Policy Unpacked

Series 3, Episode 3: Primary Care Report- Shaping the Future of Primary Care: Priorities and Challenges Over the Next Decade

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, Maya Asher-Jones is joined by Dr Jihad Malasi and Yijun Yoon to explore the key findings from Global Policy Network’s latest report, “Shaping the Future of Primary Care: Priorities and Challenges Over the Next Decade.” Drawing on insights from a high-level roundtable at HETT London, this conversation unpacks the structural and cultural challenges facing primary care systems, and the opportunities to build a more integrated, preventative, and patient-centred model for the future. Together, they explore what fragmentation looks like in everyday practice, why prevention remains difficult to embed despite widespread consensus, and how voluntary and community organisations can be better supported as core partners in care delivery. The discussion also examines the role of digital transformation, and why maintaining human connection is essential to delivering effective and equitable care. The episode brings together clinical experience, policy insight, and emerging perspectives to offer a grounded and forward-looking view of primary care reform. In this episode, we cover: - Why a structurally unified system can still feel fragmented in practice - What meaningful integration could look like without dismantling existing models - The challenges of shifting primary care towards prevention - The role and fragility of voluntary and community sector organisations - Digital transformation and the risk of widening health inequalities - Why human relationships remain central to effective care Guests: Dr Jihad Malasi, GP, NICE MedTech Committee Member, and ICS Mental Health Clinical Lead (East Kent) Yijun Yoon, Global Policy Network Fellow Additional credits: Questions written by Nabeel Sayed 🎧 Listen now and explore how primary care can evolve to meet the challenges of the next decade. 📄 Read the full report: ⁠https://www.globalpolicynetwork.com⁠/reports

S3, Episode 2: Report 1, The Role of Medicines in the NHS 10-Year Plan with Maria Nasim and Stephen Riley

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, a podcast by the Global Policy Network (GPN), we explore the findings of the policy report “The Role of Medicines in the 10-Year Plan.” This series was inspired by an invitation-only roundtable hosted by GPN on 25 June 2025, chaired by Yousaf Ahmad, GPN Advisor and ICS Chief Pharmacist. The official policy report from this roundtable will be published on 7 October 2025, capturing the discussions, insights, and recommendations from system leaders across pharmacy, the NHS, and industry. To unpack the key findings, Ameneh Ghazal Saatchi, Founder and CEO of Global Policy Network, is joined by Maria Nasim, GPN Associate and Regional Market Access Director, Academic Clinical Fellow, Editor at EAHP, and Core20PLUS5 Ambassador at NHS England, alongside Stephen Riley, GPN Associate and Deputy Regional Chief Pharmacist for Pharmacy Integration at NHS England Northwest. Together, they reflect on what the report reveals about pharmacy’s role in delivering the NHS 10-Year Plan and what must change to unlock its full potential. In this episode, we discuss: * Why a dedicated focus on medicines and pharmacy was needed now * What it means for pharmacists to work “at the top of their licence” and how the system can better support this * How new and existing prescribers can be enabled through infrastructure, leadership, and culture * The persistent silos between community, hospital, and primary care pharmacy and how to break them down * Leadership models required to reposition pharmacy as a core pillar of integrated care * How to cultivate the next generation of pharmacy leaders * The role of digital integration and data access in delivering safer, more patient-centred care * Key barriers to pharmacy integration identified through the roundtable * Pharmacy’s position in the NHS digital transformation agenda * The role of industry in supporting implementation of the report’s recommendations * How the findings resonate beyond the UK and lessons for global health systems * What success would look like if the recommendations were implemented now * The risks of inaction and who stands to lose if pharmacy remains underutilised * How stakeholders can engage in the next phase of the GPN roundtable and policy series Key Themes * Medicines optimisation as a strategic system lever * Empowering pharmacy professionals and prescribers * Breaking down silos across the health system * Leadership and cultural change in pharmacy * Digital integration and data-enabled care * Aligning policy ambition with frontline realities * Global Policy Network: www.globalpolicynetwork.com [http://www.globalpolicynetwork.com/]

S2, Episode 6: What Have We Learned So Far? with Stephen Riley

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, a podcast by the Global Policy Network (GPN), Ameneh Ghazal Saatchi is joined by Stephen Riley, GPN Associate and Deputy Regional Chief Pharmacist for Pharmacy Integration at NHS England Northwest, to reflect on the key insights from the Medicines in the NHS 10-Year Plan podcast series. This episode brings the main part of this series to a close, drawing together lessons from system leaders across community, hospital, and primary care pharmacy, and examining what the NHS 10-Year Plan means in practice for medicines, workforce, and patient care. * The key roles and opportunities for community pharmacy under the NHS 10-Year Plan * Where hospital pharmacy can have the greatest impact over the next decade * The central role of medicines optimisation and why it underpins system reform * The importance of pharmacy system leadership in delivering the ambitions of the Plan * What the pharmacy workforce needs to look like to meet future demand * Professional development opportunities for pharmacists across clinical, leadership, and advocacy roles * The evolving role of pharmacy technicians and how their contribution can be strengthened * Changes in education and training for pharmacists and technicians and how these can be built upon * Maintaining a patient-centred focus while operating within constrained resources * The role of pharmacists within neighbourhood-based, multidisciplinary teams * The biggest challenges and risks facing the pharmacy profession * Whether the profession is ready to deliver what the NHS 10-Year Plan requires * What pharmacy services could look like as the Plan is realised * Reflections on optimism, realism, and readiness across the sector * Key moments and standout insights from across the series * Where GPN should take the NHS 10-Year Plan podcast series next Key Themes * Medicines optimisation as a system-wide enabler * Community and hospital pharmacy transformation * Workforce development, capability, and sustainability * Pharmacy leadership at neighbourhood, system, and national level * Patient-centred care within integrated services * Delivering long-term policy ambition through frontline practice Follow GPN and Learn More * Global Policy Network: www.globalpolicynetwork.com [http://www.globalpolicynetwork.com/] * LinkedIn: /global-policy-network

S2, Episode 5: Clinical Pharmacy in the NHS 10 Year Plan with Sarah Trust

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, a podcast by the Global Policy Network (GPN), host Stephen Riley is joined by Sarah Trust, an experienced clinical pharmacist and healthcare leader, to explore the future of primary care pharmacy through the lens of the NHS 10-Year Plan. In this episode, we discuss * Sarah’s career journey into clinical pharmacy, leadership, and national policy roles * Key experiences and challenges that shaped her progression beyond frontline practice * Advice for early-career pharmacists considering leadership and policy pathways * What success looks like for primary care pharmacy by 2035 under the NHS 10-Year Plan * The role of primary care pharmacy in prevention and medicines optimisation * Deprescribing as an emerging priority and the barriers to implementing it at scale * Balancing patient-centred care with financial and system pressures * The impact of collaborative working on patient outcomes in local systems * What makes effective industry partnerships work and where they can fall short * How training for pharmacists entering primary care is evolving to support the three shifts in the NHS 10-Year Plan * Sarah’s role as a GPN Associate and what she brings to the network Key Themes * Leadership and career pathways in primary care pharmacy * Prevention, medicines optimisation, and deprescribing * Patient-centred care and value-based decision making * Collaborative working across primary care systems * Workforce development and training reform * Strengthening the influence of pharmacy in primary care * Global Policy Network: www.globalpolicynetwork.com [http://www.globalpolicynetwork.com/] * LinkedIn: /global-policy-network Join the conversation.

S2, Episode 4: Hospital Pharmacy and the NHS 10-Year Plan with Uzo Ibechukwu

In this episode of Policy Unpacked, a podcast by the Global Policy Network (GPN), host Stephen Riley is joined by Uzo Ibechukwu, Chief Pharmacist at Royal United Hospitals Bath and former ICS Chief Pharmacist for Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire, to explore what the NHS 10-Year Plan means for hospital pharmacy.  In this episode, we discuss:  * Uzo’s career journey into senior pharmacy and system leadership  * The biggest challenges facing hospital pharmacy today  * Strategic priorities for hospital pharmacy over the next decade  * The ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan for hospital pharmacy  * Workforce development and continuous professional development (CPD)  * The expanding role of hospital pharmacists within multidisciplinary teams  * How the NHS’s three strategic shifts could address hospital sector challenges  * Digital transformation in hospital pharmacy, including medicines optimisation and personalised medicine  * Barriers to data sharing and technology implementation  * Supply chain resilience and medicines safety in hospital settings  * Cross-sector collaboration between hospital and community pharmacy  * Hospital pharmacy’s contribution to system-wide healthcare reform  Key Themes:  * Leadership and career pathways in hospital pharmacy  * Workforce capability, education, and sustainability  * Medicines optimisation and patient safety  * Digital innovation and data integration  * System working across hospitals, ICSs, and community care  * Delivering policy ambition through frontline practice     Follow & Learn More:  * Global Policy Network: www.globalpolicynetwork.com [https://www.globalpolicynetwork.com/]   * Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-policy-network/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-policy-network/?viewAsMember=true]   Join the conversation: