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HSJ Health Check

HSJ
NHS
NHS England
Wes Streeting
Integrated Care Boards
Department Of Health and Social Care
Public Health
Health Bill
Care Quality Commission
Labour Party
Artificial Intelligence
Neighborhood Health
Primary Care
Health Policy
Maternity Services
London
Waiting Times
University Hospitals Birmingham
Nuffield Trust
Healthcare Funding
Elective Recovery Fund

HSJ Health Check: Weekly analysis of the biggest issues in health policy and leadership, from HSJ's expert journalists. The go to place for an independent, informed and immediate take on health and care news.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes341Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
News CommentaryNews

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Artwork for HSJ Health Check

Latest Episodes

This week we bring you the health highlights from the Labour Party Conference, including an ex-minister who said he would sack half of the NHS managers he has met “in a heartbeat” for not being good enough.

We also discuss a worrying story about a t... more

This week we talk about why an integrated care board in the north west is risking the wrath of GPs after consolidating its digital offering, in a move that has also raised concerns about its procurement practices.

Also on this episode, the NHS has m... more

This week we discuss the final outcome of the Thirlwall Inquiry, which examined the failings surrounding the murder and attempted murder of babies by Lucy Letby.

We cover its fierce criticism of managers, the ways in which it fell short and the re... more

On this episode the tech bureau join Annabelle to discuss the final report from the National Commission into the Regulation of AI in Healthcare - a review that had promised to deliver a “new regulatory rulebook”.

We cover the key recommendations, i... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Alistair McClellan
Policy analyst discussed as a guest in the session
Policy analysis guest
Episode: Decisions that must be made this autumn
Caitlin Tilly
HSJ journalist covering patient safety and A&G
HSJ
Episode: Putting 'advice and guidance' on ice
James Illman
HSJ journalist who has written extensively about Advice and Guidance
HSJ
Episode: Putting 'advice and guidance' on ice
Zoe Tidman
Staff writer covering NHS policy and culture
HSJ
Episode: ‘Blindsided’ NHS England intervenes over record snooping
Alison Moore
HSJ journalist commenting on ambulance service culture
HSJ
Episode: ‘Blindsided’ NHS England intervenes over record snooping
Emily Townsend
HSJ's patient safety correspondent
HSJ
Episode: The doctor who's fought maternity scandals for a decade
Bill Kirkup
Independent investigations expert, National Maternity Review expert adviser
Independent investigations / National Maternity Review
Episode: The doctor who's fought maternity scandals for a decade
Anita Charlesworth
Senior Economic Health Foundation and Chair of the Health Foundation's Commission on Productivity
Health Foundation
Episode: Solving the £20bn productivity puzzle
Henry Anderson
Finance correspondent for HSJ
HSJ
Episode: Solving the £20bn productivity puzzle

Hosts

Annabel Collins
Host of HSJ Health Check, HSJ / HSJ Health Check contributor; long-running presenter with broad coverage of NHS policy and leadership.
Dave West
Host and deputy editor for HSJ Health Check, frequent commentator on health policy and leadership shifts.
Annabelle Collins
Host of the HSJ Health Check podcast; common alternative spelling used across transcripts.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 53 ratings
  • Sort the sound out!!!!

    Please teach your journalists how to use their microphones. Every week someone’s mike is too close to them which produces a poppy sound. Totally ruins the experience of listening to these on the whole excellent podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    tyranosaurus sax
    United Kingdom8 months ago
  • Need to buy some decent mics

    Some good content in the podcast, but given HSJ’s profile you think they could mic up their contributors properly and do a bit of sound mixing. Sounds quite amateurish

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Chris Noble
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Excellent content, bad badly needs an editor

    Excellent and detailed reporting but episodes filled with ‘ums’, coughs and other things that could easily be edited out

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    A string of numbers 123
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Excellent content, needs tighter editing.

    Excellent and detailed reporting but pauses and filler words like ‘um’ can be distracting.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    A string of numbers 123
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Sort out the verbal ticks please!

    All the reporters really need to work on their verbal communication. The amount of verbal ticks and pointless words eg.’kinda’, ‘sort of’ and ‘erm’ is painful to listen to Takes away from the content which is otherwise useful

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Podheart3000
    United Kingdom5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners appreciate the policy context but desire crisper production.
Many note sound/editing issues across episodes.
Audience values data-backed, responsible coverage of complex reforms.
Listeners praise thorough, independent NHS policy analysis.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Putting 'advice and guidance' on ice
Q: And how has A&G been used historically, and what does the HSJ piece add to that understanding?
James describes A&G as something GPs have informally done for years, now formalized in policy. He stresses that when it works, it reduces referrals and speeds up care, but warns that the policy has been under fire from many directions and has long-standing issues with time allocation and trust between care sectors.
Putting 'advice and guidance' on ice
Q: Let's start with this latest story. Could you take us through what you found out this week?
Caitlin explains the HSIB interim report focusing on Advice and Guidance, highlighting both the benefits when A&G works (improved communication and faster access to specialist input) and the harms when it doesn't (delayed or missed diagnoses and even deaths). She notes the plan to roll out Single Points of Access and the concern that A&G was being mandated in some contexts contrary to its original intent.
Solving the £20bn productivity puzzle
Q: Anita, what do you see as the core misunderstanding about NHS productivity and how would you reframe the debate?
Productivity should be viewed as enabling better health outcomes with the same or fewer resources, not simply doing more with more. It requires transforming workflows, embracing technology, and changing funding models to reward value and care quality, not mere activity counts.
Who runs the NHS?
Q: What are the government's likely paths for transferring powers after abolishing NHS England?
The discussion suggests moving national statutory powers to the Secretary of State while delegating many operational and commissioning responsibilities to providers, ICBs, and trusts, with ongoing debate about how quickly and transparently that transfer should occur.
Bob Wachter on healthcare's AI revolution
Q: Do you think NHS or US systems will win in adopting AI tools?
Both have strengths and weaknesses; the NHS benefits from scale and data accessibility but faces bureaucratic hurdles, while the US can move faster but carries high administrative costs. The future will involve a mix of in-house development, startups, and integration with EHR vendors like Epic.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About HSJ Health Check

What is HSJ Health Check about and what kind of topics does it cover?

HSJ Health Check offers weekly, rapid-fire analysis of the biggest issues in health policy and NHS leadership, featuring HSJ reporters and policy experts. Episodes consistently dissect policy developments, governance challenges, and system reforms with data-driven context, often including practical implications for trusts, regulators, and frontline providers. Noteworthy is the mix of investigative guests, live policy commentary, and a clear emphasis on accountability, patient safety, and governance across the health and care system, making it a go-to for professionals who need informed, independent takes on NHS policy and leadership dynamics.

Where can I find podcast stats for HSJ Health Check?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for HSJ Health Check. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to HSJ Health Check and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does HSJ Health Check get?

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What are the audience demographics for HSJ Health Check?

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How many subscribers and views does HSJ Health Check have?

To see how many followers or subscribers HSJ Health Check has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to HSJ Health Check?

These podcasts share a similar audience with HSJ Health Check:

1. Health On The Line
2. You Are Not A Frog
3. The News Agents
4. Radical
5. Newscast

How many episodes of HSJ Health Check are there?

HSJ Health Check launched 7 years ago and published 341 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact HSJ Health Check?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for HSJ Health Check?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for HSJ Health Check from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on HSJ Health Check?

Recent guests on HSJ Health Check include:

1. Alistair McClellan
2. Caitlin Tilly
3. James Illman
4. Zoe Tidman
5. Alison Moore
6. Emily Townsend
7. Bill Kirkup
8. Anita Charlesworth

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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