The Next GenCast

In this landmark episode of the Next GenCast, Dr. Nish Manek sits down with Professor Sir Steve Powis, just weeks before he steps down as National Medical Director of the NHS in England after more than seven years in the role.

This is not just an interview — it's an unfiltered, powerful reflection on leadership under pressure, told by the man who stood at the helm of the NHS during one of its most turbulent chapters: the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a conversation recorded live at NHS Confed Expo in June 2025, Sir Steve opens up in a way few senior leaders ever do.

He talks honestly about the terror of those early pandemic days, what it really felt like to stand at the podium during Downing Street press conferences, and the emotional toll of knowing the NHS could collapse under his watch.

But this episode is about far more than crisis leadership. It’s a deeply personal insight into what makes a great leader — from the power of relationships and kindness to handling imposter syndrome at the very top. Sir Steve also shares the most important lessons he’s learned, what he hopes for the next generation of clinical leaders, and how he wants to be remembered.

**Highlights

• 03:00 – "I didn’t set out to be a leader"
• 06:00 – “I caught the bug” – enjoying policy and strategy
• 08:00 – Early mentors, first impressions, and learning to manage a unit
• 11:00 – Becoming a Medical Director and then National Medical Director
• 14:00 – The Simon Stevens sofa interview
• 16:00 – Imposter syndrome, confidence, and doubt
• 21:00 – Pandemic prep and the moment it became real
• 26:00 – Behind the scenes at Downing Street press briefings
• 30:00 – Media gaffe: “I didn’t hear the question…”
• 32:00 – Communicating in a crisis: “You’re never speaking to just one audience”
• 37:00 – The emotional toll and the moment that broke him
• 43:00 – Watching The Repair Shop in tears
• 48:00 – Working with politicians: “See the world through their eyes”
• 52:00 – Legacy and pride: Royal Free, North Middlesex, and the NHS model
• 59:00 – Quickfire round: cartography, Springsteen, and shoemaking
• 1:03:00 – Final leadership advice: “Kindness. Patience. Relationship

**Links and resources:

• Learn more about the Next Generation GP programme
• SIgn up to our monthly bulletin to hear about more programmes, podcasts, events and opportunities
• Follow Nish on Twitter/X and LinkedIn
• Share this episode with someone stepping into leadership
• Subscribe and leave us a review — it really helps others find the show

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For this episode, I’m absolutely honoured to be joined by someone I've wanted to interview for a long time: Prof Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England.

Ever wondered about the man behind the podium—the calm, steady voice that guided the nation through one of its toughest times? Well, today, you get to hear his story.

There’s so much more to him than what you’ve seen on screen. What drives someone to take on such an immense responsibility? What keeps them up at night when millions are watching their every move?

In this conversation, we dive into his leadership journey— starting from his early days tackling public health issues broad, to facing unimaginable challenges on a global stage.

We talk about the moments that shaped him, the lessons he learned from global health, and what it really takes to lead under pressure. There are a few surprising revelations, some moments of unexpected humour, and leadership insights you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re a seasoned leader, an aspiring one, or just curious about what it’s like to make decisions that impact millions, this episode is for you...

*Highlights:

• 2 mins - From Humble Beginnings: Early Career and Defining Moments
• 8 mins - Lessons from Around the World: Global Health Insights
• 15 mins - Leadership and Science: Navigating Complex Decisions
• 22 mins - Crisis Management Up Close: Behind the Scenes
• 29 mins - The Toughest Calls: Decisive Moments
• 35 mins - Handling Public Pressure: Staying Steady
• 42 mins - Owning Mistakes: Reflections and Learnings
• 49 mins - Wisdom for Future Leaders

*Links

• Follow the CMO on Twitter

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On today’s episode, I’m absolutely honoured to be joined by my dear friend, Dr Becks Fisher. Becks is a GP and the Director of Research and Policy at the Nuffield Trust—a hugely respected voice in UK health policy.

Becks helped to co-found Next Gen GP nearly eight years ago, and she’s been a close friend and someone I’ve deeply admired ever since.

In this conversation, Becks shares her journey from being a clinical fellow to becoming a national leader in healthcare policy. We talk about her passion for health equity, her reflections on the future of general practice, and the pivotal moments that have shaped her career.

We also explore the role of mentorship, the challenges of balancing work and life, and some brilliant advice for GPs earlier in their careers.

She’s not only an inspiring leader—but truly, just a thoroughly brilliant human being. I’m so proud to call her a friend, and I can’t wait for you to hear this episode...

*Highlights:

• 01:00 – Becks's Role at Nuffield Trust
• 02:00 – Journey into the Think Tank World
• 05:00 – Influence and Impact of Think Tanks
• 08:00 – Challenges in Health Equity
• 15:00 – Personal Leadership Journey
• 19:00 – Advice for Aspiring Leaders
• 23:00 – The Value of Fellowships
• 26:00 – Building Networks and Mentorship
• 35:00 – The Role of Media in Healthcare
• 40:00 – Balancing Work and Life
• 46:00 – The Future of General Practice

*Links

• Follow Becks on Twitter
• Harkness Fellowship
• Beck's recent Nuffield Trust paper on the Future of the Partnership Model

*Recommendations:

• Book: Four Thousand Weeks
• Book: Dare to Lead
• Podcast episode: The Next GenCast Episode with Oliver Burkeman

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The Best of The Next Gen Cast: Celebrating Eight Years of Next Gen programmes

In this special episode of The Next GenCast, we celebrate the Next Gen's 8-year anniversary by revisiting the highlights from the five most downloaded podcast episodes.

Get ready to hear from truly inspiring leaders on a range of topics, from the conversations which have resonated the most with our listeners over the years:

• 4 mins- Oliver Burkeman on Time Management
• 15 mins- Don Berwick on Joy in Work
• 24 mins- Sarah Jane Marsh on Work-Life Balance
• 31 mins- Jeremy Hunt on Leadership and Politics
• 38 mins- Laura Neilsen on Tackling Health Inequalities

*Links to the full episodes:

• Oliver Burkeman
• Don Berwick
• Sarah Jane Marsh
• Jeremy Hunt
• Laura Neilson

Thank you to everyone who has listened, subscribed and shared the podcast, as well as giving us your thoughts on what resonates - it has been wonderful to hear how much you’re enjoying it.

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Today, I’m delighted to welcome Dr Ben Maruthappu, a young leader who has transformed from being a junior doctor to globally recognised entrepreneur.

Ben is the co-founder and CEO of Cera, the UK's largest health tech company, which supports over two million patients a month with innovative, home-based care solutions. His work has led to many accolades already, including being named in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, an MBE, and the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2024.

In this episode, Ben shares his remarkable story—from personal experiences that sparked his idea to transform the social care sector, to the lessons he’s learned scaling a business in an extraordinarily short space of time. He also dives into what it takes to persevere when you have an idea, lessons he learnt from working alongside Simon Stevens for a year, and offers some fascinating insights into the future of AI in transforming healthcare. 

Get ready to be inspired by the story of a visionary leader who has reshaped the landscape of healthcare, and is definitely one to watch in the healthcare technology space. 

*Highlights:

• 00:01:44 - Ben Maruthapu's Journey from Junior Doctor to Entrepreneur
• 00:06:02 - The Importance of Mentorship and Relationships
• 00:08:40 - Early Signs of Entrepreneurial Spirit
• 00:15:29 - Becoming Simon Stevens Fellow
• 00:17:13 - Insights on Policy and Politics in NHS England
• 00:26:18 - Introduction to Cera and Its Mission
• 00:38:03 - Key Learnings from the Early Days of Cera
• 00:42:09 - Best and Worst Aspects of Being a CEO
• 00:45:49 - Balancing Work and Family Life
• 00:46:37 - The Future of Technology in Healthcare
• 00:48:02 - The Transformative Potential of AI in Healthcare

*Social media

• Ben on LinkedIn
• Follow Ben on Twitter
• Cera

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I’m thrilled to share the latest episode of our podcast with you. This time, I had the honour of sitting down with Dr Raj Patel MBE.

I worked with Raj when he was Interim National Medical Director of Primary Care for NHS England. Before that he was Medical Director for the North-West, and has held numerous senior clinical leadership positions in his career.

But it was after reaching what he thought was the pinnacle of his career, that things took a turn for the worst.

Imagine working across the road from a doctor, being asked to counter-sign his cremation forms for years - and one day realising that there were just too many forms for this to be normal. We’re talking about none other than Dr Harold Shipman, one of the most prolific serial killers in modern history. Not only did Raj experience the chilling reality of this discovery, but in this episode he reveals the personal and professional battles he encountered as he helped uncover the truth.

From humble beginnings in Leicester to becoming a trailblazer in medical leadership, with stints as a TV doctor, advisor to the Department of Health, and stand up comedian along the way, Raj’s journey is nothing short of fascinating. 

*Highlights:

• Early Life and Influences (4 mins)
• Challenges and Triumphs in Medical School (8 mins)
• The Grueling Early Years as a Junior Doctor (9 mins)
• Transforming General Practice (11 mins)
• The Unveiling of Dr. Harold Shipman (22 mins)
• The Tribunal and Its Aftermath (29 mins)
• Personal and Professional Impact (31 mins)
• A Shift Towards Patient Safety (35 mins)
• Leadership Lessons and Personal Growth (37 mins)
• NHS England and Greater Manchester (40 mins)
• Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic (44 mins)
• Reflections and Future Roles (45 mins)
• Quick Fire Questions (47 mins)

*Social media

• Raj on LinkedIn
• Follow Raj on Twitter

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I am SO excited in this episode to speak to Tara Mohr, an expert in women’s leadership and well-being, and an author, educator and certified coach. Her book, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create and Lead, is one of my favourite books, and I am constantly recommending it to people.

It provides real, practical tools to help women quiet self-doubt, identify their callings, “unhook” from praise and criticism, unlearn counterproductive "good girl" habits, and begin taking bold action.

In this episode, Tara explains what she means by "playing big", and sheds light on why being more loyal to our dreams than our fears can shift our life's trajectory.

We tackle the pervasive influence of the inner critic, debunk myths around imposter syndrome, and offer practical strategies to harness the wisdom of our inner mentor...and much more.

*Highlights:

• (3 mins) - Empowering women to play big
• (9 mins) - Navigating work and motherhood
• (19 mins) - Managing the inner critic
• (33 mins) - Harnessing your inner mentor
• (44 mins) - Unhooking from feedback
• (52 mins) - Improving communication and visibility
• (55 mins) - Top 3 tips

*Resources

• Playing Big, by Tara Mohr
• The Inner mentor visualisation

*Social media

• @tarasophia

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This episode is with the wonderful Dr Nnenna Osuji, Chief Exec of North Middlesex University Hospital Trust and consultant haematologist.

From her multicultural upbringing in Scotland and Trinidad to her academic journey in medicine and haematology, Nnenna's path is one of resilience and continuous learning. In this episode, Nnenna opens up about profound life lessons and the challenges she faced, including imposter syndrome and being the only person of colour in many leadership settings. 

Drawing from her rich cultural background and the influence of her parents, she emphasises the critical importance of mentorship, support networks, and the balance of striving for excellence with being a present mum.

*Highlights:

• Leadership journey (2 mins)
• Defining moments and influences (9 mins)
• Lessons for younger self (11 mins)
• Leadership qualifications and learning (13 mins)
• The importance of sponsors (18 mins)
• Imposter syndrome (20 mins)
• The journey from medical consultant to CEO (26 mins)
• Self care and motherhood (33 mins)
• Balancing work, family and leadership (40 mins)
• Book recommendations and leadership tips (47 mins)

*Resources

• Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman
• The 100 Year Life, by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott
• Brene Brown

*Social media

• @nosuji01
• LinkedIn
• @NextGGP/ @nishmanek

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This episode is with Dr Agatha Nortley-Meshe, a practising GP and Regional Medical Director for Primary Care, for NHS England. 

She has extensive experience in urgent care, having previously been Medical Director the London Ambulance Service, and Clinical Governance Lead for Croydon NHS 111. 

As one of very few black female leaders in a senior NHS leadership role, Agatha opens up about how hard it can be to shake her imposter syndrome, and how important it is for leaders from minority groups to have their seat at the table.

*Highlights:

• Early influences (3 mins)
• Becoming a GP (7 mins)
• Advice to her younger self (9 mins)
• Her journey and choosing opportunities (11 mins)
• Proving herself as a minority woman (19 mins)
• Advice to other minority leaders (22 mins)
• Reflections on her role at NHSE (32 mins)
• Juggling, credibility and balance (37 mins)
• Self-care and personal passions (39 mins)
• Quick fire (41 mins)
• A secret surprise (52 mins)

*Social media

• @a_nortleymeshe
• @NextGGP/ @nishmanek

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This episode is with Ben Francis MBE, the founder and now the CEO of Gymshark, the global gym brand that is worth billions.

Gym Shark started here in the UK in Birmingham, when Ben was in his 20s and working for Pizza Hut.

This is a conversation I have looked forward to for such a long time- there is no one like Ben in the UK, that has built such an iconic company in his 20s. His net worth is over billion dollars, and at the age of just 31 has been named the UK’s youngest billionaire.

His story has a real rags to riches theme and on paper he’s the epitome of success…and yet he talks so openly about realising when to step back as a leader, constantly learning from others and working on his weaknesses, and being fully transparent about all of this in the hope that it might inspire other young leaders.

*Highlights:

• Where it all started (3 mins)
• Key influences and inspiration (5 mins)
• Leadership lessons (11 mins)
• Choosing to step back (13 mins)
• Taking feedback (16 mins)
• Working on public speaking (18 mins)
• Culture and values at Gymshark (23 mins)
• Managing a team (26 mins)
• Work-life balance (28 mins)
• Does money bring happiness? (30 mins)
• Quick fire (31 mins)

*Social media

• @Benfrancis1992
• @NextGGP/ @nishmanek

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