In this episode of Next Gen Cast, Dr Nish Manek speaks with Paul Corrigan, one of the most influential figures in modern UK health policy.

From advising Tony Blair inside No.10 to shaping the NHS 10-Year Plan today, Paul brings rare institutional memory and sharp insight into leadership, reform, and why meaningful change in healthcare is so hard to deliver.

Together, we explore what leaders get wrong, why policy alone never works, how clinicians can step into system leadership, and why neighbourhoods, patient agency, and proactive care are central to the NHS’s future.

A candid, wide-ranging conversation for clinicians who want to understand - and shape - what comes next.

✨ Episode Show Notes

00:00 – From academia to No.10

05:00 – Inside Downing Street

08:30 – Do leaders understand the NHS?

12:00 – Clinicians as leaders

17:00 – Risk and standing still

22:30 – What makes a good Secretary of State

27:30 – Returning to DHSC at 75

32:30 – Why reform keeps failing

36:30 – Technology and patient agency

40:30 – “No money” myth

45:30 – Neighbourhood healthcare explained

52:00 – Advice to early-career clinicians

✨ Links/resources:

• Paul's book- Shakespeare on Management

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• LinkedIn
• X
• Monthly bulletin

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In this episode, we welcome back Hannah Miller — the only guest I’ve ever invited for a second conversation so far.

Hannah Miller is the Founding Director of Sidekick, a coaching and training company that helps individuals and leaders understand and use their strengths. She’s a certified CliftonStrengths coach, and the creator of The Purpose Pursuit, a programme designed to help people gain clarity and live with more intention.

Hannah consistently receives some of the highest feedback scores in the entire Next Gen programme. Participants repeatedly describe her sessions as practical, energising, and transformative, often remembering and applying her insights years later. Hannah’s first episode (28) remains one of our most downloaded to date.

Together, we dive into the practical wisdom behind her brand new book The Purpose Pursuit, which is about to be published.

We explore how we reconnect with purpose, navigate life’s seasons, handle comparison and imposter feelings, and make small, everyday course-corrections that bring more meaning into our lives. This is a grounding, hopeful, and deeply useful conversation for anyone feeling a bit off-track, stretched thin, or ready for more intention in their day-to-day.

⏱️ Timestamps

• 01:00 — Hannah’s background and coaching journey
• 03:00 — Moving from strengths to purpose
• 06:00 — What people consistently underestimate about themselves
• 09:00 — Purpose in high-pressure, purpose-driven roles
• 11:00 — Why we drift off-course
• 14:00 — Everyday course-corrections
• 18:00 — Seasons of life explained
• 30:00 — Comparison and how to handle it
• 34:00 — Social media + scarcity patterns
• 40:00 — Imposter feelings and the four types
• 48:00 — The Four-Point Pursuit
• 54:00 — Hannah’s advice to her younger self

Links/resources:

• Hannah's first episode with us
• Hannah's new book- The Purpose Pursuit
• Her website and podcast

🎉 Giveaway! 🎉

Pre-order Hannah’s new book and you could win a one-hour coaching conversation with Hannah, valued at £150!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Pre-order or order the book.
2. Send your receipt to laura@hellosidekick.co
3. You’ll be entered into a competition draw.

✨ The winning coaching session can be taken anytime until March 2026.

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

In this episode, Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, shares his remarkable journey from a market town in Lincolnshire to the national stage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for his honesty, clarity, and trademark analogies, JVT reflects on his family’s extraordinary story, the challenges of breaking into medicine, and the pivotal choices that shaped his career in public health.

He talks candidly about stepping into leadership “by accident,” managing the pressure of being thrust into the spotlight, and navigating the uneasy intersection of science and politics. Along the way, he opens up about imposter syndrome, the personal costs of public service, and the lessons he hopes will inspire the next generation of leaders.

02:00 – Early Life & Family Influence

04:00 – Getting Into Medicine

06:00 – Path to Public Health & Pharma

12:00 – Becoming Deputy CMO

17:00 – Thrust Into the Spotlight

25:00 – Imposter Syndrome

32:00 – Science, Politics & Pressure

39:00 – The Power of Communication

49:00 – Work-Life Balance & Personal Cost

58:00 – Reflections & Legacy

57:00 – Quickfire Round

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