NHS spending is higher than ever. Why isn’t it working?
From The Story by The Times
May 4, 2026 · 26 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the record high NHS spending and questions why it isn't improving patient satisfaction or reducing waiting lists.
NHS spending has reached record highs and shows no sign of slowing down. The government poured in £205 billion last year, yet waiting lists remain stubbornly high and patient satisfaction is at an all time low. So where is all the money going? And if spending isn’t the solution, what is? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests: Eleanor Hayward, Health Editor, The Times. Tom Calver, Data Editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. Host: Luke Jones. Producers: Callum Martin and Micaela Arneson. We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.com Read more: Why doesn’t ever-growing money seem to improve the NHS Further listening: Is your sofa toxic? Clips: BBC, The Guardian, Rishi Sunak / LinkedIn, The Sun, Reuters, The British Library, The Department of Health and Social Care. Photo: Getty Images This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Luke Jones
Guests: Eleanor Hayward, Tom Calver
Topics covered
- NHS spending
- healthcare
- government funding
- patient satisfaction
- waiting lists
Keywords
- NHS
- spending
- healthcare
- waiting lists
- patient satisfaction
- government funding
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Times, The Sunday Times, BBC, The Guardian, The Sun, Reuters, The British Library, The Department of Health and Social Care
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