HFMAtalk

Addressing health inequalities has been recognised as a key priority for the NHS. In this episode, Dr Bola Owolabi, director for health inequalities at NHS England and NHS Improvement; Hannah Witty, CFO at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; and Duncan Orme, acting CFO at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, discuss health inequalities and the key role held by finance profess...

Series host Mark Orchard speaks to Owen Harkin, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance & Estates at Northern Health and Social Care Trust, and HFMA President 2021/22. Owen talks about his career and also also looks ahead to his role as HFMA President, discussing his presidential theme, his aims for the association, and what members can expect over the next 12 months. 

Senior leaders from across health and social care take part in a roundtable discussion on the future financial sustainability of the sector and the challenges facing integrated care systems. The roundtable was held jointly by the HFMA and CIPFA on 21 July 2021. A briefing summarising the discussion in more detail is also available here . A full list of the roundtable participants can be accessed i...

In this latest episode, Mark Orchard speaks to the most senior NHS finance professional in England, Julian Kelly, chief finance officer for NHS England and Improvement. Julian reflects on his career journey, what motivates him, and what it has been like to lead the NHS finance profession through one of the most challenging periods in the health service’s history. This episode was recorded on Frida...

Mark Orchard speaks to Professor Alan Brace, former director of finance in the department of health and social care within the Welsh government, and 2014 HFMA Finance Director of the Year. Newly retired, Alan reflects on his journey, his experience working in a variety of senior finance roles within his local Welsh community, and what he is most proud of as he looks back on a fantastic career.

Series host Mark Orchard speaks to Paul Baumann CBE, receiver general and chapter clerk for Westminster Abbey and former chief financial officer for NHS England. Throughout his career Paul has spent more than 30 years in senior finance roles both within the NHS and within the private sector. In a fascinating conversation, Paul discusses his career journey, his love of music, his brief acting caree...

In the second episode of this brand new series, Mark Orchard, chief finance officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, has an in-depth conversation with Sandra Easton, national director of operational finance and performance at NHS England and NHS Improvement. They discuss her career so far, how she achieves a healthy work-life balance, the need to build upon existing work to improve di...

Mark Surridge, midlands lead for NHS audit and UK sector lead for local government, and Cathie Eddowes, senior manager, audit quality team – public sector, from Mazars UK discuss the issues that are expected to be important during this years’ NHS external audits. The discussion covers the impact of Covid-19, where auditors are expected to focus their time, and what teams can do to best prepare for...

In the first episode of a brand new series Mark Orchard, chief finance officer at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, speaks to Hardev Virdee, group chief financial officer at Barts Health NHS Foundation Trust, about about his life, his career journey, his role models, and much more.

HFMAtalk speaks to Ian Ratcliffe, deputy director of sector accounting and consolidation at NHS England and NHS Improvement, about the issues that might be important over the next few weeks and months as NHS bodies prepare their annual report and accounts.  This conversation was recorded on Friday 26 March 2021.

HFMAtalk speaks to Richard Mellor, director of finance at Locala Community Partnerships, a community interest company based in Kirklees. Richard discusses what being a community interest company means, how they work with the NHS, the freedom they have to be more innovative, and some of the challenges they face. Community interest companies are a type of  social enterprise. You can find out mo...

As 2021 begins with Covid-related hospital admissions rising at a rapid rate and the country in a new national lockdown, HFMAtalk catches up with Sanjay Agrawal, consultant in respiratory medicine and intensive care at University Hospitals Leicester NHS Foundation Trust, to discuss this wave from a clinical perspective. Note: this episode was recorded on 8 January 2021.

In a special episode, Mark Knight, chief executive of the HFMA, looks ahead to the 2020 HFMA annual conference. He talks about what delegates can expect, what he is most looking forward to and the value of the NHS finance community coming together.

Sanjay Agrawal, consultant in respiratory medicine and intensive care at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and Caroline Clarke, group chief executive of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, have a follow up conversation to their initial discussion earlier this year. They discuss how things have changed in their organisations over the last few months and how they are each preparing fo...

HFMAtalk joins a discussion between three finance directors about cost improvement programmes and efficiency savings. Sarah Connery, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Chris Sands, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust; and Ian Moston, Northern Care Alliance discuss the impact of the pandemic and how this will affect efficiency programmes in the coming year.

Andy Bell, deputy chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, and Marsha McAdam, mental health advocate and peer ambassador for the Centre, discuss the impact of the pandemic on mental health, how people’s mental health needs should be met going forward, and the importance of taking this opportunity to ensure people receive the support they need as the lasting impact on mental health becomes...

Craig Marriott, deputy director of finance at NHS Lothian and HFMA Scotland branch chair, discusses the impact and response to Covid-19 in Scotland, highlighting some differences compared to the rest of the UK. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities presented to finance staff across the organisation as a result of the pandemic.

Maureen Edwards, director of finance, estates and capital planning at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, provides local insight into how healthcare services within Northern Ireland have been impacted by Covid-19, as well as discussing the varied challenges that her trust - as a provider of the full range of health and social care services - faced in tackling the pandemic.

David Bacon, director of finance at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, gives a local perspective on Covid-19. He discusses the impact on community services across the county, as well as how finance teams are re-examining processes as the new business as usual model is developed.

Professor James Kingsland, general practitioner, honorary professor at the University of Central Lancashire, and a founding member of the National Association of Primary Care, discusses the impact of Covid-19 on primary care and how the workforce have adapted to manage the response. He also talks about the role of primary care networks and uses his experience of disaster medicine to consider how t...

As services begin to resume across the NHS, Sanjay Agrawal, consultant in respiratory medicine and intensive care at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, gives his latest insight into the ever-present threat of Covid-19, how hospital services must change as a consequence of the pandemic, and the differences that patients are likely to see when they visit hospital.

Debbie Paterson, policy and technical manager at the HFMA and Mark Stocks, head of public sector assurance at Grant Thornton, talk about adjustments that have been made to the audit of the 2019/20 annual accounts as a result of the pandemic, both within the accounts, and to the auditing process itself. Debbie and Mark also discuss issues that have arisen to the audit process so far, as well as cha...

Rob Whiteman, chief executive of CIPFA, discusses the local government response to Covid-19. As the NHS and social care have worked together closely to support their local communities, Rob talks about this positive working relationship as well as how the pandemic has impacted almost every facet of service delivery within social care.

Mark Bakewell, chief financial officer for both Liverpool and Knowsley CCGs, shares his experience of the pandemic. Discussing the challenges that his organisations have faced, Mark emphasises the value of system working, supporting the wider health economy and the role of emerging primary care networks in the region.

Sandra Easton, director of operational finance and performance at NHS England & Improvement, and Marcus Thorman, chief financial officer at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, discuss the need to simplify NHS finance processes and governance during the pandemic, and what was required to put these national changes into place quickly and effectively.