Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 05/08/2026This argument, against a council proposal to build housing on a city centre car park, made me smile. 110
Reposted by Charles TallackAmy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/08/2026NHS England will change how it evaluates the success of the controversial Palantir platform after staff raised concerns about the methods, more than a year after the claims were first published, according to emails obtained by @financialtimes.com via FOI as.ft.com/r/453430e1-c...as.ft.comNHS England to revise Palantir platform data after staff concernsChanges to two most widely cited claims come as scrutiny grows over US tech company’s contract 171
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Yesterday, the Health Foundation published analysis finding no evidence that the Palantir/FDP tool OPTICA, has cut discharge delays, further undermining NHS England claims that it had. bsky.app/profile/dian... 198
Reposted by Charles TallackChris Dillow @chrisdillow.bsky.social · 28/07/2026If this had been policy in the 70s (as it partly was), towns would have produced lots of mining engineers & metallurgists just before pits & steelworks closed. As the yanks say, you should skate to where the puck's going, not to where it is. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...theguardian.comBurnham to tell schools in England to adapt teaching to local business needsPM wants curriculums for students aged 14 and above to be more responsive to local jobs market 1023883
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 22/07/2026In his first speech as defence secretary, Wes Streeting reiterates his record at health in "achieving the biggest reduction in waiting in 17 years". Is that record still looking as good? 123
Reposted by Charles TallackDavid Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Excellent piece on how inequality manifests itself in ways that aren’t measured by official statistics. Economics does itself a profound disservice when it neglects imbalances in power. 1166
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Predictably inconsistent Daily Mail editorial line (via Private Eye) 020
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Rule 1 for analytical quality assurance: if your results are surprising, they're probably wrong. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 142
Reposted by Charles TallackRamin Nasibov @nasibov.me · 12/03/2026Another day, another stupid Excel chart. 142093458
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 12/03/2026We know about the three planned NHS shifts. But there appears to be an unintended fourth one: mental health to physical health - seemingly caused by the second shift, analogue to digital. 020
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 10/03/2026As also shown by the government's own figures... bsky.app/profile/char... 001
Reposted by Charles TallackJo Bibby @jobibby.bsky.social · 20/02/2026✨✨✨New blog What would it take for the government to fulfil its promise to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy across the country? TLDR: improving health care won’t be enough on its own, govt urgently needs to reduce deprivation. Full analysis here ⬇️⬇️ www.health.org.uk/features-and...health.org.uk 096
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 19/02/2026A puzzling BBC headline yesterday, following publication of the ONS inflation estimates. Bread and cereals together account for only 1.8% of the CPI basket. Their price dropped by 2% between Dec and Jan, but the contribution to the fall in inflation is surely minimal? 010
Reposted by Charles TallackGeorgia Banjo @georgiabanjo.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Great analysis. It was also clear from the beginning it wouldn't work. Guy's and St Thomas's was the model for all this, but after starting the programme the trust's wait times fell slower than the national average and the theatre staff went on strike... 052
Reposted by Charles TallackDean Hochlaf @dhochlaf.bsky.social · 06/02/2026Excellent thread as the Health Foundation adds further evidence the government are not being entirely transparent with claims of reduced waiting lists Fixing the NHS requires an honest appraisal of the challenges so we can allocate resources appropriately. The gov really needs to do better 221
Reposted by Charles TallackMary Dixon-Woods @marydixonwoods.bsky.social · 05/02/2026This is really fascinating. Reads like a detective story, offers striking insights into the numbers on waiting lists. 042
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 05/02/2026On 14 January Wes Streeting said that waiting lists had fallen three times faster in 20 areas of the country where crack teams had been deployed. We’ve looked at this claim and have questions. 🧵 www.gov.uk/government/n...gov.ukWaiting lists cut 3 times faster in highest joblessness areasWaiting lists in 20 areas in England fall 3 times faster than the national average thanks to experts deployed by government to help supercharge NHS care. 12314
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 17/01/2026What explains the divergence between consumer confidence of the over- and under-50s? @faisalislam.bsky.social for BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 6177
Reposted by Charles TallackStuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 15/01/2026DHSC published its impact statement for the 10 Year Health Plan this week (yes, that is 6 months after it published the plan) It's more measured and clear-eyed than the original document and quite a contrast to some of the effusive optimism in the plan Some of the things that caught my eye 👇 22621
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 06/01/2026The government says its ban on junk food ads will reduce the number of children living with obesity by 20,000 and remove 7.2 billion calories from diets. These numbers show that the ban is a step in the right direction. But they also reveal that it's a very small step. www.gov.uk/government/n...gov.ukLandmark junk food ad ban to protect kids' healthChildren will be protected from exposure to junk food ads under new regulations, in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. 263
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 15/12/2025Long A&E waits are usually the result of a lack of free hospital beds. With 11% (13,000) beds, each day, occupied by patients who are "medically fit for discharge", reducing delayed discharges offers the opportunity to create more capacity without adding more beds. 274
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 14/12/2025How does the UK’s health compare? Researchers at LSHTM recently answered this by comparing age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) across countries. This placed the UK 4th worst for females and 6th worst for males, out of 20. Surprisingly, UK does better than Netherlands (F) and Denmark (M). 221
Reposted by Charles TallackTHIS Institute (The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute) @thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk · 05/12/2025National programmes can help to drive improvements across health and care – how can they become more effective? This blog post from @charlestallack.bsky.social explores a new framework developed to support better early planning for large-scale change programme. Read more: ths.im/3XyEIge 003
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 15/10/2025Intersectionality describes how demographic disadvantages can interact to amplify inequalities. But how to model this? New from colleagues in our analysis team: a case study of GP appmts & patient experience, illustrating the MAIDHA intersectional modelling approach. medium.com/healthfdn-da...medium.comIntersectional modelling in health policy: a case study on remote GP appointments and patient…Across nearly all aspects of health and health care, there are disparities between different demographic groups. These are often the result… 032
Reposted by Charles TallackJohn Appleby @jappleby123.bsky.social · 09/09/2025Those confidence intervals in full! 21812
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 11/08/2025At the end of July, the government said that it had delivered 4.6 million extra appointments since it came to power, more than double its manifesto pledge of 2 million. www.gov.uk/government/n...gov.ukMillions more appointments as more than 2,000 extra GPs recruitedBoost is part of Plan for Change to rebuild the NHS by shifting healthcare from hospitals into the community and ending the 8am scramble. 26327
Reposted by Charles TallackJo Bibby @jobibby.bsky.social · 23/07/2025How can the government meet its commitment to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between regions? Reading this excellent summary of some of the @healthfoundation.bsky.social latest analysis from @charlestallack.bsky.social would be a good place to start! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ 035
Reposted by Charles TallackHugh Alderwick @hughalderwick.bsky.social · 23/07/2025Policy exchange, backed by Sajid Javid, think we need to switch the NHS funding model to social insurance, and introduce new charges for NHS services, like to see a GP policyexchange.org.uk/publication/... These are not new ideas, but they are bad ideas A thread with some evidencepolicyexchange.org.ukThe NHS – a Suitable Case for Treatment? - Policy ExchangeDownload Publication Online Reader ‘The NHS – a Suitable Case for Treatment?’ makes the case that the NHS is not fit for purpose and is in urgent need of reform.The report finds that NHS performance r... 75633
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 19/07/2025In its 10 Year Health Plan, the government recommitted to halving the gap in healthy life expectancy (HLE) between the poorest and richest regions. But how? Our new analysis with the ONS points to the underlying factors which any plan will need to take account of. 🧵 42318
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 03/07/2025Important re NHS 10 Year Plan: "making the plan happen with the resources on offer will be tough. Health spending will grow by 2.8% a year real between 25/26 & 28/29 – lower than historic average (3.7%) & much lower than Labour’s last period in government (6.8%)" www.health.org.uk/press-office...health.org.uk 011
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 03/07/2025The Labour government’s most prominent commitment on health is to get waiting times back to 18 weeks by the end of the Parliament. Are they on track? We looked at this for last night’s Peston show youtu.be/yc-9Psk3gk8?... 🧵youtu.bePESTON LIVE - 02/07/2025YouTube video by Peston 176
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 21/06/2025The BBC reports that the government is about to launch a drive to use genomics and AI to predict disease earlier and "revolutionise prevention". www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comNHS plans to DNA test all babies in England to assess disease riskScheme is part of the government's 10-year plan for the NHS in England aimed at easing pressure on services. 343
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 11/06/2025No, BBC Chris Mason: the NHS does not make up 40% of day to day government spending. You've left out spending on pensions, benefits, debt interest etc. When you include those, the figure is less than half that. www.bbc.com/news/article...bbc.comChris Mason: Reeves's spending priorities leave little wiggle roomThe chancellor's focus on the NHS and defence will mean a spending squeeze elsewhere, writes the BBC's political editor. 612753
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 28/04/2025In January a record 11% of patients attending major A&Es waited more than 12h+. How much was poor NHS performance this winter due to "exceptional pressure" with "mammoth demand" from a quademic of winter illnesses? This and more in our new analysis: 041
Reposted by Charles TallackJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 26/04/2025Good thread on a common and quite important statistical error, on many topics other than health (eg education). If a system is genuinely equitable, then variations in the system's effectiveness don't "explain" much. Doesn't mean systems don't matter! 66917
Reposted by Charles TallackSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 26/04/2025Found the whole interview irritatingingly insoucient given the state of the NHS. But I really got worried when she said this which is so obviously wrong. 1916150
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 26/04/2025Sarah Neville in the FT on lunch with Amanda Pritchard: "The NHS contributes between 10 and 20 per cent to people’s health, she says — a figure I find startlingly low" This widely quoted figure is startlingly low because it's probably wrong.🧵 www.ft.com/content/5cf4... 1216160
Reposted by Charles TallackHelen Crump @helencrump.bsky.social · 18/04/2025This echoes a clear theme in my research: there can sometimes be an imperative to present a project as a success, which then makes it harder to learn from an inconclusive or unsuccessful finding. Inconclusive findings are just as important as successes, as is learning why something didn't go to plan 173
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Here's what the "record £26 billion extra NHS funding secured at the October Budget" looks like translated in annual real terms growth. 3.2% pa over two years. Higher than during 2010s, but lower than the 3.7% pa in the 40 years preceding the pandemic. www.health.org.uk/reports-and-... 010
Reposted by Charles Tallacksteve the skeptic @policyskeptic.bsky.social · 16/04/2025What is really worrying here is that DHSC don't appear to know what strong evidence would look like and are promoting an approach that will frequently give them false positives about what works... 111
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 16/04/2025On 16 March, DHSC announced “crack teams” of top clinicians working in 20 trusts had reduced the waiting list by 130% more than in trusts elsewhere. As a result, the scheme (called FF20 – Further Faster 20), is being rolled out across the country. The claim examined🧵 www.gov.uk/government/n...gov.ukCrack teams get patients off waiting lists at twice the speedSending top doctors into areas of highest economic inactivity is busting through the backlog. 12513
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 12/04/2025Brilliant, on the British Steel crisis. Blast furnaces produce more carbon dioxide than iron. If Scunthorpe closes, Britain would be the first industrialised nation to end primary steelmaking. What is Jingye, the Chinese owner,up to? Should we have sold to them? France blocked a takeover. 000
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 09/04/2025Reducing duplication between NHS E and DHSC has been a main plank of the rationale for NHSE's abolition and 50% cuts to the centre. But how much duplication is there? 272
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 05/04/2025Stupidity/pseudo science dressed up as economics in the White House's technical explanation of the tariff calculations ustr.gov/issue-areas/... 041
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 26/03/2025£105bn a year on debt interest (4x social care spend) is a big part of why it feels like many of our public services are in permanent austerity. The 2008 financial crisis and pandemic response accounts for at least £60bn of that. on.ft.com/4c7agjB via @FT 021
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 21/03/2025"It seems strange to announce a reorganisation without including a strategy for how NHSE’s responsibilities will be reallocated (not a straightforward task) or for which decisions will be taken at different levels i.e. at local, regional, or national level." 365
Reposted by Charles TallackHugh Alderwick @hughalderwick.bsky.social · 18/03/2025On the end of NHS England in @bmj.com www.bmj.com/content/388/... Feels like a massive distractionbmj.comLabour government scraps NHS EnglandPerformative politics that will disrupt the health service when patients most need it On 13 March, the UK prime minister announced that the Labour government will scrap NHS England—the national body ... 154
Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 14/03/2025Great, insightful analysis of the abolishment of NHS England and the halving of the DHSC/NHSE centre @thekingsfund.bsky.social www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...kingsfund.org.ukThe Reshaping Of NHS National Bodies Has Only Just Started. How Will It Finish? | The King's FundFollowing the announcement that NHS England is to be abolished, Siva Anandaciva considers the implications and why at the moment there are more questions than answers. 21812
Reposted by Charles TallackCarolineJMolloy @carolinejmolloy.bsky.social · 19/02/2025Fascinating thread. Especially for cynics like me who already suspected that a fair chunk of the government’s “2 million extra NHS appointments” target was probably met with a load of extra phone calls, & other stuff that people weren’t waiting for & which may not have achieved anything… 41512