We look back at our pick of the pod from 2024.

As 2024 draws to a close, what to make of the year’s developments in health and care?

As yet, a murky picture on NHS reform and on how the new Labour government’s five missions will work in practice; a pressing need to improve the health of the working-age population; and some promising ways forward for technology to improve care, quality and productivity in the NHS.

In this episode, we also revisit how to drive the economic growth we need to fund high-quality public services, search for clues about what might be behind the worrying rise in cancer rates among younger adults, and explore what the latest evidence tells us about inequalities in health across ethnic groups in the UK.

This episode also marks our 50th – meaning there’s a great back catalogue for you to enjoy. Join our Chief Executive Dr Jennifer Dixon as we reflect with guests who appeared on the podcast in 2024.

All-time top performing episodes

Health Foundation (2020). Low life expectancy in Glasgow, and what to do about it.

Health Foundation (2021). Inside the teen mind: what’s happening to mental health?

Health Foundation (2020). What should nanny do next? The government and obesity.

Health Foundation (2023). AI in health care: hope or hype?

Health Foundation (2021). We are what we eat: food, health and inequality.

Show notes

John Burn-Murdoch (2024). What if the UK isn’t actually the sick man of Europe? Financial Times.

Barnsley MBC (2024). Pathways to Work: Commission Report.

Edwards & Dayan (2024). Leagues tables for the NHS.

180. The Future Self Method: Accessing the Life You’re Meant to Live with Peter Oppermann