Health On The Line

As the foundation trust model faces proposed changes, many are concerned about how to retain accountability and local democracy in health and care. The suggested shift to more centralised control by the Secretary of State raises questions about autonomy and the future of local decision-making.  It’s a big change that could affect how care is delivered and who gets to make those critical decisions. Are we sacrificing local input for a more controlled system? In this episode, Adam’s joined by Rebecca Hainsworth, Partner at Browne Jacobson and Ken Jarrold, former chair of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Council of Governors and Board of Directors, to discuss the Health Bill and the impact that reduced autonomy could have on local governance and quality of care.  Plus, Adam catches up with new NHS Employers CEO Ben Morrin to find out what he'll be focusing on at a crucial moment for the NHS workforce.  

With the health bill moving through parliament and the end of NHS England ever-looming, how realistic is a smooth transition - and can it really be done by next April? And is a single patient record going to be possible for the NHS, or are there too many pitfalls in its path? In this special edition of Health on the Line, health minister Karin Smyth MP joins host Adam Brimelow for a one-on-one chat to explore the biggest jobs on her docket over the next year - one that’ll be pivotal for health and care.

The government has decided to scrap Healthwatch in England. So what happens when the NHS’s independent patient champion disappears next spring?Will moving its functions elsewhere cut duplication and simplify the patient safety landscape? Or could it weaken transparency and make it easier for concerns to be overlooked?In this episode of Health on the Line, Adam Brimelow is joined by Lord Philip Hunt OBE, Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, and Gita Malhotra, chair of Healthwatch Redbridge, to discuss what Healthwatch’s abolition means for patients.Plus, Adam speaks to John Browett, chair of NHS Online, the NHS’s first digital-only trust. As it prepares to launch next autumn, he explores how it fits the government’s drive from analogue to digital healthcare, and whether a fully 'online hospital' will improve access or risk fragmenting care.Health on the Line is an NHS Alliance podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus.

What does it take to report from the front line of the NHS? In this episode of Health on the Line, we’re diving into the world of health and care journalism and exploring how news stories and investigations can play a huge role in uplifting the NHS, as well as holding its leaders to account. And we’re doing it live from the podcast arena at NHS ConfedExpo – the UK's leading health and care conference.  Adam Brimelow is joined live by Lord Victor Adebowale, chair of the NHS Alliance, Laura Hughes, public policy correspondent at the Financial Times and Shaun Wooller, health editor at the Daily Mail. They’ll also be taking stock of highlights at the conference, reflecting on what they heard from NHS leaders and other delegates about the current state of the NHS: with the one-year anniversary of the 10 Year Health Plan looming and the planned abolition of NHS England on the horizon, how much has the government progressed on health and social care two years on from the general election – and what does it need to prioritise now?  

In this episode of Health on the Line, host Adam Brimelow looks ahead to NHS ConfedExpo 2026, featuring interviews with Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, and Sir Ciarán Devane, Chief Executive of The NHS Alliance. As the Ten Year Health Plan approaches its first anniversary, Adam explores with both leaders how much progress has been made over the past year and crucially, how much meaningful transformation is possible at a time of constrained funding and sustained operational pressure. Elsewhere in the episode, Adam is joined by Stuart Hoddinott from the Institute for Government and Anu Singh, Chair of the Integrated Care Boards spanning Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, to reflect on the government’s plans to restructure the NHS and abolish NHS England. The episode also examines the implications of Alan Milburn’s interim report on young people and work. Adam is joined by Rebecca Gray, Director of The NHS Alliance’s Mental Health Network, and Dean Royles, Chief Executive of NHS Employers, to explore what the findings mean for the future of the NHS workforce. Health on the Line is an NHS Alliance podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus. 

In this episode of Health on the Line, host Adam Brimelow explores one of the most ambitious and controversial elements of the government’s 10 Year Health Plan: the Single Patient Record (SPR). Designed to give patients and clinicians access to joined-up digital health information through the NHS App, the SPR promises safer, faster and more coordinated care. But after years of failed NHS IT programmes and growing public concern over data sharing, can the NHS really deliver on its ambition? Adam is joined by Alex Lawrence from the Health Foundation, Dr Neil Modha, GP at Thistlemoor Medical Centre Peterborough and Jim Ritchie, CCIO at Greater Manchester ICB, to unpack the opportunities, risks and realities behind the plan. Health on the Line is an NHS Alliance podcast, produced by Health Comms Plus. 

In this episode of Health on the Line, we’re turning our attention to the mounting financial pressures facing ICBs and NHS trusts as demand for services continues to rise. The NHS Alliance has produced a report, Targets and Trade-offs: the Cost of NHS Finance and Performance Ambitions in 2026/27, which draws on surveys, interviews and ongoing feedback from leaders to build a picture of what’s happening in the system. To discuss the report’s findings, our host Adam Brimelow is joined by David Williams, deputy director of policy at the NHS Alliance. Together they delve into how NHS leaders are being asked to balance growing demand, tight financial envelopes and ambitious reform agendas, such as the NHS 10 Year Health Plan.Adam is also joined by ‘Foluke Ajayi, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, who shares her thoughts on balancing financial constraints with delivering quality care, redesigning services and navigating both immediate pressures and long-term transformation goals.Health on the Line is an NHS Alliance podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus.

Is public confidence in the NHS finally turning a corner, or is this just a temporary lift?  In this episode of Health on the Line, we’re diving into the latest British Social Attitudes survey and what it reveals about how the public feels about the NHS in 2025. Matthew Taylor is joined by Dan Wellings, senior fellow at The King’s Fund and Leonora Merry, director of communications and external affairs at The Nuffield Trust, to unpack the data behind a modest rise in NHS satisfaction.  The trio discuss how the headline improvement perhaps obscures a more complex picture: persistent dissatisfaction, stark generational divides and ongoing frustration with access to care. They also explore why waiting times and access rather than quality of care remain the biggest drivers of public opinion, how the COVID-19 legacy continues to shape perceptions and why, despite the latest BSA results, optimism about the future of the NHS has hit record lows.  We also hear from The NHS Alliance’s deputy chief executive, Sarah Walter and director of communications, Daniel Reynolds, who discuss the new organisation, outlining its ambition to provide a stronger, unified voice for members across the health system. Health on the Line is an NHS Alliance podcast, produced by Health Comms Plus.  

In this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by Dean Royles, interim chief executive of NHS Employers, to discuss the latest NHS Staff Survey results and look at what they tell us about the reality of working in today’s health service.Together, they discuss how the survey highlights the scale of pressure facing the workforce, from rising burnout and falling morale to a decline in staff recommending the NHS as a place to work.They also touch on some of the survey’s more encouraging signs, including improvements in compassionate leadership and support from line managers, and offer tips on how senior leadership can interpret the survey to understand localised issues.We end by looking at what NHS leaders could do next to strengthen staff engagement and understand the link between workforce experience and organisational performance.We also hear from our own Jack Sansum, assistant director of neighbourhood health, to break down the government’s recently published Neighbourhood Health Framework.Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by Health Comms Plus.