The Unprescribed Podcast

We're excited to share the latest episode of the Unprescribed podcast with Dame Marie Gabriel, Chair of NHS North East London ICS and the NHS Race and Health Observatory. She joins Jacob Haddad to reflect candidly on 45 years of advocacy and NHS leadership - and what community-led healthcare really looks like.
Marie describes herself as a social activist at heart - born and raised in Poplar in east London. She's spent more than 20 years on NHS boards, including chairing East London Foundation Trust, and now the North East London ICS and the Race and Health Observatory (the work behind the rapid review that changed national pulse oximetry guidance, and the ongoing programme to close the maternal mortality gap for black, Asian and minority ethnic women).
For anyone working on neighbourhood health, community engagement, or closing health inequalities - this one's well worth your time.

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, hosted by Jacob Haddad, we're joined by Tara Donnelly, a leading voice on tech-enabled models of care at home and former Chief Digital Officer for NHSX.
Tara's NHS career spans more than 30 years - from ward housekeeper at the Royal Surrey, to Director of Operations at the Whittington at 30, to Chief Executive of West Middlesex University Hospital, to leading the Health Innovation Network for South London. At NHSX, she helped build the first tech-enabled virtual ward in the NHS in April 2020 - a model that today supports around 9,000 people every day. She now runs Digital Care, an advisory firm helping health systems and innovators scale digital care at home.For anyone looking for a hopeful, grounded view of what digital can change in the NHS - and whether the system really can - this one's worth your time.

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, hosted by Jacob Haddad, Mike Bell, Chair of North West London and North Central London ICBs, reflects on more than 25 years in NHS board-level roles.
He talks about his journey into healthcare through HIV activism, the lessons he’s learned from both success and failure, and shares candid views on neighbourhood health, why delivery matters more than ambition and the foundations needed for change to last.
 
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, David Stables reflects on building EMIS (now Optum). He shares what decades inside healthcare IT have taught him about what must change.
 
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Former Health Minister Lord James O’Shaughnessy, joins Jacob Haddad to talk candidly about what it’s really like leading change inside the NHS - from innovation and patient safety to productivity, data trust and the future of UK life sciences.
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
 

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, we welcome Oscar Boldt-Christmas, Co-founder of Tandem Health, Europe’s largest AI-scribe and close partner to Accurx. The conversation covers Oscar’s insights from his 20+ year career in healthcare, the huge potential of AI in improving staff productivity and patient care, and the challenges of spreading innovation in healthcare.
(00:00) Introduction to the Unprescribed podcast
(01:03) Comparing healthcare systems: NHS vs. Sweden
(06:42) Oscar's career journey, memorable moments and healthcare challenges
(21:31) Oscar’s view on great leadership
(26:26) Potential and challenges of AI on healthcare 
(32:26) Balancing quick wins and paradigm shifts
(37:46) Oscar’s biggest failures and learnings
(44:02) Tandem’s growth in international markets
(46:37) Oscar’s priorities for the NHS today
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, we welcome Dame Caroline Clarke, the Regional Director for the NHS in London. Caroline shares her career journey starting out as a finance trainee in 1991 to her present role, including her time at the Royal Free hospital where she managed Ebola patients and the challenges of the pandemic. She also touches on her vision for London to be the healthiest global city and what it’ll take to get there, as well as her leadership lessons. 
(00:00) – Introduction to the Unprescribed Podcast
(00:52) – Caroline’s career journey
(05:13) – Leadership at the Royal Free Hospital   
(08:40) - The Covid-19 pandemic
(23:47)  - Leadership lessons
(35:01) - Vision for London’s healthcare
(47:30) - Caroline’s priorities for the centre
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In this episode of the Unprescribed podcast, we welcome Dr Nikki Kanani, a seasoned GP, ex National Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS England, and founding member of Aneira Health. Nikki discusses her journey in various leadership roles through the NHS and the leadership lessons she’s accumulated along the way, her role during the COVID-19 vaccine programme, what she’s been up to at Aneira Health improving women’s healthcare and why the NHS needs to be brave and partner more to improve patient care and system efficiency.
 
(00:00) – Introduction to the Unprescribed Podcast
(01:58) – Shifting care to the community: aspirations vs. reality  
(04:21) – Scaling innovation in general practice and total triage   
(08:31) – From GP to National Medical Director: Nikki’s career journey
(13:36) - Nikki’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the national vaccine rollout
(22:05) - Leadership lessons from the pandemic
(27:06) - Life after NHS England and founding Aneira Health
(35:20) - Biggest learnings from Nikki’s career
(41:17) - Why the NHS needs to partner more
(45:56) - What keeps Nikki optimistic
 
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

In our debut episode of the Unprescribed podcast, I welcome Sir David Sloman, who has held significant roles within the NHS over the past 40 years. We discuss his journey from HIV and AIDS coordinator in Camden, to Chief Operating Officer of NHS England. David shares candid and emotional reflections on leading London through COVID-19, balancing urgent demands with long-term transformation, his leadership lessons, digital integration, mentorship, his reasons to stay optimistic about the future of the NHS and more. 
 
(00:00) Introduction to the Unprescribed podcast
(03:08) Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic
(19:31) Keeping the momentum of change and innovation post-pandemic
(30:31) David's proudest moments
(37:13) Distilling great leadership
(39:59) Failings, mistakes and learnings
(43:11) Learnings from the frontline
(48:00) Strategic priorities and system challenges
(59:20) Reasons to be optimistic
 
 
Music: Election Time by Kjartan Abel.
This music is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.