Prevention is the new cure

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 [email protected] or find us on any of our social media channels.

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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.

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Steve & James
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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:

[email protected]

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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.

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You can get in touch [email protected] and find our many social media channels via our LinkTree page.
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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 [email protected]

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