The Provider Podcast

In our podcast we aim to take you to the part of the NHS you may not always hear. From NHS senior leaders to frontline hospital staff, we want to show you what trusts up and down the country are working hard around the clock to achieve. Whether you're looking for methods of best practice, to learn more about how the NHS works, to be inspired by fellow NHS colleagues, or to perhaps understand the political landscape better, we are here to help support and deliver the provider perspective in the NHS. Subscribe to our podcast below to keep updated. If you're looking to get in touch regarding the podcast, please contact us here.

Latest podcast

Digital Boards: Lessons from national leaders

In this episode of our Digital Boards season, Saffron Cordery speaks with national NHS leaders Navina Evans, Health Education England chief executive, and Sonia Patel, NHSX chief information officer, about digital acceleration, tackling health inequalities in digital, what trust boards should prioritise to progress their digital maturity and how trusts can support their workforce during digital transformation.

This is our final episode in our Digital Boards season, if you would like to listen back to previous episodes you can find them listed below.

Recorded: 19 April 2021
Released: 27 May 2021

Listened to this over lunch and thought it was a superb podcast. Really fascinating and insightful.

Just wanted to say have listened to the podcast – it is totally brilliant and actually really helped me to understand the benefit of the work we do.

Our full list of podcasts:

Season five

Digital Boards: Lessons from other sectors

This episode is the first in our Digital Boards series, linking into our Digital Boards programme, we speak to three non-executive directors who share the lessons they've learnt from other sectors for digital transformation which can help shape the NHS' digital journey.

This recording was taken from a live virtual Digital Boards event earlier in 2021, and is chaired by Chris Fleming, Public Digital founder.

Hear from non executive directors Sumit Biswas, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Pankaj Davé, University hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, and Lynne Mellor, York teaching hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Recorded: 22 February 2021
Released: 29 April 2021

Digital Boards: Lessons from clinical leadership

In this episode of our Digital Boards season, Saffron Cordery speaks with chief clinical information officers, Ayesha Rahim, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, and Annalise McNair, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, as they discuss the importance of their roles and the role of the clinician in digital transformation. Hear as they cover how their role is fundamental in digital progress, how trust boards can ensure clinicians are part of the process, and the questions boards should be asking.

Recorded: 13 April 2021
Released:6 May 2021

Digital Boards: Lessons from diverse leadership

In this episode of our Digital Boards season, Saffron Cordery speaks with Shera Chok, The Shuri Network co-founder and chair, NHS Digital deputy chief medical officer and NHS England and NHS Improvement national clinical advisor, Patricia Miller OBE, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chief executive and board director for the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and Andy Callow group chief digital information officer at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust  and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust.

They discuss why representation matters in digital and across wider services, what practical steps boards should be taking to improve diversity, the importance of inclusivity in the recruitment process, how the diversity of the workforce and wider communities is not represented adequately in its leadership and how this can negatively impact digital products and services which are shaped through a biased 'single lens'.

Recorded: 26 April 2021
Released: 13 May 2021

Digital Boards: Lessons from technology suppliers

In this episode of our Digital Boards season, Saffron Cordery speaks with UK based technology suppliers about the relationship between digital teams in the NHS and technology, and how to journey along that collaborative relationship. This episode welcomes Andreas Haimboeck-Tichy, IBM director, Health and Social Care Council at Tech UK chair, and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust non executive director, Shane Tickell, TempleBlack chief executive and founder and Health and Social Care Council at Tech UK vice chair, and Dr Nicholas Andreou, Locums Nest co-founder.

Recorded: 10 May 2021
Released: 20 May 2021

Digital Boards: Lessons from national leaders

In this episode of our Digital Boards season, Saffron Cordery speaks with national NHS leaders Dr Navina Evans, Health Education England chief executive, and Sonia Patel, NHSX chief information officer, about digital acceleration, tackling health inequalities in digital, what trust boards should prioritise to progress their digital maturity and how trusts can support their workforce during digital transformation.

This is our final episode in our Digital Boards season.

Recorded: 19 April 2021
Released: 27 May 2021

Season four

COVID-19 One Year On: Reporting the pandemic

Our brand new season COVID-19 One Year On of The Provider Podcast starts with an exclusive episode with leading health journalists Hugh Pym from the BBC, Kat Lay from The Times, and Denis Campbell from The Guardian, on their experiences of reporting the pandemic, and the challenges they have faced in telling its true story.

Recorded: 19 March 2021
Released: 25 March 2021

COVID-19 One Year On: The NHS Workforce

In this episode we talk about the impact of workforce vacancies in the NHS, the issues surrounding the 1% pay rise and whether COVID-19 vaccinations should be mandatory for NHS staff and health care workers.

Hear from Siobhan Melia, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, Richard Mitchell, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, and Saffron Cordery, NHS Providers deputy chief executive.

Recorded: 24 March 2021
Released: 8 April 2021

COVID-19 One Year On: Beyond the Pandemic

In this episode we talk about the importance of mental health support for NHS staff, the role of the NHS in addressing health inequalities, the neglect of social care and how the NHS will need to adapt for the future, including addressing waiting lists for cancer treatments.

Hear from Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, Patricia Miller Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, Sam Allen Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, and Chris Hopson NHS Providers chief executive.

Recorded: 29 March, 2021
Released: 15 April, 2021

COVID-19 One Year On: Questions with Jeremy Hunt

In this episode we speak to MP Jeremy Hunt, former health secretary and current chair of the health and social care select committee, on his perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns around the initial response, issues on workforce and social care, and the government's legislative plans for the health service. Chris Hopson, NHS Providers chief executive, also joins Adam Brimelow in the conversation surrounding Jeremy Hunt's experience and role as the pandemic takes this next phase.

Recorded: 19 April, 2021
Released: 22 April, 2021

Season three

Winter Watch: Breaking the ice

Adam Brimelow, NHS Providers director of communications, leads us through alongside our #NHSWinterWatch campaign, for winter 2020/21. Throughout this series we'll be talking to experts in the NHS, including leaders from Care Quality Commission, about what winter holds for the NHS.

In this live virtual episode, we have a quick chat with experts from our very own NHS Providers analysis team, Claire Helm NHS Providers senior analysis manager and Julian Russell NHS Providers senior research analyst, about what trusts can expect over the coming winter months, the impact of COVID-19, and statistics from our first week of #NHSWinterWatch.

Released: 17 December 2020

Winter Watch: The Perfect Storm

In this episode, Adam Brimelow, NHS providers director of communications, speaks to Chris Hopson, NHS Providers chief executive, on the current situation in the NHS, the impact of misinformation and COVID-19 denial, and whether the vaccine really is a way out of lockdown.

Recorded 12 January 2021
Released: 14 January 2021

Winter Watch: Immense Pressure

In this episode, Adam Brimelow, NHS providers director of communications, speaks to Care Quality Commission colleagues Heidi Smoult, deputy chief inspector for hospitals, and Debbie Ivanova, deputy chief inspector for adult social care, about the concerns surrounding winter inspections, infection prevention and control, and their clinician support tool Patient FIRST.

Released: 28 January 2021
Recorded: 21 January 2021

Winter Watch: Balancing Act

In this episode, we have a quick chat with experts from our very own NHS Providers analysis team, Claire Helm NHS Providers senior analysis manager and Julian Russell senior research analyst, about the developments in COVID-19 pressures, the impact of infection prevention measures, and what NHS trusts can expect in the coming months.

Released: 11 February 2021
Recorded: 5 February 2021

Winter Watch: Questions with Amanda Pritchard

In this episode, Adam Brimelow and Chris Hopson speak with Amanda Pritchard, NHS England and NHS Improvement chief operating officer, on the past year, the legacy the NHS will hold, and her own personal message to health care workers.

Recorded 22 February 2021
Released: 25 February 2021

Winter Watch: The Impact

In our final episode for our NHS Winter Watch series we talk to our in-house analysis experts, Claire Helm and Julian Russell, as we decipher the impact that COVID-19 has had on the NHS over the winter months. We discuss the scale of comparison from previous winters, review critical care, and reflect on the great work of trusts leading us into the future.

Recorded: 5 March 2021
Released: 11 March 2021

Season two

Continuing the conversation: Diversity in the NHS

The NHS is the largest employer of black and minority ethnic people, yet research shows the NHS treat black and minority ethnic staff less favourably in their recruitment, promotion, discipline, and career progression. The COVID-19 pandemic and the events following the death of George Floyd have shone a light on how much more need to be done to tackle discrimination. Part of a series of NHS Providers’ work on tackling race inequality, this panel discussion looked at whether enough has been done to continue the conversation about race, and the steps that boards can take to improve the diversity of the workforce and how to support a more inclusive future pipeline of NHS leaders. On this panel, we welcomed our conference chair Samira Ahmed well known for her work in TV broadcasting and journalism, Patricia Miller who is chief executive at Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Roger Kline a research fellow at Middlesex University. Released: 15 October 2020

NHS Communicators: In the eye of the storm

In this episode, we'll be sharing the panel discussion from our session on NHS communications. The pandemic has presented extraordinary challenges for people working in trust communications. Many have found themselves working under incredible pressure and facing sever scrutiny. In this session, we reflected on some of those high-profile situations and the key role communications has in shaping and delivering a response. On this panel, Ross Wigham who is both deputy director of communications at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation trust and our communication leads network chair, is chairing the session. Our panel speakers are: Michael Carden, head of media and corporate communications at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Emma Casteleijn, director of communications and engagement at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Julie Treharne, head of communications and engagement at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Dan Charlton, director of communications at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Released: 22 October 2020

Changing mindsets: Confronting white privilege in the NHS

In this episode we look back on our session focusing on confronting white privilege in the NHS. Racism exists in the NHS, as in wider society. Change will need to be led from the top. In this discussion we explored how trust leaders are challenging themselves and their organisations to identify and tackle race inequality, reflecting on the real harm it causes to staff and patients, and identifying the steps needed to make the NHS anti-racist. The discussion is chaired by Raj Jain, chief executive at Salford Royal Foundation Trust and Pennine Acute Hospital Trust with speakers: Richard Mitchell, chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Roisin Fallon Williams, chief executive of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust  and Patricia Miller, chief executive at Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust. Released: 29 October 2020

Digital Boards: What does a new era of digital leadership mean?

In this episode, we'll be sharing the panel discussion from our session on digital transformation in the NHS. The NHS' response to COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation across health and care. Since then trust boards have placed digital at the heart of the restoration and recovery of services. In this session, Public Digital, who we work closely with to produce our Digital Boards programme, sit beside leaders from Health Education England and NHSX along with two trusts, about the consequences of these new ways of working, and how trust leaders can build strong digital leadership within their organisations. Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive at NHS Providers chairs the panel, with speakers: Dr Navina Evans, chief executive at Health Education England, Andrew Greenway, Partner of Public Digital, Sam Allen, chief executive at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Chrishni Waring, Chair of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Released: 5 November 2020

Mental Health: The impact of COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted not just physical health but also the mental health of the nation. This discussion from our Annual Conference on 8 October looks at the impact of coronavirus and the wider socio-economic consequences of the UK’s response to the pandemic on mental health and wellbeing, the likely shape of demand for mental health services in the coming months and what the sector needs to be able to meet it.  Chairing this session is Samira Ahmed, Journalist and Broadcaster, with panelists Professor Sir Simon Wessley, King’s College London regius professor of psychiatry, Angela Hillary, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust  chief executive, and Mark Brown, Social Spider development director. Released: 12 November 2020

Season one

NHS Providers: NHS Interim People Plan

21 August, 2019 Following the publication of the interim NHS People Plan, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson speaks to NHS Improvement chair Dido Harding and Health Education England chair Sir David Behan about why the interim plan is a significant moment and offers a good start to addressing workforce challenges in the NHS.

Care Quality Commission: Effective staffing

2 September, 2019 Workforce pressures remain the number one concern for NHS trust leaders. Given these challenges, it is important that trusts are able to use the staff available to greatest effect. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has published a briefing with case studies offering examples of good practice. In this podcast Chris Hopson, NHS Providers’ chief executive, discusses these issues with the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, Prof Ted Baker.

General election 2019: social care

5 December, 2019 Adam Brimelow, NHS Providers director of communications, speaks to Miriam Deakin, NHS Providers director of policy and strategy, on why social care is such a crucial issue for the NHS.

Demonstrating your worth: how communications can get you to the top

24 January, 2020 Adam Brimelow sits down with Kevin McNamara, Great Western Hospitals acting chief executive, and Caroline Docking, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals assistant chief executive, to discuss their journeys from communication lead to chief executive.

Mental health: Past, present and future

17 February, 2020 Saffron Cordery, NHS Providers deputy chief executive, speaks to Melanie Walker, our chair of the mental health network and chief executive at Devon Partnership NHS Trust, to discuss what the key opportunities and challenges are for the sector this year and beyond.