In this final episode of our mini-series on universal healthcare, in collaboration with LSBU and the Universal Healthcare Network, we bring it full circle with Prof. Becky Malby, who commissioned this enlightening journey.

Over recent episodes, we've delved into stories from remarkable guests who are making universal healthcare real in their communities – from children’s services to outreach for those experiencing homelessness. Together, they’ve shown us the power of curiosity, collaboration, and plain humanity in health care.

Becky reflects on their stories and challenges us with a bold question:
If they can do it, why can’t everyone?

Why aren’t these inspiring, people-centered approaches the norm?

It’s a call to reimagine healthcare beyond the appointment system and break down walls that hinder access for the most vulnerable.

We discuss everything from the need for team support in complex care, to the irreplaceable role of storytelling, which has shone brightly throughout the series.

This episode is an inspiring wrap-up and a rallying cry to make healthcare universal in every sense.

Whether you’re in healthcare, policy, or simply curious about a fairer system, this series has laid out the path forward – and it’s one we’ll need to walk together. Thank you for joining us in this exploration.

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

🍋 The Outliers' Challenge – If these guys can create truly universal healthcare, why isn’t everyone doing it?
Stop treating these stories as “exceptions”, start making them the norm.

🍋 Beyond the Appointment Factory – The NHS is more than an endless round of appointments.
Bring care to people; don't just wait for them to show up.

🍋 Break Down the Barriers – A phone call to get an appointment can be Everest for those without easy access or trust in the system.
Meet people where they are: in a clinic, on the street, or anywhere that works

🍋 Curiosity Is the Key – The best hcps aren’t the “know-it-alls”
Join the magic, curious people who keep asking, “Who else could help?” and “What’s the full picture here?”

🍋 Teamwork - it’s lighter with friends.
From school nurses to team huddles, complex care works better (and is way more fun) when you have support

🍋 Stories Over Stats – what are the stories behind the data?
George helped V get to China - shows the human impact in a way data never could

🍋 Start somewhere
Don’t overthink. Just start. Get moving. Small actions can spark big changes

🍋 Reignite the creative Pandemic Spirit – Remember the “VacciTaxies” bringing care to where people needed it?
Let's ditch the bureaucracy & reignite our drive to make healthcare accessible.

🍋 Universal healthcare is possible - it’s up to all of us to carry this momentum forward

Links:
EPISODES 56-61 in this series!
Universal HealthCare National Inquiry
Gill's Universal Healthcare work with MPFT

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We are nearing the end of our mini series of podcasts about universal healthcare, in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare Network.

With the NHS experiencing overwhelming demand, we need radical transformation with more power and resources within communities.

So today, Bill Graham, who is a Community Coordinator with Modality Partnership, focuses on community-based solutions!

Bill talks about the need for primary care to engage with communities and gives examples of how this works in practice, e.g maximising COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Asian populations and increasing childhood vaccination rates.

Bill highlights the success of community-led initiatives, such as health checks at sports events and baby days in shopping centres.

Bill also mentions the multi-generational home visiting project and digital outreach initiatives to enhance patient engagement. He calls for more investment in community solutions and stresses the importance of practical, asset-based approaches in healthcare.

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

🍋 Magic happens when primary care breaks out of the day-to-day cycle and starts to do things differently … High Street health!

🍋 Engage with local communities - they have a vital role to play in helping people look after their health

🍋 Get out and about, build relationships with your community and find out what is important to them

🍋 This episode has lots of practical examples of how to make healthcare more accessible by taking it out to where people are

🍋 Be culturally curious and find out what works for different populations

🍋 Shift power and be imaginative with resources

🍋 Be proactive – if people are not coming forward for health checks, try multi-generational home visiting?

🍋 Support family carers too - often the unsung heroes of health care

🍋 Turn theory and data into ACTION to address health inequalities

🍋 Volunteers can help people access health-related technology and start to close the digital divide

🍋 Don’t overthink things – start somewhere!

Some links :
Universal HealthCare National Inquiry
Easy Read Executive Summary
10 Leaps Forward - Innovation in the pandemic
Noreen Bukhari - supporting women from ‘BAME’ communities
Gill's Universal Healthcare work with MPFT

#coproduction #communities #funding #equity #healthinequalities #storytelling #passion #QI

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
please share your thoughts by leaving a review (Spotify or Apple are easiest to leave a review - navigate via 3 dots) and comment on your favourite episodes.

I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.

And so we continue our mini series of podcasts on universal healthcare, in collaboration with London South Bank University and the Universal Healthcare Network!

Kim Shutler shares insights on the role of the voluntary sector in healthcare, with a focus on community-based solutions.

With the NHS experiencing overwhelming demand, we need radical transformation with more power and resources within communities.

Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋
🍋 Let’s maximise voluntary sector potential in health care

🍋 Create the conditions for VCSEs to thrive and transform healthcare by shifting power and resources closer to communities.

🍋 Old system HAS bitten back post-pandemic, due to governance structures and statutory provisions – but we KNOW we can do things more imaginatively!

🍋 Success comes from relationships, passionate individuals, a local knowledge

🍋 We need a bottom-up approach to healthcare transformation

🍋 Value and build trust with communities and local organisations

🍋 Collaborate across boundaries to maximise innovation and resources

🍋 Make decisions WITH people to avoid unintended consequences

🍋 Use imaginative, inclusive ideas like participatory budgeting

🍋 Enable small organisations to focus on work, rather than bidding for work

🍋 Cut the jargon and hoops to jump through!

🍋 Open doors - find out what local voluntary organisations are doing and find opportunities to collaborate

🍋 VCSEs should approach local practices and primary care networks to explore partnership opportunities

🍋 Primary care can run clinics and health checks in voluntary sector buildings to engage communities

🍋 Different localities require unique solutions, but key principles save you re-inventing the wheel

🍋 Decision-making power shift can be uncomfortable for those used to traditional distribution of money

🍋 Social prescribing is important to address social needs and reduce medicalisation

🍋 Social prescribing is great … but not if there are lots of travel agents and no holidays!!

🍋 Practice-based peer support workers with lived experience of mental health problems can provide community-based support, funded by the GP practice

🍋 Invest in communities and hand over power to drive change

🍋 Start small. Start somewhere!

Links:
Becky Malby – Universal Healthcare - podcast
Universal HealthCare National Inquiry
Easy Read Executive Summary
10 Leaps Forward - Innovation in the pandemic
Gill's Universal Healthcare work with MPFT

The Art of the possible Gill's poem inspired by the conversation with Kim

We LOVE it when you leave a review!
If you enjoy my podcast and find these conversations useful
please share your thoughts by leaving a review (Spotify or Apple are easiest to leave a review - navigate via 3 dots) and comment on your favourite episodes.

I tweet as @WhoseShoes and @WildCardWS and am on Instagram as @WildCardWS.

Please recommend 'Wild Card - Whose Shoes' to others who enjoy hearing passionate people talk about their experiences of improving health care.