The King's Fund podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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 Starmer, delivered his first health and care speech since taking office at The King’s Fund annual conference this morning
• The Darzi review of NHS performance signals why radical change is needed (blog)

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 a career advocating for marginalised voices and campaigning for meaningful change. He also explores why the new government should consider this moment as an opportunity to reimagine the health and care system.

• Listening to people and communities – the change we need (event)
• The Darzi review of NHS performance signals why radical change is needed (blog)
• Making patient experience a priority (blog)

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 questions and highlighting some of the important issues that are missing from the national debate.  

The first episode is coming soon, with new episodes dropping each week. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts. 

Want to get involved? Send us your general election questions via email (website@kingsfund.org.uk), LinkedIn or X (formerly known as Twitter) @TheKingsFund and your question might be featured in one of our episodes. 

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

• Digital health and care conference (in-person event)
• What is compassionate leadership? (explainer)

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 discuss what the data doesn't show us and the need for long-term strategies to solve the health and care crisis.

• Where services are at after the winter period (01:15)
• The Spring budget announcements (06:04)
• The need for long-term strategy (09:15)
• Connection between workforce and performance (11:50)
• NHS staff survey 2023 (13:52)
• Public views on the NHS (21:22)
• Recent action on public health interventions (26:04)
• Poverty and NHS services (28:17)
• Reasons to be hopeful (32:28)

Related content

• Public satisfaction with the NHS and social care in 2023: Results of the British Social Attitudes survey
• Beneath the surface: what does the 2023 NHS Staff Survey really tell us?
• The King's Fund's priorities for health and care at the next general election

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 of South Asian Midwives CIC, and Chrissy Brown, founder and Chief Executive of the Motivational Mums Club CIC, to find out.

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, we've put together a list of organisations that can offer advice, information and support.

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 Public Policy at King’s College London.

Related resources

• Tackling health inequalities on NHS waiting lists: learning from local case studies
• Waiting times for elective (non-urgent) treatment: referral to treatment (RTT)

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 courage to do things differently.

Related resources

• Open Wounds exhibition: Tottenham Rights in collaboration with The King’s Fund (event)
• Our work on discrimination and issues of equality and diversity within the health and care workforce (topic page)

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 National Ambulance Team at NHS England.

Related resource

• Those who dare: thinking differently about the health and care workforce (event)