Health On The Line

With economic inactivity at an all-time high, how can national and local systems unlock the potential of millions who would like to work if they had the right support and employment opportunities? To consider the issues, Matthew Taylor is joined by Rt Hon Alan Milburn, former health secretary under Tony Blair. As chair of the pioneering Pathways to Work Commission, he calls for a rethink of how the NHS is perceived, arguing that its power to drive economic growth should be a core component of future health and economic policy. Matthew also speaks to Michael Wood, the NHS Confederation’s head of health economic partnerships, about the new government’s ambitions in this area, including the WorkWell initiative set to begin in October 2024.

Just over two years on from their formal establishment, integrated care systems (ICSs) are continuing to contend with a range of challenges. But green shoots are emerging and the opportunities before them are starting to be more fully explored. Paul Mears, chief executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board in Wales and former chief executive of Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset, talks to Matthew Taylor about his experiences working within ICSs and in Wales. Reflecting on managing demand, emergency care models, local collaboration and community care, he offers his view on what will support systems to thrive.Plus, Chris Thomas returns to explore how systems can unleash health and prosperity throughout Britain. Sharing findings from a new joint report, Chris, head of the IPPR's Commission on Health and Prosperity, considers what's needed to shift the dial on healthy life expectancy.This resource has been developed for relevant UK healthcare decision makers and stakeholders. The NHS Confederation is responsible for the editorial content of this resource. This resource forms part of a Collaborative Working Agreement between Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd and the NHS Confederation. Funding for the Collaborative Working Agreement and this podcast is provided by Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd.The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers only.UK | MLR ID: FA-11248088 | August 2024

If there was any doubt over the importance of public health policy, the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to the notion. But with an 18-year difference in healthy life expectancy between the most deprived and affluent communities, are we missing a trick when it comes to public health? In this episode, Matthew Taylor puts the question to Professor Kevin Fenton, a public health specialist and infectious disease epidemiologist who has played a pivotal role in shaping public health in the UK and abroad. Unpacking what public health is and covers, Professor Fenton also argues that a productive economy needs a healthy population; tackling broader issues such as health inequalities and community health are key to this.

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.