The King's Fund podcast: Big ideas in health and care

What is anti-racism, and why is it important in the context of health and care? Jo Vigor sits down with Joy Warmington to find out.

What does the future of health and care look like from the perspective of three young leaders?

How do you solve a problem like NHS workforce planning? Ruth Robertson sits down with Dr Navina Evans CBE.

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.

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, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

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.

What is it like to be leading during this difficult and uncertain period for the NHS?

Anna Charles speaks to Hilary Cottam OBE about the importance of building new systems that are equipped to deal with the health challenges of today.

Is the NHS really full of ‘overpaid pen-pushers’? Jo Vigor talks to Dr Seema Srivastava, Emma Challans-Rasool and Rachel Burnham about the critical role of NHS managers and what it means to bring your humanity to work. 

What can data tell us about the health of our nation, and the state of the system meant to help us get better, and stay healthy? In this episode, Siva Anandaciva sits down with Chief Data Reporter at the Financial Times, John Burn-Murdoch.

Is it possible to tackle climate change without further widening health inequalities? Jo Vigor speaks to Dr Dominique Allwood about her leadership journey, why clarity of mission is so important and the challenge of creating a sustainable and equitable health and care system. 

Anna Charles speaks to Torsten Bell, Helen Barnard, Marie Gabriel CBE and Cormac Russell to find out how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting the nation’s health and wellbeing, and what the health and care system can do in response.

Stafford Scott talks about taking a 'constructively awkward' approach to community activism, how the NHS can become a ‘national hearing service,’ and challenges the next generation of leaders to embed themselves in communities and bring people together.

What needs to happen to make sure everyone gets the care and support they need as they approach the end of their lives? Ruth Robertson speaks to Lesley Goodburn, Professor Bee Wee CBE, John Powell MBE and Angie Arnold to find out more.

What are the immediate health and care pressures the next Prime Minister will need to address once they're in post?

What does it mean for public organisations to be ‘of a place’ and not just ‘in a place’? What’s the difference between ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ trust? Ruth Robertson talks with Professor Carolyn Wilkins OBE about leadership across local government and the NHS, cultivating a sense of a place, and how you can influence across local, regional and national levels.

How does the health and care system respond when an asylum seeker, refugee or migrant arrives in England? Join host Siva Anandaciva and guests Dr Inês Campos Matos, Farisai Dzemwa and Kama Petruczenko as they discuss refugee and migrant health care.

From growing up in her parents’ community pharmacy to leading the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in general practice, Dr Nikki Kanani talks about the values at the heart of her leadership, the power of community, and general practice for the next generation.

The latest NHS Staff Survey results paint a sobering picture of a workforce under intense pressure. Sally Warren speaks to Annie Laverty and Steve Ned about the practical steps leaders at every level can take to support staff.

To mark International Women’s Day, host Helen McKenna speaks with Professor Dame Lesley Regan and Dr Janine Austin Clayton about women’s health journeys.

Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, talks with Helen McKenna about what it takes to cultivate safe, kind and effective care, getting regulation right, and what meaningful co-production with the public looks like.

Senior Fellow Helen McKenna and Chief Analyst Siva Anandaciva take a look back at the big issues in health and care in 2021.

The Health and Care Bill could lead to major changes in how health care is organised in England. But what is the Bill ultimately trying to achieve and how will it make a difference to the care we receive? Siva Anandaciva sits down with Richard Murray and Dame Ruth Carnall to find out.

Helen McKenna talks with Fatima Khan-Shah about the role and value of unpaid carers, Fatima's leadership journey, and the importance of being your authentic self at work.

Helen McKenna speaks to Matthew Ashton, Director of Public Health in Liverpool and Tracy Daszkiewicz, Deputy Director of Population Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, to explore what they’ve learnt from their experiences during the pandemic and what the future holds for public health.

Three years on from the Government’s LGBT action plan, Helen McKenna sat down with Dr Michael Brady and Michelle Ross to explore the health inequalities LGBTQ+ people face and what needs to happen to make sure health services are inclusive.

Helen McKenna talks with Dr Bola Owolabi about the power of gathering around a common cause and whether the experience of the pandemic will lead to a step change in tackling health inequalities.

What does the future of care delivery look like? Anna Charles talks with Dr Steven Tierney and Dr Henry Chung to explore how they have transformed their health systems to better support local communities, and how to address digital exclusion in an increasingly digital world.

Helen McKenna sits down with Suzie Bailey and Professor Michael West to explore the results of the 2020 NHS Staff Survey and discuss how the NHS can create an inclusive, compassionate, and supportive working environment for staff.

Helen McKenna speaks with Dr Nish Manek, a GP trainee and founder of the NextGen leadership programme, about her leadership journey, how she’s dealt with imposter syndrome, and the impact of Covid-19 on how we deliver primary care.

What can the NHS do to meet the health needs of people sleeping rough? Will the government end rough sleeping by 2024? Helen McKenna sits down with Dame Louise Casey, recent Chair of the Prime Minister’s Rough Sleeping Taskforce, Dr Caroline Shulman, a GP working in inclusion health, and Paul Atherton (FRSA), who shares his lived experience of homelessness.

Helen McKenna sits down with Kate Jarman, Director of communications and corporate affairs at Milton Keynes University Hospital and co-founder of Flex NHS to discuss what working flexibly means in practice, communicating during Covid-19 and activism in the health service.

Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu sits down with host Helen McKenna to talk about what drew her to nursing, becoming the first Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia nurse specialist in the UK, and how to remain positive in the face of adversity.

Anna Charles sat down with Professor Kevin Fenton to learn more about the findings of Public Health England's review of disparities in risks and outcomes of Covid-19, his career journey, and his hopes for health and wellbeing in London.

Anna Charles sat down with Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, to find out about volunteering during Covid-19, the NHS Volunteer Responders scheme and how we can ensure that widespread community engagement can last beyond the current crisis and into the long term. 

What’s it like for clinicians working through the Covid-19 pandemic? And what really happened during the junior doctor dispute in 2015? Anna Charles talks with Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, GP trainee and former chair of the BMA Junior Doctors Committee.

On 10 March, Helen McKenna sat down with three experts guests to explore what the first 100 days can tell us about the government’s intentions for health and care, as well as how - in this new political environment - organisations can influence and affect change.

Does living in prison lead to worse health? And how could prisons be an opportunity to address serious health inequalities? Anna Charles explores the health and wellbeing of people living in prison, their access to health and care services, and what happens on release. She’s joined by Dr Jake Hard, Christina Marriott, Chantal Edge, and Kate Morrissey.

What is it like being the Chief Executive of The King’s Fund? Helen McKenna spoke with Richard Murray about his first year in the job, our new strategy and his vision for the health and care system.

How do our life experiences shape our health? What can we do to tackle social inequalities? Helen McKenna spoke with Professor David Williams from Harvard University about his research into the social influences on health.

What are the main parties saying about health and social care in the general election debate? What comes next in delivering their manifesto pledges? Helen McKenna sits down with Sally Warren, Siva Anandaciva and Dave Buck from The King’s Fund.

What’s the scale of the challenge currently facing the NHS workforce? Prerana Issar sits down with Helen McKenna to discuss the NHS People Plan and her career journey.

What role do the police play in responding to people in mental health crisis? Helen McKenna talks to Chief Constable Mark Collins, National Police Chief’s Council Lead for Mental Health, Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of the Centre for Mental Health and Marsha McAdam, an expert by experience and Co-Chair of the Greater Manchester Personality Disorder Strategy Group.

How can we address the nursing workforce crisis? Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, sits down with Helen McKenna to talk about nursing, workforce pressures and leadership.

Where are we with diabetes prevention and treatment in England? Helen McKenna sits down with Dr Partha Kar, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, to talk about progress so far, the NHS workforce, and his leadership journey.

Guest host Anna Charles sits down with Professor Don Berwick, President Emeritus at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, to explore his career, the relationship between politics and health, and how to create joy in work.

What’s the best way to tackle serious youth violence such as knife crime? What does a public health approach look like and does it work? Helen McKenna sits down with Karyn McCluskey, who pioneered this approach in Glasgow, and Martin Griffiths, Vascular/ Trauma Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust.

Who is responsible for our health and wellbeing? Helen McKenna talks with Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, about public health, her career, and the challenges of being a female clinical leader.

What can be done about race inequality in the NHS workforce? How can we ensure representative leadership happens? Helen McKenna talks with Yvonne Coghill, Dionne Daniel and Ben Morrin.

What should employers be doing to keep us well? And what language should we use when we talk about mental health? Poppy Jaman OBE, Chief Executive of City Mental Health Alliance, chats with Helen McKenna about mental health in the workplace, and shares her advice for future leaders.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode eight. Is the NHS inherently political? What are the biggest changes in health in the past 40 years? Helen McKenna talks with Professor Sir Chris Ham about his career so far, health policy and what makes a good leader.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode seven: how good is care in the NHS and social care system? What does a hospital inspection actually look like? Helen McKenna talks with Chris Day, Ruth Robertson and Simon Bottery.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode six. In conversation with Lord Victor Adebowale: leadership, inequality and diversity in the NHS.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode five: what’s the relationship between your health and where you live? Helen McKenna talks with Kate Ardern, André Pinto and Chris Naylor.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode four: as the NHS turns 70, what state is it in? What will it look like in another 70 years? Helen McKenna talks about how the NHS is changing with Don Berwick, Ceinwen Giles and Siva Anandaciva.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode three: is there a glass ceiling for women in health and care? Helen McKenna talks about leadership and gender in the NHS with Jane Dacre, Anne-Marie Archard, Sam Jones and Deborah Ward.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode two: Does winter ever end for the NHS these days? Helen McKenna talks about winter pressures in A&E with Siva Anandaciva and Matthew Kershaw.

A podcast about big ideas in health and care. Episode one: Do we expect too much – or too little – from the NHS? Should taxes increase to fix its problems? Helen McKenna talks about public satisfaction with the NHS with Ruth Robertson and Dan Wellings.