HSJ Health Check

On this episode we unpick the ongoing tensions among leaders and senior doctors at one of the biggest trusts in England. University Hospitals Birmingham - previously a flagship teaching trust with an influential leadership - has been through the mire over the past few years, with a string of concerns over culture and care quality. A new top team says it is tackling deep-seated problems, but over recent months rows have flared publicly over consultants’ overtime pay, confidence in its leadership, and questionable international training schemes. Also this week, a new senior appointment at NHS England, and what it could mean for the government’s 10-year health plan.

This week the team looks at the new elective recovery plan launched this month. The government has tightened to focus on what improvement looks like and introduced some new incentives, but will it be enough? We also take a look at the ever-contentious New Hospitals Programme. Bureau chief Ben Clover is joined by Henry Anderson and Zoe Tidman.

The HSJ Health Check team reveals our predictions for the big issues — and unexpected developments — in 2025, on this week’s Christmas podcast. What to expect in reform, finance, integration, primary care, workforce and more in the coming 12 months. With HSJ deputy editor Dave West, senior correspondent Henry Anderson, and correspondent Mimi Launder. Send thoughts, tips, story ideas to ben.clover@hsj.co.uk

This week the team looks at the fallout from the government’s positions on staff pay from band 2 to VSM via the banks and agencies. Bureau chief Ben Clover is joined by reporters Henry Anderson and Alison Moore.

This week bureau chief Ben Clover is joined by Mimi Launder and Joe Talora. The team talk about who is really in charge of overseeing providers and what Labour’s big plan to overhaul the health tech sector might mean.

This week, the podcast looks at accountability in the NHS and the Thirlwall Inquiry

This week guest host Ben Clover is joined by emergency care correspondent Matt Discombe and safety correspondent Emily Townsend. The team unpack the many policy implications of announcements made at last week's NHS Providers conference, as well as a big moment in the main auditorium. A worrying development with echoes of the Noughties also comes under the spotlight

ICS leader Fiona Edwards, trust chief Daniel Elkeles, and policy guru Nigel Edwards join the HSJ podcast to tell us what's needed from the government's 10-year health plan. Helping and reforming general practice will be crucial, they agreed, but what should be dictated nationally and what must be left to national decisions?

This week on the HSJ Health Check podcast, guest host Ben Clover is joined by the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers to talk money, quality and the CQC

This week guest host Ben Clover and the team look at what no money for winter means for the NHS, and how real a bold new integration scheme is.