90. 'Digital is not an individual athlete' - LIVE from Re:wired

90. 'Digital is not an individual athlete' - LIVE from Re:wired

Author: Steve Brine & James Bethell March 26, 2026 Duration: 48:05

Episode 90 of THE health and politics podcast, comes LIVE from Digital Health Re:wired!


This episode is sponsored by MASTEK; a company with a 25-year history of working with the NHS and has been trusted to deliver significant national IT infrastructure and data projects across the UK Public Sector.


Former Health Ministers Steve Brine and Lord Bethell are at the NEC among four thousand digital health leaders with very special guests and all the usual insights into how decisions are made.


They begin with the huge response to last week's episode - 'meningitis horror' - and discuss a new vaccine commission getting underway from the Royal Society for Public Health. And the pair consider the new Neighbourhood Health Framework, finally published last week which is the delivery mechanism for the entire ten-year health plan as told to by NHS boss Jim Mackey when he was on the podcast last month.


And they're joined by Sonia Patel - Interim Government Chief Technology Officer (and former NHS England CTO) - as well as Helen Clifton, Executive Director of Products & Platforms at NHS England. Helen is responsible for how the NHS shows up in peoples’ pockets and whether digital actually delivers prevention.


The discussion covers:


  • The £7.4 Billion NHS digital investment: Where is the money actually going?
  • Martha’s Rule: How one mother’s campaign is saving hundreds of lives from sepsis.
  • The Vaccination Gap: Why adult vaccine access is the next big public health challenge.
  • Consumer Health: Will the NHS App ever be as good as your banking app or a Whoop band?
  • The Neighborhood Health Framework: Is it a delivery mechanism or just a fantasy?


Connect with the Podcast: 📧 Email: preventionisthenewcurepodcast@gmail.com 📱 WhatsApp: 0333 4046507 ✅ Subscribe for weekly insights from the heart of health politics!


This episode is produced by Shortbread Media / Calum Macdonald with on-site technician services provided by Digital Health Re:wired courtesy of Aztec Events.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Prevention is the New Cure is a health and politics podcast hosted by former UK Health Ministers Steve Brine & James Bethell. Drawing on their experience inside government, they unpack how political decisions shape the NHS, public health, fitness, and everyday wellbeing. Each week, listeners can expect thoughtful conversations on prevention - from tackling chronic disease and obesity to mental health, social care, and the future of healthcare funding. With candid reflections, behind-the-scenes insight, and expert guests, the show explores what needs to change so that staying well becomes as important as treating illness. Whether you follow health policy, work in the system, or just care about living longer, healthier lives, this is your place to listen episodes that challenge, inform, and inspire.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 96

Prevention is the New Cure
Podcast Episodes
94. Vaccines... and underpants [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:00
Former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell return for a deep dive into the intersection of health and politics. This week, they tackle the "Golden Child" of the pandemic, the vaccine rollout, and ask a piercin…
93. Prostate cancer’s moment of truth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:17
Former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell dive into the "nihilism" of modern health politics. Is the current strategy just about keeping the NHS out of the headlines, or are we actually making the nation heal…
92. The Junk food ad ban GIANT loophole [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:04
In episode 92 of THE health and politics podcast: Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and Lord Bethell discuss the brand new junk food ban, and how fast food companies and others are ALREADY f…
91. Why Willpower Fails Against Obesity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:10
Is the UK's health system upside down? In this episode of 'Prevention is the New Cure,' former Health Minister Lord James Bethell and Tony Blair Institute’s Dr. Charlotte Refsum sit down with Professor Susan Jebb (Chair…
89. Meningitis horror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
In Episode 89, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and Lord Bethell dive into the urgent headlines shaping British healthcare. From the tragic Meningitis B outbreak in Kent to the "productivity paradox" of AI in hospital…
88. Drugs in Space! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:02
In this episode of Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and Lord James Bethell join from around the world: James from Blackpool and Steve from North Macedonia.They dive into the looming GP cont…
87. Strictly fund the NHS - and prevention! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:19
The £200bn Question: Why Isn’t the NHS Getting Healthier?In this episode of Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell take analyse the status quo of UK health policy. With NHS spen…
86. Jabs payments missing the point [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:05
Can we "prescribe" our way out of a national health crisis?In this episode, former Health Ministers James Bethell and Steve Brine are joined by Charlotte Refsum (Head of Health at the Tony Blair Institute) to dissect the…
85. Health tech good news and NHS prescribing puppies? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:42
In this episode of Prevention is the New Cure, former Health Ministers Steve Brine and James Bethell chat to Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund.Sarah Woolnough argues that health is not made in hospitals…