In this episode of Health on the Line, Matthew Taylor speaks with Al Mulley, professor of medicine and professor of health policy clinical practice at Dartmouth University, where he has led a programme dedicated to forging partnerships around the world to build the capabilities essential to achieving sustainable healthcare economies. 

Together, they discuss the issue of variation in both performance and activity within the healthcare system, emphasising that decision quality, meaning the thoughtful consideration of options, outcomes and patient preferences, is essential for building sustainable neighbourhood health systems. 

Drawing on his past experience, Mulley also shares a model of primary care that prioritises relational skills and listening capacity over traditional clinical hierarchies.  

In the context of the NHS’s push to implement neighbourhood health, he stresses the importance of cultural context and cultural intelligence, as well as emotional and social intelligence in clinical decision making.  

We also hear from Heather Moorhead, director of the Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON), to hear about the challenges our members are facing in Northern Ireland and what NICON is doing to support them. 

Health on the Line is an NHS Confederation podcast, produced by HealthCommsPlus.

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