The Nhs - Who Cares?

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Hostage To Success

20230710

Every day, every corner of the National Health Service is buzzing with activity as the workforce continues to try to meet the health needs of the population - in hospitals, clinics, GP practices and out in the community.

Despite these efforts, the NHS is facing the toughest challenge of its 75 year history - still reeling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 7 million people queuing for care and a workforce crisis never before seen. Dr Kevin Fong has worked as a doctor in the NHS for 25 years and, in this new series, he's telling the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care.

He looks at what created the challenges and how the teams on the frontline have risen to meet them. And along the way, he explodes some long-held myths about the NHS, in the hope that it helps us better understand the choices it faces and where the right solutions might lie.

In this episode, Kevin explores how the health service delivered on the extraordinary benefits it promised but, in so doing, became hostage to its own success, as it struggled to meet the increasingly complex needs of its patients.

NHS archive: Crown Copyright, British Film Institute

Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Series Producer: Beth Eastwood

Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar

A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Kevin Fong asks if the NHS has become hostage to its own success.

Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.

Myths And Magic Bullets

20230724

Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care.

Back in 1999, as the millennium approached, Dr Kevin Fong was in his second year as a senior house officer in A&E and, now working overnight, making decisions and treating patients on his own. 'I felt like a real doctor, like I might even be doing some good. I thought I had all the answers, but I was wrong'.

Among his patients there was a cast of regulars - people they took in, looked after and patched up, only to see them return, again and again. 'In the homes we returned them to there were problems that medicine alone couldn't fix. But it was a good time to be a junior doctor. The hours were going down, the pay was going up, the economy was booming and the NHS was awash with new money.

Fast forward to today and it's a different story, with doctors, nurses and the ambulance service on the picket lines. The pressures they face are symptomatic of a Health Service that is complex, inter-connected and desperately short of capacity. Funds to stabilise it are sorely needed but money alone is not a panacea.

In this episode, Kevin gets past the myths to reveal the complexity of the NHS and examine what really lies behind the challenges it faces.

Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Series Producer: Beth Eastwood

Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar

A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Kevin Fong gets past the myths to reveal why the NHS is under such pressures.

Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.

No Ordinary Crisis

20230717

Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong, tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care.

In the second episode of the series, Kevin spends a day with SeaCAM - the South East Coast Ambulance Service - to get a glimpse of the pressures the workforce face in trying to meet the required response times for each category of emergency call.

Last winter's media reports showing queues of ambulances snaking round hospitals and patients waiting for hours to be admitted to A&E was, for many, shocking to see. Some commentators say it was a crisis like no other and that the NHS has reached a tipping point.

So, what was it really like for those crews and can the service ever recover?

Written and Presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Producer: Emily Bird

Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar

A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4

Dr Kevin Fong joins ambulance crews to ask if the NHS facing its toughest challenge yet.

Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.

Road To Recovery

20230731

Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong, tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care. In the last episode, Kevin reveals how solutions devised by the workforce during the pandemic could be key to the future success of the NHS.

The National Health Service is the world's oldest public health system and one of the largest employers on the planet. So, if you want a masterclass in how to face down a challenge that should have been insurmountable, you need look no further than the thousands of teams, working in every corner of the NHS during COVID. It's here where teams used their frontline experience to solve problems from the bottom up.

So could these locally-sourced solutions also help to tackle wider problems across the service, like reducing costs, while also addressing key issues like staff burnout and the steady flow of people leaving the NHS?

Written and Presented by Dr Kevin Fong

Producers: Beth Eastwood & Emily Bird

Series Producer: Beth Eastwood

Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar

A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4

Why the workforce holds the key to the recovery and future success of the NHS.

Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Comments
Hostage To Success	20230710	Every day, every corner of the National Health Service is buzzing with activity as the workforce continues to try to meet the health needs of the population - in hospitals, clinics, GP practices and out in the community. Despite these efforts, the NHS is facing the toughest challenge of its 75 year history - still reeling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 7 million people queuing for care and a workforce crisis never before seen. Dr Kevin Fong has worked as a doctor in the NHS for 25 years and, in this new series, he's telling the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care. He looks at what created the challenges and how the teams on the frontline have risen to meet them. And along the way, he explodes some long-held myths about the NHS, in the hope that it helps us better understand the choices it faces and where the right solutions might lie. In this episode, Kevin explores how the health service delivered on the extraordinary benefits it promised but, in so doing, became hostage to its own success, as it struggled to meet the increasingly complex needs of its patients. NHS archive: Crown Copyright, British Film Institute Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong Series Producer: Beth Eastwood Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4 Dr Kevin Fong asks if the NHS has become hostage to its own success. Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.
Myths And Magic Bullets	20230724	Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care. Back in 1999, as the millennium approached, Dr Kevin Fong was in his second year as a senior house officer in A&E and, now working overnight, making decisions and treating patients on his own. 'I felt like a real doctor, like I might even be doing some good. I thought I had all the answers, but I was wrong'. Among his patients there was a cast of regulars - people they took in, looked after and patched up, only to see them return, again and again. 'In the homes we returned them to there were problems that medicine alone couldn't fix. But it was a good time to be a junior doctor. The hours were going down, the pay was going up, the economy was booming and the NHS was awash with new money. Fast forward to today and it's a different story, with doctors, nurses and the ambulance service on the picket lines. The pressures they face are symptomatic of a Health Service that is complex, inter-connected and desperately short of capacity. Funds to stabilise it are sorely needed but money alone is not a panacea. In this episode, Kevin gets past the myths to reveal the complexity of the NHS and examine what really lies behind the challenges it faces. Written and presented by Dr Kevin Fong Series Producer: Beth Eastwood Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4 Dr Kevin Fong gets past the myths to reveal why the NHS is under such pressures. Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.
No Ordinary Crisis	20230717	Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong, tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care. In the second episode of the series, Kevin spends a day with SeaCAM - the South East Coast Ambulance Service - to get a glimpse of the pressures the workforce face in trying to meet the required response times for each category of emergency call. Last winter's media reports showing queues of ambulances snaking round hospitals and patients waiting for hours to be admitted to A&E was, for many, shocking to see. Some commentators say it was a crisis like no other and that the NHS has reached a tipping point. So, what was it really like for those crews and can the service ever recover? Written and Presented by Dr Kevin Fong Producer: Emily Bird Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4 Dr Kevin Fong joins ambulance crews to ask if the NHS facing its toughest challenge yet. Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.
Road To Recovery	20230731	Anaesthetist Dr Kevin Fong, tells the story of the NHS today and the challenges it faces, from the perspective of the people who deliver the care. In the last episode, Kevin reveals how solutions devised by the workforce during the pandemic could be key to the future success of the NHS. The National Health Service is the world's oldest public health system and one of the largest employers on the planet. So, if you want a masterclass in how to face down a challenge that should have been insurmountable, you need look no further than the thousands of teams, working in every corner of the NHS during COVID. It's here where teams used their frontline experience to solve problems from the bottom up. So could these locally-sourced solutions also help to tackle wider problems across the service, like reducing costs, while also addressing key issues like staff burnout and the steady flow of people leaving the NHS? Written and Presented by Dr Kevin Fong Producers: Beth Eastwood & Emily Bird Series Producer: Beth Eastwood Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar A TellTale Industries production for BBC Radio 4 Why the workforce holds the key to the recovery and future success of the NHS. Kevin Fong explores the challenges the NHS faces today.