Health On The Line

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.

In this episode of Health on the Line, we are joined by Paul Mears, chief executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board and Nesta Lloyd Jones, assistant director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, to discuss the current outlook for healthcare in Wales.With Senedd elections looming and major political changes likely, we discuss how the Welsh health and care system operates, the challenges facing leaders and the opportunities to shift care closer to communities.We also hear from our own Ian Perrin, assistant director for policy, ICS Network, to unpack the ongoing reorganisation of integrated care boards and the pressures they face following significant budget reductions and shifting national expectations.Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by Health Comms Plus.

In this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by two Australian healthcare leaders working at opposite ends of the globe.Frances Diver is a well-known and respected healthcare executive, having held senior leadership roles for more than 20 years in Victoria, Australia.She is currently chief executive officer at Barwon Health, a major regional health service in Victoria that includes a tertiary hospital and a wide range of community-based services.Professor Lesley Dwyer, is chief executive of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group and has over 30 years of healthcare management experience in Australia and within the NHS.  Together the trio discuss the Australian model of care, how it is more decentralised, and Frances’ work as part of the Health Round Table, a membership organisation of over 200 hospitals across Australia and New Zealand that collects, analyses and publishes extensive data on comparative performance.Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by Health Comms Plus.

The UK’s new National Cancer Plan sets out an ambitious vision for improving survival, speeding up diagnosis and transforming patient experience, but what will it take to turn those commitments into reality? For this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by Gemma Peters, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, to discuss what the plan means for people living with cancer now and in the future. Drawing on Macmillan’s frontline insight, Gemma discusses the rising number of people affected by cancer, the importance of earlier diagnosis, and her enthusiasm for the introduction of personal care plans, which take greater stock of a patient’s needs and wishes.  Together, they explore the opportunities the plan presents, the challenges of delivering more equitable outcomes, and the vital role charities and community organisations play alongside the NHS in cancer care.  We also hear from Chloe Knight, head of EDI communications at the NHS Confederation. She discusses the Confederation’s work in tackling the racial inequalities that continue to negatively shape access, experience and outcomes for NHS staff and patients.  Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast produced by HealthCommsPlus.  

In this episode of Health on the Line, host Matthew Taylor is joined by Professor Sir Mike Richards, chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and one of the most influential figures in modern NHS leadership. Sir Mike reflects on his first year as CQC chair, the challenges of rebuilding confidence in regulation, and how inspection and assessment can better support improvement across health and social care.  The conversation explores CQC reform, defining what good looks like, regulating across systems rather than silos, and the future of integrated and neighbourhood-based care. Matthew and Sir Mike also discuss early diagnosis and screening, lessons from cancer care, the importance of outcomes and culture, and what it will take for regulation to keep pace with the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus. 

Flu season arrived early in the UK this year, fuelling concerns that the NHS would face unprecedented strain over the winter months. Coupled with junior doctor strikes in the run up to Christmas, many feared the system could be pushed to breaking point. Yet, so far at least, the NHS has managed to stay afloat. In this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by Nick Hulme, the departing chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, to explore how the service is really coping this winter. With 46 years of experience in the NHS, from starting out as an A&E porter to leading hospital trusts, Hulme offers a rare perspective on what’s working, what’s changed and where the biggest challenges remain. Hulme reflects on the unexpected impact of junior doctor strikes, describing how they acted as a “firebreak” before Christmas, with consultants on duty able to discharge patients more quickly and reduce admissions at the front door. He also urges national leaders to ease off constant structural reform, arguing instead for giving trusts the space to implement what evidence already shows works. We also hear from Antony Tucker, NHS Confederation’s policy advisor for out-of-hospital care, who shares insights from ambulance service leaders on how they’ve coped so far this winter. Penny Pereira, director of Q community, also joins the conversation to discuss how collaborative improvement across the NHS is evolving as Q community finds a new home at the NHS Confederation. Health on the Line is the NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus. 

This episode of Health on the Line tackles the issue of worsening health inequalities across the UK and the urgent action required to address them.  With the theme of tackling these disparities running throughout the government’s NHS 10 Year Health Plan, there is an opportunity now to realign healthcare with this goal.  To discuss the topic in relation to respiratory disease and vaccine preventable diseases, Matthew Taylor is joined by Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, and Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now. The trio explore how community-based respiratory programmes can improve early diagnosis and treatment access, while expanding vaccine cohorts and raising awareness can help increase coverage against vaccine-preventable disease.  They also consider what kind of practical approaches can help bridge gaps to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities more broadly across the healthcare system.  Matthew is also joined by Sonia Nosheen, assistant director for the Acute Network at the NHS Confederation, to hear about the Confederation’s work supporting members in the area of ophthalmology. The new programme aims to help members deliver care closer to where patients live and work. This episode is non-promotional, sponsored by GSK and developed in partnership with the NHS Confederation. Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus. 

In this episode, Matthew Taylor is joined by Anita Charlesworth, senior economic adviser at the Health Foundation and Lee Outhwaite, chief financial officer of South Yorkshire ICB and President of the HFMA, to tease out the health sector implications of the Autumn Budget.   Together, they discuss measures intended to improve population health, such as scrapping the two-child benefit cap, increasing the gambling tax and extending the sugar levy, and reflect on funding earmarked for neighbourhood health hubs.  They also weigh in on other challenges facing the NHS, including productivity, the need for more incisive healthcare solutions and why long-term planning is needed to improve health outcomes.  Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus.  

For this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor is joined by former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield. They discuss the thorny issue of ill health pushing millions of Britons out of work, and what can be done to tackle it.Mayfield’s recently published government review, which addresses the issue of worklessness and laying out some of the measures needed to deal with the problem, includes a greater role for employers in supporting the health of staff.The conversation explores why economic inactivity due to poor health has surged post COVID-19, and what this means for individuals, employers, and the UK economy. They also touch on how supportive workplaces can keep people healthy, engaged, and in work, to the benefit of everyone.According to Mayfield, the solution isn’t just about the NHS or personal responsibility. Instead, his report calls for a new partnership between employers, individuals and health services to focus on prevention and early intervention.We also hear from Sarah Walter, director of our ICS Network and interim deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, to discuss the latest state of ICSs report. The report found that while four in five ICS leaders are confident their system can fulfil their four core purposes, they also believe NHS reorganisation has created a significant distraction and barrier to systems' progress.Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus.