Prevention is the New Cure

In this episode of Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell chat to Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund.Sarah Woolnough argues that health is not made in hospitals — it is shaped by housing, education, environment and regulation. The discussion explores whether the UK needs a fundamental shift away from a “sickness service” towards long-term health investment.🔍 Key topics include:Whether Keir Starmer’s proposed social media age limits represent real reform or political signallingThe impact of the Online Safety Act 2023 on child protectionA new £20m addiction and gambling prevention fundWhy health tech innovation struggles inside the NHSWhether NICE’s new HealthTech Access Programme could transform adoptionWhy prevention always loses to acute pressures like A&E and GP accessThe political risks of continuing to expand NHS spending without structural reformPlus: why dog ownership may reduce dementia risk by 40%.This episode celebrates the third anniversary of the podcast!Steve and James look back on the different iterations of the show and reflect on three years of the best health and politics podcast around!🎧 Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation📩 Email: preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.com📱 WhatsApp the show: 0333 404 6507 Did you know? This podcast is one of the top health and social care podcasts around. Help make us #1 by following our show today. This episode is produced by Shortbread Media; production Tim Pont / Calum Macdonald. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell sit down with Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS England, for a wide-ranging and candid discussion about the future of the NHS.Sir Jim addresses the crisis facing NHS demand, the limits of hospital-centric care, and why prevention, neighbourhood health systems, and disruptive reform are essential if the NHS is to survive the next decade.🔍 Key topics include:Why the NHS “can’t carry on doing things the same way”The reality behind the 10-Year NHS PlanShifting funding from hospitals into community and preventative careThe future of GP health checks — and why GPs are dividedCan prevention really reduce demand on hospitals?NHS productivity, technology, and patient-owned dataLessons from Northumbria’s whole-system health modelThe role of community pharmacy in preventionResident doctors’ strikes and workforce moraleMaternity safety, regulation, and patient trustHow political instability impacts NHS decision-makingoh and his beloved Newcastle Football Club!This episode goes beyond slogans and gets into the hard trade-offs facing health leaders: money, workforce, culture, and whether the NHS can truly shift from crisis response to prevention.🎧 Listen, subscribe, and join the conversation📩 Email: preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.com📱 WhatsApp the show: 0333 404 6507 Did you know? This podcast is one of the top health and social care podcasts around. Help make us #1 by following our show today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special episode this week of the health and politics podcast, Prevention is the new cure, as Ministers finally publish the National Cancer Plan.Steve & James talk exclusively to NHS National Clinical Director, Professor Peter Johnson, about the ambition which says 75% of people diagnosed from 2035 will survive long term and meeting the 62-days cancer waiting time standard by the end of this Parliament. In a wide-ranging conversation, they also talk wider cancer prevention, multi-cancer detection tests and the cancer workforce.And Professor Johnson responds to today's story that testing menstrual blood for signs of cervical cancer could be a new and accurate way of screening for the disease.In their look at this week's main news in health and politics, the former Ministers consider reports in The Times (£) which claim an 86,000 drop in waiting lists heralded by Ministers was achieved only by removing thousands of patients from the waiting list through a process known as ‘validation'. And they consider the political implications of the BMA's ballot renewal which could see further strike action by Resident Doctors.You can find former episodes via Podfollow and get us on all our social media channel via LinkTr.Please remember to follow our show and thanks for listening!Co-hosts: Steve Brine & James BethellEpisode producer: Calum MacdonaldThis episode is produced as part of the Shortbread Media family of podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve & James return with episode 82 of the health and politics podcast, Prevention is the new cure.This week, to mark Stroke Prevention Day on Thursday, the guys talk to Juliet Bouverie from the Stroke Association about signs, symptoms and red flags.And they look ahead to the long-awaited National Cancer Plan which is expected to be published next week. What can we expect from the first plan since 2018?Also on this episode; the WHO confirms the UK has lost its measles elimination status, James speaking at the counter-fraud conference next month and NHS England is set to significantly enhance its bowel cancer screening programme, aiming to detect thousands more cases at an earlier, more treatable stage.You can access the archive via Podfollow and find us on all social at our LinkTree page.You can email the team - preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.comThanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve and James return with episode 81 of the health and politics podcast, Prevention is the new cure.They chat just hours after James (Lord Bethell) led the charge on a debate in the House of Lords which saw Peers vote through an amendment which would ban under-16's from social media across the UK.Also, as nearly a quarter of hospitals in England report waiting times have worsened since the government published its plan to tackle the backlog a year ago, the pair discuss whether Ministers have chosen the right path given A&E waits - and corridor care - continue to hit the headlines.And, given the ongoing broader debate around immigration policy as the main parties chase Reform, Steve's Thursday rant focuses on health and care workforce shortages and asks whether we have a race to the bottom healthcare recruitment which is harming the service in the short-term.Finally, in good news corner, Steve and James talk about an international trial that is examining whether a finger-prick blood test called Bio-Hermes-002 could be used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease. BBC News story link.You can email us : preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.comYou can listen to our archive via Podfollow and find our social media channel via LinkTree. And our You Tube channel is here.Thanks for listening!Love Steve and James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The health and politics podcast reaches its 80th episode! Steve and James discuss Kemi Badenoch's social media ban proposal, the high-wire act of negotiating a new GP contract and what Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, meant when he cited GIRFT (get it right first time) at a major conference this week.Also, this week saw a genuine medical breakthrough as a patient at Manchester Royal Infirmary became the first in the UK to receive a new CAR-T treatment for aggressive blood cancer. The pair discuss what this means.And James owns up to progress on his 'Dry January' efforts this year!We welcome your feedback on our discussions and suggestions for what we might discuss next and who we might interview. You can email preventionisthenewcure@gmail.com or find us on any of our social media channels.You can access our archive via Podfollow.Thanks for listening to our show.Love Steve & James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For their first episode of 2026, Steve & James pick over the big stories in health and politics this week including the new NHS Online service, junk food advertising ban and the rollout of a new chicken pox vaccine for children.They also pick up on a huge story concerning Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) after Little Mix star, Jesy Nelson, said her twins had been diagnosed with the rare muscle disease. We talked to Giles Lomax from the charity SMA UK in February 2025 for episode 49.And we have a great guest to start the year as the author of the UK government's National Food Strategy, Henry Dimbleby, pops in for a chat about 'fat jabs' and how we might get ourselves, and the planet, into shape at the start of the new year. Find Henry on X here.You can access our archive via Podfollow and find all our social media channels via LinkTree.Please follow our show for regular updates and get in touch - preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.comThanks for your support!Steve & James Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a busy year, which saw Steve team up with Lord James Bethell for chapter three of THE health and politics podcast, it's time for some festive fun as an old friend joins.Original co-host, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, dials in from her home in New Zealand to play a special game of snap with a Kiwi twist - Yeh / Yeh-Nah - which looks at the current similarities between the two countries in health and politics. Discussion ranges from health service reorganisation and workforce strife to public health outbreaks.And Pod Surgery makes a one-off return as the pair discuss the flu epidemic hitting England's hospitals and whether it really did come from the southern hemisphere?You can find our archive courtesy of our Podfollow and follow all our social media channels via our LinkTree page. You can get in touch with the team:preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.comThanks for listening to our show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The main story in health and politics this week is the gathering flu epidemic and the impact it is already having on the acute sector. Steve and James talk to Dr Adrian Boyle, immediate past President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, to get a view from the front-line.They also give their reflections on masks in public (disagree on cycle helmets!) and consider the maternity safety story also making the news this week as Baroness Amos releases her initial findings on her National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation.And finally, as it's their last episode together before the Christmas break, the pair consider their end of year awards and predictions for 2026.Thanks for listening; please follow our podcast so it appears in your feed each time a new episode drops.You can get in touch preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.com and find our many social media channels via our LinkTree page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the increasingly bitter war of words between Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, and the British Medical Association hots up James and Steve discuss who really are the 'moaning minnies' of the NHS.They also consider the Government's new HIV Action Plan, published earlier this week and the highly significant US/UK deal on future medicines announced on Monday.The former Ministers also reflect on the initial decision from the National Screening Committee NOT to proceed with a new national screening programme for prostate cancer and agree it's soon all eyes (again) on the Secretary of State.And in other news, Steve reveals a personal detail about his already erected home Christmas tree and James explains why he's pro bongo when it comes to being a DJ.You can get in touch with your ideas and feedback via our socials Podfollow or LinkTree or email preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.comThanks for listening, please remember to 'follow' our show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The health and politics podcast moves into a new chapter as James Bethell joins the team and his first episode is a big one as he and Steve consider Budget 2025.You can get in touch podcast@stevebrine.com and find our socials via our LinkTree page.Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah calls it a day as she swims away into cold water retirement. The pair discuss the latest strikes by Resident Doctors and some new polling from Future Health Research on what the public think about paying more tax at next week's Budget for the NHS.And they're joined by Sonia Pombo from Action on Salt & Sugar to discuss what we can learn from the 'sugar tax' and how we can use that to reach a consensus with the food industry and government over the harmful effects of a high salt diet, and bring about a reduction in the amount of salt in processed foods.For their final 'pod surgery' together, Steve and Sarah discuss a major new AI driven project to tackle drug-resistant superbugs, how hundreds of hospice beds are sitting empty due to NHS cut-backs and why children are being hit harder but the current flu wave sweeping across the country.You can find the podcast on all our social media channels via our LinkTree page and get in touch (including with Sarah) via podcast@stevebrine.comChapter Three of this podcast - with Steve and his new co-host James Bethell - returns on Thursday November 27 2025 with a Budget reaction special.Thanks for listening and good luck to Sarah! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah is away so Steve is on his own for a shortened episode which considers two key pre-Budget considerations for the NHS and welcomes a special guest to talk long-term conditions and the benefits of physical exercise.Deborah Alsina from The Richmond Group and CEO of Arthritis UK discusses why the Chief Medical Officer described physical activity as a 'miracle cure' for those battling poor health. And the pair consider how the Government's 10 Year Health Plan - and neighbourhood health ambitions - can help.And much to her surprise, Deborah steps in to join Steve for this week's Pod Surgery which considers vaping overtaking smoking for the first time and a new breath test for pancreatic cancer trial. You heard it here first!Find us and follow us on our social media channels via our LinkTree page and get in touch podcast@stevebrine.comThanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Steve and Sarah are joined by Jennifer Dixon of the Health Foundation for a wide-ranging chat about the NHS Ten Year Plan, whether we really can prove there's a cost saving to preventing ill health and her recent time spent with THREE former Health Secretaries.This week's Pod Surgery considers prostate cancer diagnosis within a day using AI and hairdressers as mental health life savers celebrating the work of The Lions Barbers in Devon.Oh and on the subject, Sarah drops a bombshell with news she has a cape and a full barbers kit to (lockdown style) cut her grandchildren's hair!We love to hear from you with suggestions and ideas; find us on all our socials via our LinkTree page and/or email podcast@stevebrine.comEpisode links:Health Foundation Blog as discussedHealth Foundation letter to the Chancellor ahead of Autumn 2025 BudgetThe Lions Barbers CollectiveSkip short strolls - a longer daily walk is better for your heart says studyAnnals of Internal Medicine Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conference season continues with a special LIVE episode of the podcast from The Pharmacy Show.Held at the NEC in Birmingham, it is the UK's major gathering for the Pharmacy sector and has been for over a decade. Former Pharmacy Minister, Steve Brine, was there meeting old friends, understanding where pharmacy feels it is 18-months into a Labour Government and hosting a series of events in the Business Theatre for BeWell. One event, which we also recorded for this podcast, had Steve in conversation with the head of Community Pharmacy England, Janet Morrison.Feedback welcome; find us on our socials via our LinkTree page or email podcast@stevebrine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve Brine and Dr Sarah Wollaston discuss a wide range of stories including the drug pricing row engulfing our life sciences sector, more bad news for Ministers on NHS waiting lists, walk-in GP centres in Scotland and the Rishi Sunak / David Lammy double-act on prostate cancer.The pair also take a considered look at news, first reported in the Health Service Journal, that Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, is to launch a review of the prevalence of mental illness and neurodivergence. What lies behind it, what might it recommend and does the Prime Minister have a wider agenda?And Steve takes a moment to mention a brand new charity he is chairing - which gets it launch this evening - Winchester Cancer Sanctuary.Oh and they consider dogs and their balls; it's a long story ...Thanks for listening to our podcast; please follow the show and find us on all our social media channels via LinkTree. You can email podcast@stevebrine.com with feedback, ideas and to suggest guests. Contact on behalf of commercial guests are considered on a case-by-case basis and sponsorship opportunities are available. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Steve is on his own for a special LIVE episode of the podcast from The CARE Show at the NEC in Birmingham.He is joined by two guests; Dr Jan Townson from the Homecare Association and Kehan Zhou from Camascope. They discuss many of the current issues around social care, interaction with the Ten Year Plan and the sectors' vital role in keeping people well for longer. And they consider the role Reform Party politicians are already playing in local government commissioning care services.The Care ShowHomecare AssociationCamascopeYou can find and follow our podcast on all our socials via our LinkTree page and get in touch podcast@stevebrine.comPlease follow our show via your podcast platform of choice and thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve & Sarah get together to discuss the Labour Party Conference after Steve's first visit to the party's annual gathering in Liverpool. They consider the health announcements made including a pay uplift for care workers and the new 'NHS Online' offer. And they're joined by Baroness Luciana Berger, from the conference, to hear all about a special new temporary select committee to consider the controversial Assisted Dying Bill before Parliament.You can find our podcast on all our social channels via our LinkTree page.And you can get in touch with ideas or feedback via podcast@stevebrine.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah is away so Lord (James) Bethell joins Steve Brine as guest co-host. The pair reflect on the NHS Ten Year Plan two-months on, the return of provider league tables, the resignation of Claire Fuller as Director of Mental Health at NHSE and the government's junk food advertising ban.And they are joined by special guest, Alison Gardiner from Sleepstation to talk about their evidence-based digital care pathways for persistent sleep problems.This episode is sponsored by Sleepstation. In a single month, the service helps more NHS patients than the largest sleep clinics in England treat in an entire year, showing that safe, effective care can be delivered at scale - without losing the human touch that makes it meaningful. Find out more at www.sleepstation.org.ukYou can find our podcast on all the main social media channels via our LinkTree page and contact us at podcast@stevebrine.comPlease remember to 'Follow' our show and thank you so much for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NHS England Chair, Dr Penny Dash, is in the hot-seat for a very special deep dive interview. This is a wide-ranging chat which covers Penny's journey from clinician to running the entire health service, the abolition of NHSE (and when she really knew it was happening!), the Ten Year Plan and the future of ICB's. They delve into what neighbourhood health really means, whether the NHS will ever achieve its own constitutional standards on waiting times and use of the independent sector in doing so.They also touch on whether NHS IT, as critical national infrastructure, should sit under the Secretary of State in DHSC as the reorganisation is concluded.And the trio make a date to speak again - on a beach in Devon - with a swim!We want to hear from you with your feedback on this interview and suggestions for future episodes; podcast@stevebrine.com or find us on our socials via our LinkTree page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.