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 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…

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 …

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 hi…

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 t…

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 …

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 listene…

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 gen…

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 transfo…

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 …

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 electi…

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 question…

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 Dig…

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 dis…

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…

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 Pu…

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 c…

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 Nation…

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…

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…

How can we ensure that health and care staff from all backgrounds feel respected, valued and listened to at work? Siva Anandaciva sits down with Karen Bonner, Chief Nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, to talk about the value of having a diverse workforce, and how we can make the health and care system fairer for staff, patients, and comm…

Jo Vigor speaks to Karen and Yvette, a couple who beautifully demonstrate the varied and essential role that unpaid care work plays in many relationships. As they share their story we learn what support they currently receive, and what could make a positive difference. Later in the episode, Jo is joined by Deborah Fenney to talk about our recent re…

What is it like to be leading during this difficult and uncertain period for the NHS? Ruth Robertson sits down with Dr Fay Gilder, Medical Director of the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust and Matthew Rice, one of our senior leadership consultants, to find out. Join us for a conversation about leadership, vulnerability and self-care. Related re…

Anna Charles speaks to Hilary Cottam OBE, internationally acclaimed social entrepreneur and author of Radical Help, about the importance of building new systems that are equipped to deal with the health challenges of today, and the need to foster ‘horizontal’ bonds between communities and public services. Related resources Lessons from the Wigan De…