The King's Fund podcast

Creating a plan is one thing. Implementing it is another. What are the realities of putting the 10 Year Health plan into action? As implementation of the 10 Year Health Plan  continues at pace, Andrew McCracken , Danielle Jefferies and Sarah Arnold discuss the challenges of putting the plan into action, the latest step in the creation of the government's neighbourhood health service and the introd...

Health inequalities are widening. Life expectancy is falling. Has the government's 10 Year Health Plan gone far enough when it comes to tackling these issues and preventing ill health?   Now the dust has settled after the publication of the  10 Year Health Plan , Andrew McCracken , Danielle Jefferies and Sarah Arnold discuss what's happened since, the progress that's been made so far and the press...

After months of waiting, the government's 10 Year Health Plan is  finally  here. But with a health and care system at breaking point, does the government's plan offer hope to staff, patients, and the public that things will get better? In this first episode in a new podcast series from The King's Fund, Siva Anandaciva , Charlotte Wickens and Sarah Arnold discuss what's in the government's 10 Year...

How connected are the health and faith sectors? And is there untapped potential in the faith sector to support people's health and wellbeing? Back in January,  Siva Anandaciva sat down with the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, to explore her career journey from Chief Nursing Officer to Bishop, how her faith has informed her work, and the role that...

From corridor care to staff morale, winter is never an easy time for the NHS. But what is it like for staff working in urgent and emergency care during this time of year, and has it always been this way? Ruth Robertson is joined by Kelly Ameneshoa, Emergency Medicine Doctor, and Charlotte Wickens, Policy Advisor, to find out. They discuss how winter impacts patient care, what could make this winte...

What impact has the first 100 days of the new Labour government had on health and care? Join Andrew McCracken, Charlotte Wickens and Siva Anandaciva as they explore what's happened, what's surprised them and what might be next. Related content Government will have to make tough choices at upcoming budget (press release) The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, delivered his first health and care spee...

What is co-production? What does it mean to have a health and care system that prioritises equity, inclusion and the voices of service users? In our new podcast episode, Jo Vigor is joined by Clenton Farquharson CBE, who shares his leadership journey and reflects on how his personal experience of navigating life as a wheelchair user has led him to a career advocating for marginalised voices and ca...

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Jason Leitch became a familiar name for many across Scotland seeking to make sense of the global health crisis and what that meant for their lives. Siva Anandaciva is joined by the former National Clinical Director for the Scottish Government who shares what it was like navigating Covid-19 during a time of high pressure and uncertainty, the challenges of bei...

We're back to our usual programming after our election mini-series and this episode is all about social prescribing. So what is social prescribing? How does it fit with other health and care services and what does it aim to achieve? This episode explores the relationship between community and wellbeing, and how social prescribing can step in when traditional treatment isn't the answer. In this epi...

In this episode Andrew McCracken and Siva Anandaciva are joined by our CEO Sarah Woolnough to discuss what the election result means for health and care, and what we might expect from the new government and new Health and Care Secretary. This is our final episode of our election mini-series. We hope you've enjoyed reviewing the campaign activities with us, please share any feedback you might have...

A week before the election, Sally Warren, Siva Anandaciva and Dan Wellings sit down to talk about what the public want from the next government, how industrial action might disrupt plans to improve health care and the recent Dispatches episode , which revealed the harrowing human consequences of A&E performance pressures.  Plus, they answer a listener question on ways to approach delivering NHS im...

Andrew McCracken, Sally Warren and Siva Anandaciva discuss whether the sums add up in the main parties' health and care pledges . The panel also explore what's been said about social care and answer this week's listener question: would a large majority in the House of Commons be bad for scrutiny of legislation? Want to get involved? Send us your general election questions via  email ,  X  (formerl...

It's manifesto week and on this episode we're examining what the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour are pledging on health and care. Join Andrew McCracken, Beccy Baird and Siva Anandaciva as they analyse the manifesto commitments from the three largest parties and discuss whether what is being promised will be enough to deliver the transformative change the health and care system needs. W...

It's been a busy week in the world of UK politics, we've seen pledges to boost NHS community services, progress the New Hospital Programme and reform social care by introducing free personal care. But what do these pledges really mean?   Join Andrew McCracken, Sally Warren and Siva Anandaciva as we delve into the Conservative Party's plan to bolster community services and outline the debate on the...

How does the Labour Party plan to clear the NHS backlog? What public health initiatives might be mentioned in party proposals? Join host Andrew McCracken, Assistant Director of External Affairs and King's Fund colleagues, Sally Warren and Saoirse Mallorie, as we delve into the key debates in health and care in the lead up to the 2024 general election. Plus, we answer a listener question: 'is it se...

The countdown to the 2024 UK general election is now on. Join Andrew McCracken, Assistant Director of External Affairs and colleagues here at The King's Fund for our new election podcast series. Over the next five weeks we'll be examining the key debates and exploring the big issues in health and care. We'll also be answering your listener questions  and highlighting some of the important issues t...

Ruth Robertson sits down with Dr Waheed Arian, who shares his journey of leaving Afghanistan as a refugee, becoming an NHS doctor and founding two organisations which use technology to overcome barriers in health care. In this episode, Waheed delves into the importance of hope, compassion and mentors during times of adversity. Related resources Digital health and care conference (in-person event)...

Ruth Robertson is joined by a panel of King's Fund experts to discuss the state of health and care in the context of a potential general election in 2024.  Between the British Social Attitudes survey, the NHS staff survey and performance data, we have a lot of information to give us a view of the current health and social care landscape. We also discuss what the data doesn't show us and the need f...

How are community groups bridging some of the gaps between Black mothers and health and care services? What can the health and care system learn in response? Siva Anandaciva speaks to Amanda Smith, founder and Chief Executive of Maternity Engagement Action CIC, Benash Nazmeen, Professor of Midwifery and co-founder and co-director of the Association of South Asian Midwives CIC, and Chrissy Brown, f...

New year, new CEO for The King's Fund. In this episode host Jo Vigor sits down with Sarah Woolnough, who became our new chief executive at the end of 2023. Get to know Sarah as she shares her reflections on her career to date and the role of organisations like The King's Fund in the health and care space.

In this episode, Ruth Robertson explores how the NHS elective care waiting list can be managed in a way that improves health equity with Dr Mark Ratnarajah, UK Managing Director at Precision Healthcare, Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs at National Voices and Dr Polly Mitchell, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Bioethics and Public Policy at King's College London. Related reso...

What is anti-racism, and why is it important in the context of health and care? Jo Vigor sat down with Joy Warmington MBE, Chief Executive of the equalities and human rights charity brap , to find out. Joy explores the importance of forging genuine change beyond target setting and delves into her own journey of leading authentically and having the courage to do things differently. Related resource...

What does the future of health and care look like from the perspective of three young leaders, and how can they help to shape that future? Join Jo Vigor as she speaks to Hannah McCaffery, Registered Manager at Richmond Fellowship, Rini Jones, Senior Policy and Research Manager at Marie Curie and Beth Sutherland, Senior Project Manager in the National Ambulance Team at NHS England. Related resource...

How do you solve a problem like NHS workforce planning? Ruth Robertson speaks to Dr Navina Evans CBE about her leadership journey – from starting out as a psychiatrist, to becoming NHS England's Chief Workforce and Training Education Officer – and the opportunities and challenges of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. Definitions of the acronyms used ELFT – East London NHS Foundation Trust  ICBs – I...

Join us as we mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS. In this episode, Jo Vigor chats with fellow colleagues from The King's Fund, Danielle Jefferies and Siva Anandaciva, about how the NHS has changed in its history, and what we can learn from other health systems around the world. Related resources How does the NHS compare to the health care systems of other countries? (report) The NHS then and now...