The King's Fund

A person with glasses is shown in a professional setting, featuring a quote about population health attributed to Adam Lent, Programme Director, The King's Fund. The King's Fund logo is in the top right corner with a purple background.

Designed for leaders working at the intersection of services, systems and the social determinants of health, our Leadership for Population Health programme is now open for applications for the April 2026 cohort.

Find out more and secure your place today 👉 https://bit.ly/49QfDmH

Certainly! Here's a suitable alt text for the image: "Promotional image for a breakfast session titled 'Putting people first: navigating the multi-generational health care workforce, with humanity.' Scheduled for March 19, 2026, at the Annual Leadership and Workforce Summit. Speakers: Helen Ives, Bob Klaber, Gabrielle Mathews, Marcus Riddell. Organized by The King's Fund."

Newly added to our Annual leadership and workforce summit, 19 March 2026, is an insightful breakfast session: 'Putting people first: navigating the multi-generational health and care workforce' kindly sponsored by NHS Professionals.

Find out more and secure your seat today 👉 https://bit.ly/3O3OANz

Health And Care Explained 2026 | Online Event | The King's Fund At this event we explore how the NHS is structured, what an integrated care system is, the role of primary care and the picture of health inequalities in England. Book your place.

2026 is set to be a year of huge change across the health and care sector. But what does this mean for you?

Join us virtually on 17-18 June as policy and leadership experts from The King’s Fund unravel the complexities of England’s health care system.

Book your place now: https://bit.ly/4aZjqPh

What does the public think about adult social care?

@blimeysimon.bsky.social tells us the four key findings from our new report on public attitudes to social care.

Read the full report. https://bit.ly/40xlQPZ

How does the public view social care?

Our new report, the start of a major project on social care reform as part of our new strategy, explores why public opinion and attitudes towards social care are a key barrier to change.

https://bit.ly/40xlQPZ

Creating The Conditions Where Care Can Thrive: Four Actions For Clinical Leaders | The King's Fund High responsibility and low control can lead to burnout. Sharon Nash shares reflections from clinical leaders on steps organisations can take to prioritise the health and wellbeing of staff.

Burnout isn’t about individual resilience. It’s about the conditions we create.

Our latest blog shares four practical actions from clinical leaders on how to rebuild control, trust and wellbeing across health and care.

Read the blog and join the movement – https://bit.ly/40zYhpM

Building Collaborative Leadership is for senior leaders working across organisational boundaries. Build resilience, shift power dynamics and support transformational change. You will leave feeling empowered to deliver better outcomes for health and social care.

Apply now: https://bit.ly/4rRyhlr

A group of people engaged in conversation at a conference event. Visible in the background are banners featuring the logos of Bath Spa University and other sponsors. The setting is a modern indoor venue with large windows.

Looking to connect with the people shaping health and care?
Find out more about our partnership packages and wider opportunities, contact partnerships@kingsfund.org.uk or book a call with our Corporate Sponsorships Manager, Donna Maher. https://bit.ly/4czt8Ki

Finding it difficult to influence decisions at an organisational level is a challenge many mid-level managers face.

Building Your Authority will strengthen your clarity, confidence and impact in complex environments.

👉 Enquire today: https://bit.ly/4rrbkWr

A group of people sitting in a conference room, focused on a presentation. The image promotes an event titled "Speaking truth to power – social care leaders as advocates for change," held by The King's Fund. The session is scheduled for March 19, 2026.

Our Annual leadership and workforce summit will bring together leaders across social care, health and the VCSE sector to harness their influence, challenge structural barriers and lead with purpose. Be a part of the conversation and the change.

https://bit.ly/3O3OANz

Sarah Woolnough, CEO of The King's Fund, is quoted saying: 'I worked in cancer care for many years, and as someone once said, it’s not the 62 days waiting for treatment, it’s the 61 nights. It’s hugely anxiety inducing to receive a cancer diagnosis and then to be knowing you’re in need of treatment and waiting for that treatment.' There are pink beams in the background and Sarah is pictured smiling,

'It’s why it’s one of the government’s top targets and almost wholesale it’s not being met…'

@swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social spoke on @lbc.co.uk this morning about the NHS failing on key cancer targets.

Read her full blog on the National Cancer Plan. https://bit.ly/4rEUq6W

Warm Up from ShiftWorks highlights how kindness and compassion can be radical acts of leadership in a pressured system.

Learn practical ways to bring them into your management and leadership practise today.

Explore ShiftWorks: https://bit.ly/4oVbKna

When pressure rises, old habits creep in.

Leaders across health & care face this every day.

Our Personal Impact & influence programme builds clarity, confidence and purpose through real practice.

👉 Enquire about our May cohort today: https://bit.ly/4s8oDLr

New avoidable mortality data today from the Office for National Statistics, outlining 113,000 deaths that were avoidable through prevention or treatment, makes the case for a prevention revolution more important than ever.

www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...

The King's Fund Responds To The GP Contract For 2026/27 | The King's Fund Beccy Baird, Senior Fellow at The King's Fund, responds to the GP contract for 2026/27, saying it is clear prevention has been centralised, but questions remain about how achievable these ambitions are.

‘All of these initiatives are positive for people’s health, but there are still some thorny issues to be tackled.'

Beccy Baird responds to the GP contract for 2026/27. Read our full press release.

https://bit.ly/46p1D2o

The image shows an image from The King's Fund. It poses the question, "Should we be concerned about a forecasted doubling of health care spending?" The background is a light color with a vertical bar chart on the right in shades of blue, pink, and gray.

The image contains a color-blocked background with a message about public health spending in the UK. It states that public spending on health is the largest item of public spending in the UK, according to the OBR. The forecast suggests health spending will increase to comprise £1 in every £7 of the UK's national wealth.

Text on a colorful geometric background reads: "The UK is not alone in this likely trajectory. In this publication, we ask: why is this the case? is it inevitable? most importantly, is it actually a problem – and if so, what do we do about it?"

Text on a multicolored background reads: "We'll be exploring these questions and more over the coming months. But we don't want to do it alone. If you're interested in examining these issues with us, we would love to hear from you." Background includes teal, pink, and cream sections.

Health spending keeps rising but the nation isn’t getting healthier at the same pace.

How do we make sure every pound genuinely improves health? Let us know your thoughts.

👉 Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZQNqr5

Do you know how to spot a zombie?

In the latest in our Thinking Out Loud series, Dharaa Patel gives her take on zombie leadership ideas – those outdated ideas about health and care leadership that just refuse to die out.

Check out Dharaa’s blog on zombie leadership here: https://bit.ly/4qQ4klH

Analyst | The King's Fund We're looking for someone to influence change in health and care policy and practice through conducting independent research and producing thought-leadership.

Last chance to apply for our analyst role in the policy team.

If you are interested in influencing change in health and care policy; conducting independent research and producing thought leadership, apply today.

https://bit.ly/4tk6Fag

Two individuals are discussing in front of a glass wall covered with sticky notes. One is wearing a blue medical outfit. The image promotes an event at The King's Fund titled "Health and care explained 2026: a year of change," scheduled for June 17-18.

A conference flyer titled "A year of challenge and change" from The King's Fund. The flyer details a virtual conference overview, with two sections: "Day one: the fundamentals," focusing on integrated care board and government changes, and "Day two: sensemaking," discussing context, expert perspectives, and the 10 Year Health Plan.

The image is an announcement poster for an event by The King's Fund. It features a bright pink triangle on a light background, with text inviting attendees to hear from policy and leadership experts about England's health system on June 17-18, 2026. It mentions early bird tickets available until March 16, with a button that says "Book your ticket now." The King's Fund logo is in the bottom right corner.

2026 is set to be a year of huge change across the health and care sector. But what does this mean for you?

Join us virtually on 17-18 June as policy and leadership experts from The King’s Fund unravel the complexities of England’s health care system.

Book now: https://bit.ly/4aZjqPh

As we mark #MHNursesDay, we recognise the extraordinary contribution of mental health nurses and the wider workforce who embody compassionate leadership every day. Join us at our Annual leadership and workforce summit as we look ahead and lead with humanity.

https://bit.ly/3ZeXHgB

England's First Men's Health Strategy | The King's Fund Paul Galdas explores what it will take to make England’s first men’s health strategy a success.

The launch of England’s first men's health strategy is a significant and long overdue step, Paul Galdas argues. But a commitment to address poorer health outcomes is only as a good as its implementation.

What will it take to make the strategy a success?
Read our guest blog: https://bit.ly/3ZKiMQk

Unite Now – a short course from ShiftWorks – helps health and care leaders tackle racism and inequality.

Racism still shapes everyday life, trust, opportunity, and wellbeing.

Learn to lead inclusively and make a real impact.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/4oVbKna

A person in a blue suit is speaking in front of an audience. Text on the image reads: "Building Your Authority. A five-day leadership programme that helps you step back, reflect and grow. Reconnect with your purpose and prepare for what comes next." The King's Fund logo is in the top right corner.

The image is a graphic from The King's Fund. It has the text: "What will you learn? Deepen your understanding of how you lead and how others respond. Build confidence to influence in complex and relational environments."

A card that reads - "How will you learn? Through coaching, group work and conceptual sessions, you will test your thinking and develop new approaches in a supportive space." The King's Fund logo is at the bottom left.

A card that reads - "Find out more and apply today. kingsfund.org.uk" and includes "The King's Fund" logo in the bottom left corner.

Leadership in health and care is tough but pressure doesn’t just test you, it grows you.

Build confidence, influence under pressure and navigate complexity with our Building Your Authority programme.

👉 Enquire today: https://bit.ly/4rrbkWr

A group of people smiling and talking as part of a leadership course, with one person in the foreground gesturing. Text on the image reads: "Building Collaborative Leadership. Your chance to lead change across health and care. Apply now for April 2026." Image shows The King's Fund logo.

Building Collaborative Leadership is for established leaders like you. Create connections by working together as a 'system' on real-life leadership challenges. Become empowered to deliver improved outcomes for health and social care in the UK.
Apply now: https://bit.ly/4rRyhlr

Analyst | The King's Fund We're looking for someone to influence change in health and care policy and practice through conducting independent research and producing thought-leadership.

We are looking for an analyst to help us provide answers to pressing policy questions, primarily using quantitative data.

You will be influencing change in health and care policy and practice by conducting research and producing thought leadership.

Find out more and apply. https://bit.ly/4tk6Fag

Managing change is hard, in any organisation. But is it possible to do it well?

Anne-Marie Archard gives her take in our Thinking Out Loud series.

If you’re leading in health and care, our Annual leadership and workforce summit is perfect for you. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3K7FOw8

Casting A Queer Lens On The 10 Year Health Plan | The King's Fund How could the three big shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan reshape health and care for LGBTQ+ people?

'When systems are designed to support the most marginalised people, the ripple effects are far-reaching and indeed life-changing.'

How could the three big shifts outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan reshape health and care for LGBTQ+ people?

https://bit.ly/46TKEoS

Text graphic with the message: "Is the forecasted doubling of health care spending a cause for concern?" The King's Fund logo is in the bottom right corner.

Graph showing the UK's rising share of GDP spent on health from 1970 to 2023, compared to other OECD countries. The UK line is highlighted in pink, above the OECD average in turquoise, against various other grey lines.

Graph showing health expenditure per capita in US dollars, adjusted for purchasing power parity, for selected OECD countries from 1970 to 2024. The lines indicate government spending trends, with the United Kingdom and the OECD average highlighted. The UK line displays a relatively steep upward trend, surpassing the OECD average in recent years.

Graph showing UK public spending over time as a percentage of GDP from 1959/60 to 2019/20. Health spending rises steeply, while defense spending declines. Education and social security spending fluctuate moderately.

Health spending is the UK’s biggest public expense – but what’s pushing it up and should we worry?

👉 Explore the trends in our long read: https://bit.ly/3ZQNqr5

Certainly! Here's a suitable alt text: "Advertisement for an event featuring Professor Bola Owolabi CBE. The title reads: 'What does humanity look like in the changing world and its place in the future of health and care? Session one: 19 March 2026.' The King's Fund logo is present.

Our Annual leadership and workforce summit opens with a powerful first session: what does humanity look like in a changing world, and what role does it play in the future of health and care?

Find out more about our speakers and programme: https://bit.ly/3ZeXHgB

#KFLead #LeadershipSummit

Can We Really Be ‘Fit For The Future’ Without Physical Activity? | The King's Fund The government’s 10 Year Health Plan promises a shift from sickness to prevention but overlooks the role of physical activity, says GP registrar Bonar McGuire.

Physical activity reduces the risk of long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and supports good mental health.

So why does the 10 Year Health Plan pay such limited attention to it?

https://bit.ly/4aWkvcb