery on her voice went well.
According to BBC One West, Sabine no longer needs help speaking in Parliament, but still has a paralysed vocal cord and her other cord is compensating. She said her voice still feels funny to her even if it sounds normal to others. She is campaigning for more speech and language help in the health service.
BBC One West also included Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson, who said his voice is fine except when he is very tired or has a cold, and wished Sabine a full recovery.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Sabine had surgery at Bath Royal United Hospital in June after being told a non-cancerous lump should be removed. | |
| Sabine has one paralysed vocal cord, with the other vocal cord compensating. | |
| Sabine is campaigning for more speech and language help in the health service. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West gave the story a personal medical recovery focus. It traced Sabine's voice problems from a TV appearance that led to a thyroid check through surgery, a severed vocal cord nerve and her return to the Commons, then closed on her campaign for more speech and language help. As the only channel in this sample, it provided all the reported details and included the example of Nick Robinson.
- “Trying to speak in Parliament after developing vocal cord paralysis feels like a major sporting event so let's see how I get on.”
- “I still have a paralysed vocal cord but apparently your body is very amazing and my other vocal cord is learning to compensate.”
- “Now there'll be one more thing she's campaigning for. More speech and language help in the health service.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 13:43 GMT
Anna Sabine, Somerset MP
BBC News at One including · Tue 3 Nov - 13:45 GMT
Nick Robinson, Radio 4 presenter
BBC News at One including · Tue 3 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.