Health On The Line

The King’s Speech, perhaps more than anything else, signals where the new government’s priorities really lie: what made it in and what was left out speaks volumes. To scratch beneath the surface, Matthew Taylor talks to Sam Freedman, public policy expert and commentator, about the implications of the proposed bills, and Natasha Curry, deputy director of policy at the Nuffield Trust, about the government’s pronouncements social care so far. 

In this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor interviews journalist and author Isabel Hardman and former health advisor Paul Corrigan, who has since been announced as a new advisor to the Department for Health and Social Care. They reflect on the election result and early announcements, the new Government's approach to the health service, and the need for long-term planning and investment. They also explore the role of integrated care systems, the importance of collaboration between departments, and the challenges of funding and productivity in the healthcare sector.

Not long after the general election was announced, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned that the UK’s fiscal position will hang over the campaign like a dark cloud. With less than a week until polling day, questions are mounting about what an incoming government is likely to inherit and what that might mean for public finances in the next parliament. In this episode, Matthew Taylor talks to Carl Emmerson, deputy director of the IFS and Anita Charlesworth, director of research at the Health Foundation’s REAL Centre, to consider the financial picture awaiting a new government and what that means for health and social care. Before that, Cate McLaurin, director at Public Digital, reflects on recent cyberattacks on the NHS.

In this NHS ConfedExpo special, Matthew Taylor is joined by journalist Victoria Macdonald and former political adviser Richard Sloggett to consider the future of the NHS in the context of the general election. Dissecting the main political parties’ pledges and promises, they surface the unanswered questions and issues on which the parties have fallen silent. Get their take the thorny issues of social care, healthcare funding and industrial action, the shift towards prevention and community-based care, and what a new government should do in its first 100 days.Victoria Macdonald is health and social care editor at Channel 4 NewsRichard Sloggett is the founder and programme director of Future Health and former Department for Health special adviser

A critique sometimes levelled at parts of the NHS is that it suffers from a listening problem; that it talks a good game when it comes to community engagement, but does not always follow through. Yet in South London, a unique initiative is underway that challenges this notion. In this episode, Matthew Taylor is joined by Sir Norman Lamb and Matthew Bolton, who, together with a range of local partners, have spearheaded South London Listens – community engagement, but not as you know it. Discover more about the novel approach and why community engagement must be seen as part of how health and care truly deals with the wider determinants of health.Plus, with the NHS experiencing the tightest financial challenge in years, we speak to health and care finance expert Sally Gainsbury, for her take on the financial outlook facing the NHS. Weighing in on theefficiency targets facing NHS leaders, she shares why a healthy dose of realism is needed now more than ever.Sir Norman Lamb is chair of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and taskforce co-chair for South London ListensMatthew Bolton is executive director of Citizens UKSally Gainsbury is senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust

By the end of 2023, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust had made the most improvement on waiting lists for emergency care than any other trust in England. How did they do it? In this episode, Matthew Taylor sits down with the trust’s chief executive, Matthew Trainer, to find out more, and they get candid about leadership and improvement in testing times. Matthew details the challenges faced since taking up post in 2021 and how investment in management, staff engagement, primary and community care and digital transformation has supported the London trust’s improvement journey.Plus, with the results of the mayoral elections now in, Matthew Taylor unpacks why they matter to the NHS. He is joined by the NHS Confederation’s head of health economic partnerships, Michael Wood, who explains why metro mayors should be seen as ‘chief delivery officers’ and why the country is becoming more accustomed to devolution. 

Vaccinations are one of the most effective public health interventions, but what evidence is there of their economic and social value? Is there really a return on investment and what are the interlinks with health, work and prosperity? In this episode, Matthew Taylor put these questions, and more, to Lotte Steuten, deputy chief executive of the Office of Health Economics and Chris Thomas, head of the Health and Prosperity Commission at the IPPR, whose organisations have delved into the detail of these issues.Tune in for insights on the ROI to the economy and health service, implications on elective recovery, the impact of in-work sickness and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.Advisory note: A number of licenses have now been granted for vaccinations and immunisations against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the UK.

With a general election looming, how does the public really feel about the NHS? And how are the main political parties responding? To scratch beneath the surface, Matthew Taylor sits down with Kate Duxbury and James Frayne to explore attitudes towards the health service. Delving into views on access, performance and staff and perceptions on waste, efficiency and spend, they consider where next for the NHS. Kate is a research director leading health policy research at Ipsos. James Frayne is a founding partner at Public First.

In this episode of Health on the Line, host Matthew Taylor takes a deep dive into the state of primary care in England with special guest Professor Aruna Garcea. As a leading figure in primary care and a practising GP, Professor Garcea offers insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. From increasing demand to the uncertainty surrounding funding and industrial action, they explore the complexities of sustaining quality care amid financial pressures.