As the upcoming end-of-year and winter cost pressures bite across the system, we’re seeing lots of focus on system efficiencies, with reduction of agency and high-cost agency spend being a real area of priority. So as a system, how do integrated care systems (ICSs) best work together to optimise this?

Using the 'Fika' concept, our podcast series seeks to engage with people carrying out interesting and innovative work within the health and care ecosystem, through a relaxed informal chat. This week John O'Connell is joined by Stephen Slough, Chief Digital Information Officer at NHS Dorset.

Delving into the intricacies of managing your workforce we look at how taking a holistic approach can help to reduce the need for agency support.

Looking for the most efficient and effective ways to tackle winter challenges we’ll try lots of different things. From different ways of keeping warm to different ways to communicate about our winter vaccination boosters, David Ibbotson, Director of Public Health Services, shares his thoughts on the innovations and novel approaches he’s seen.

What will you do differently to create a person-centred culture that fosters resilience? A great place to start is to accept that culture change can be uncomfortable, and you will, to a certain extent, need to build personal resilience to make this change happen.

With all the evidence indicating that the NHS is facing yet another bleak winter with significant (an understatement) pressure across the health and care system including waiting list challenges, A and E waits and increased pressure on General Practice to name a few, my thoughts turned to the ARRS (Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme) roles and the impact they are making.

I was very privileged recently, to be asked to speak at the Healthcare Excellence Through Technology (HETT) conference back in September, where I joined James Freed (Chief Digital and Information Officer at Health Education England) on the Culture Excellence panel. This also included fellow speakers Anne Marie Cunningham (Associate Medical Director for Primary Care, Digital Health and Care Wales) and Joanna Fox (Managing Director at Medi-hr Ltd).

Less than three months since they came into being formally, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are facing huge challenges. Across the south of England and the country, there are record waiting times for emergency and elective care and major difficulties with access to primary care and mental health services.

Leukaemia claims more lives than breast and prostate cancer every year, and blood cancers have a higher rate of emergency diagnosis than other cancer types, but the awareness of its symptoms amongst the public and community pharmacy teams remains low.