The Choice: Securing the NHS for the Next 75 Years

The NHS is the United Kingdom's pride, but it is also an institution in crisis. The Choice spotlights a long-overlooked path forward, one that promises to improve outcomes, reduce costs, reduce clinician burnout, and leave patients feeling heard and understood. Hosts Al Mulley and John Lotherington take a first look at The Choice that the NHS must make to secure its future. They also speak with Nigel Edwards, former CEO of the Nuffield Trust, about the current state of the NHS.  

The hosts examine the true nature of medical decision making and explain five levels of decision quality. Sir Muir Gray, one of the UK’s most respected thinkers on health policy, and Gwyn Bevan, a policy expert from the London School of Economics, add their perspectives.

To raise decision quality, nonmedical options must be considered, including those outside of the health care system. Anna Dixon, MP and health policy expert, and Connie Jennings, director of stronger communities for the Walsall Housing Group, share insights with the hosts.

There are numerous biases in medical decision making, and nearly all favour the delivery of more care. Sir David Haslam, former chair of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, discusses the biases with the hosts.

To improve medical decisions, strengthen the voice of the patient. The hosts are joined by Angela Coulter, a widely influential health policy analyst and researcher.

The hosts lay out the practical steps that go along with The Choice, and are joined by Neil Modha, who leads the Thistlemoor Medical Centre, a GP surgery in Peterborough. Dr. Modha’s practice illustrates much of what is possible once the NHS makes The Choice to raise decision quality.