Sir David Haslam has spent a lifetime at the heart of British healthcare — from working as a frontline GP to chairing the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and advising the Care Quality Commission. Few people have had more influence — or more insight into why the NHS is struggling and what it will take to fix it.

In this episode of NHS Unfiltered, Sir David joins LetsFIXtheNHS founder Steve Podmore for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about:

• Why the NHS has drifted from its founding purpose
• The unintended consequences of measurement, targets, and bureaucracy
• What real leadership in healthcare should look like
• The reaction to his acclaimed book Side Effects — and what it says about the public mood
• How we can restore compassion, trust, and agency in the system
• Why reform isn’t optional — it’s urgent

With a career that spans clinical practice, policy leadership, and ethical debate, Sir David offers both diagnosis and direction — reminding us that behind every health statistic is a human story, and behind every failing system, a chance to choose better.

Mentioned in this episode:

Side Effects: How our healthcare lost its way, and how we fix it (Waterstones Best Book of 2022)

Let’sFIXtheNHS is a media and engagement platform driving innovation, investment, and people-powered reform in UK healthcare. Visit www.LetsFIXtheNHS.Help to get involved.