The King's Fund podcast
Episodes
The 10 Year Health Plan: from words to action
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Creating a plan is one thing. Implementing it is another. What are the realities of putting the 10 Year Health plan into action? As implementation of ...
Will the 10 Year Health Plan really tackle the nation's health crisis?
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Health inequalities are widening. Life expectancy is falling. Has the government's 10 Year Health Plan gone far enough when it comes to tackling these...
The 10 Year Health Plan: what is it and what happens next?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After months of waiting, the government's 10 Year Health Plan is finally here. But with a health and care system at breaking point, does the governm...
From nursing to the ministry: the Bishop of London on faith, hope and health inequalities
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How connected are the health and faith sectors? And is there untapped potential in the faith sector to support people's health and wellbeing? Back in ...
Winter pressures and emergency care: a view from A&E
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 durin...
The government's first 100 days and what it means for health and care
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
Making good trouble: Clenton Farquharson CBE on co-production, equity and change
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
Speaking to the public in a pandemic: Jason Leitch
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Let's talk about social prescribing
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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? Ho...
Election special: the new government and a 'broken NHS'?
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ca...
Election special: NHS strikes, A&E pressures and raising taxes to fund the NHS
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Election special: social care plans and manifesto money – do the sums add up?
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew McCracken, Sally Warren and Siva Anandaciva discuss whether the sums add up in the main parties' health and care pledges. The panel also explor...
Election special: manifesto week
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 An...
Election special: NHS budget, community services and the workforce question
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Election special: waiting lists and the fall of the smoking ban
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does the Labour Party plan to clear the NHS backlog? What public health initiatives might be mentioned in party proposals? Join host Andrew McCrac...
Introducing a new election series from The King's Fund podcast
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Dr Waheed Arian on escaping war, becoming a doctor and practising compassionate leadership
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 org...
The next general election: what's the state of health and care?
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 2...
Black maternal health care and community groups: building trust and bridging gaps
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 re...
Strategy, culture and change: a conversation with new CEO Sarah Woolnough
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Elective care waiting lists: are they fair?
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Ratna...
Joy Warmington MBE on anti-racism, leadership and the courage to speak out
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 equa...
Young leaders in health and care: courage, passion and talent
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Vig...
Dr Navina Evans CBE: leadership, learning and the NHS workforce
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How do you solve a problem like NHS workforce planning? Ruth Robertson speaks to Dr Navina Evans CBE about her leadership journey – from starting ou...
75 years of the NHS: how does it compare to international health systems?
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 an...
Acting with intent: Karen Bonner on diversity and belonging in the NHS
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Love, care and hard work: life as an unpaid carer
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jo Vigor speaks to Karen and Yvette, a couple who beautifully demonstrate the varied and essential role that unpaid care work plays in many relationsh...
Leading through uncertainty: a conversation with Dr Fay Gilder and Matthew Rice
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Reimagining the welfare state: health and community with Hilary Cottam OBE
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Charles speaks to Hilary Cottam OBE, internationally acclaimed social entrepreneur and author of Radical Help, about the importance of building n...
NHS managers: trust, compassion and changing the narrative
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is the NHS really full of 'overpaid pen pushers'? Jo Vigor talks to Dr Seema Srivastava, Deputy Medical Director at University Hospitals Bristol and W...
Charting the nation's health with John Burn-Murdoch
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Caring for people and our planet: Dr Dominique Allwood on health inequalities and climate change
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is it possible to tackle climate change without further widening health inequalities? Jo Vigor speaks to Dr Dominique Allwood, Chief Medical Officer a...
The cost-of-living crisis: is the nation's health paying the price?
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Charles speaks to Torsten Bell, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation, Helen Barnard, Associate Director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation...
A dialogue of equals: Stafford Scott on community activism
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Stafford Scott talks about taking a 'constructively awkward' approach to community activism, how the NHS can become a 'national hearing service,' and...
End-of-life care: why we need to talk about dying
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Lesle...
What are the health and care challenges for the next Prime Minister?
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are the immediate health and care pressures the next Prime Minister will need to address once they're in post? Join host, Jo Vigor, and a panel o...
Deep roots: place and trust with Professor Carolyn Wilkins OBE
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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? New h...
Supporting refugee and migrant health care in England
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Inê...
Dr Nikki Kanani: values, vaccines and a vision for general practice
31 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From growing up in her parents' community pharmacy to leading the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out in general practice, Dr Nikki Kanani, Medical Director of ...
Leading with compassion: supporting the health and wellbeing of NHS staff
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The latest NHS Staff Survey results paint a sobering picture of a workforce under intense pressure. Sally Warren, Director of Policy at The King's Fun...
What women want: addressing women's health inequalities
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To mark International Women's Day, host Helen McKenna speaks with Professor Dame Lesley Regan and Dr Janine Austin Clayton about women's health journe...
Protecting the public and supporting staff: Andrea Sutcliffe CBE on leadership and regulation
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Andrea Sutcliffe CBE, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, talks with Helen McKenna about what it takes to cultivate sa...
What just happened? Health and care policy in 2021
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as we take a look over the year that was in health and care, 2021. Helen McKenna and Siva Anandaciva, two of The King's Fund's leading policy ...
What is the Health and Care Bill and why does it matter?
30 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The hidden value of unpaid carers: a conversation with Fatima Khan-Shah
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the risks of under-valuing unpaid carers? How can the health and care system better support them? Helen McKenna talks with Fatima Khan-Shah a...
Learning from Covid-19: what does the future hold for public health?
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Covid-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the public health system and the people who work in it like never before. Helen McKenna sits down with Ma...
'If you're not counted, you don't count': what can be done to tackle LGBTQ+ health inequalities?
16 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
People who identify as LGBTQ+ experience disproportionately worse health outcomes and have poorer experiences when accessing health services. Three ye...
What is the role of the NHS in tackling health inequalities?
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Helen McKenna talks with Dr Bola Owolabi, Director of Health Inequalities at NHS England and NHS Improvement, about the NHS's spheres of influence, th...
The health care of tomorrow? International learning on community, technology, and avoiding digital exclusion
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does the future of care delivery look like? Anna Charles talks with Dr Steven Tierney from Southcentral Foundation in Anchorage, Alaska, and Dr H...
The NHS staff survey: working through Covid-19 and beyond
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Helen McKenna sits down with Suzie Bailey, Director of Leadership and Organisational Development at The King's Fund and Professor Michael West to expl...
What makes a leader? GP trainee, Dr Nish Manek, on getting people behind a purpose
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Sleeping rough during Covid-19 and beyond: a public health emergency?
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What can the NHS do to meet the health needs of people sleeping rough? What was the inside story of the Everyone In initiative during Covid-19? And wi...
Reviewing 2020's most popular podcast episodes
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ian Ford and Sarah Murphy, producers for The King's Fund podcast, sit down to reveal the top three podcast episodes of the year and look ahead to what...
Can the NHS be a truly flexible workplace?
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Helen McKenna sits down with Kate Jarman, Director of communications and corporate affairs at Milton Keynes University Hospital and co-founder of Flex...
Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol: the role of cities and place in shaping health
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Helen McKenna sits down with Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol, to explore his approach to place-based leadership, the NHS's role as a 'place-shaper' ...
Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu: nursing, resilience and building statues
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Host Helen McKenna sits down with Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu to talk about what drew her to nursing, becoming the first Sickle Cell and Thalassa...
Professor Kevin Fenton on the lessons that must be learnt from Covid-19
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Public Health England (PHE) review of disparities in risks and outcomes of Covid-19 showed that the pandemic followed the fault lines of existing ...
Covid-19, racism and the roots of health inequality
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How is Covid-19 repeating patterns of existing health inequalities? What factors are driving the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the health...
Volunteering during Covid-19: human connection in a global pandemic
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
1 June marks the start of Volunteer's Week 2020 and this year, it's even more poignant given the critical role that volunteers have played in the resp...
From contract disputes to Covid-19: tales from a junior doctor
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
What can the first 100 days tell us about the new government?
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The 22 March marked the first 100 days of the new Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Helen McKenna sat down with Michelle M...
Prison health: what happens inside and outside the walls?
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Could prisons be an opportunity to address serious health inequalities? Or do they lead to worse health for people living in prison? Anna Charles expl...
The obligation to dissent: Richard Murray on making an impact on health and care
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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, the role of thi...
Christmas special: our podcast highlights from 2019
24 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Helen McKenna sits down with Ian Ford and Sarah Murphy, the producers of The King's Fund podcast, to look back on their favourite podcast moments of 2...
Professor David Williams on racism, discrimination and the impact they have on health
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How do our life experiences shape our health? What can we do to tackle social inequalities? Helen McKenna spoke with Professor David Williams from Har...
General election 2019: taking the pulse on health and care
29 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What are the main parties saying about health and social care in the general election debate? What comes next in delivering their manifesto pledges? H...
Impatient for change: Prerana Issar on leadership and the NHS workforce
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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, her c...
On the frontline: policing and mental health
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What role do the police play in responding to people in mental health crisis? Helen McKenna talks to Chief Constable Mark Collins, National Police Chi...
The core of care: Dame Donna Kinnair on bravery in leadership and the nursing workforce
30 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How can we address the nursing workforce crisis? Dame Donna Kinnair, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, sits down...
How do you solve a problem like social care funding?
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With the recent Conservative leadership contest and Boris Johnson's inaugural speech as Prime Minister, social care funding reform is firmly back on t...
Dr Partha Kar: superheroes, diabetes and the secret to a happy workforce
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Where are we with diabetes prevention and treatment in England? Helen McKenna sits down with Dr Partha Kar, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology a...
To the moon and back: Don Berwick on politics, leadership and learning from NASA
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What is it like working for Barack Obama and learning from NASA? What are the best and worst aspects of the NHS? Guest host Anna Charles sits down ...
The miracle cure? Exploring a public health approach to serious youth violence
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Professor Dame Sally Davies: public health, Brexit, and breaking barriers
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Who is responsible for our health and wellbeing? Helen McKenna talks with Professor Dame Sally Davies, as she prepares to move on from her role as Chi...
Race equality in the NHS workforce
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What can be done about race inequality in the NHS workforce? How can we ensure representative leadership happens? Helen McKenna talks with Yvonne Cogh...
Working 9 to 5: Poppy Jaman on mental health and the work–life balance
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Professor Sir Chris Ham: longer lives, proudest moments and reaching base camp
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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, Chief ...
Putting the inspector to the test: quality ratings and the CQC
19 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How good is care in the NHS and social care system? What does a hospital inspection actually look like? We talk about quality of care and regulation w...
In conversation with Lord Victor Adebowale: leadership, inequality and diversity in the NHS
10 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Does the NHS work for those who need it most? What does it really mean to lead a system? Helen McKenna sits down with Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Exe...
Healthy places: the link between your health and where you live
06 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What's the relationship between your health and where you live? How do we make places healthier? Helen McKenna talks with Kate Ardern, Director of Pub...
The NHS at 70: blow out the candles and make a wish
18 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 Berwi...
Mind the gap: women and leadership in the NHS
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a glass ceiling for women in health and care? What should be done about it? Following the recent debate about the gender pay gap, Helen McKen...
Trolleys and targets: a never-ending winter for hospitals?
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Does winter ever end for the NHS these days? Helen McKenna talks about winter pressures in A&E with Siva Anandaciva and Matthew Kershaw from The King'...
The NHS: are you satisfied with your health service?
26 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Do we expect too much – or too little – from the NHS? Should taxes increase to fix its problems? Helen McKenna talks about public satisfaction wit...