King’s College London Professor Discusses NHS On The BBC

Prof Manthorpe, Director of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce at King’s, was one of the experts taking part in BBC Radio 4’s The Briefing Room on 12 January.

She joined host David Aaronovitch and Sally Warren, Director of Social Policy at the King’s Fund, and Nigel Edwards, CEO of the Nuffield Trust, to respond to the question: NHS: Are there any quick fixes?

Prof Manthorpe highlighted the value of streamlining discharge policies with well-equipped discharge teams. In addition, she argued that where there was early discharge, it was important that good links were maintained with the hospital so that any subsequent problems need not result in a return to Accident and Emergency. In respect of the social care workforce, Prof Manthorpe observed that many workers were engaged part-time and it may be that some might be drawn to working for longer hours if pay was better. Broadly, the three experts were sceptical on the question of quick fixes.

Earlier in the programme, David Aaronovitch heard from Annabelle Collins of the Health Service Journal and Mark Pearson of the OECD on the current state of the NHS in the international context.

Prof Manthorpe took part in earlier editions of The Briefing Room, on 14 October 2021 (on social care policy), and in April 2020, focusing on social care and the pandemic.

Jill Manthorpe is Professor of Social Work at King’s College London and Director of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, which is part of the Policy Institute at King’s. She was made CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2022 for services to social work and social care research.