Helen Buckingham
@hbuckingham.bsky.social
Expert by experience in healthcare management & policy, Chair National Voices, Trustee RVS, NED PHIN. Also cook, wine drinker, reader, gardener, walker, armchair art critic.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
This piece from the Weekend FT seems relevant
bsky.app/profile/heta...
bsky.app/profile/heta...
‘When Adam Smith wrote “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker that we expect our dinner but from their regard to their own interest,” he omitted any discussion of the unpaid work of his mother (& later his sister) that went into cooking his dinner.’ on.ft.com/4olyOut
What we still get wrong about women’s role in global economics
From the Enlightenment to today’s ‘tradwives’, three books look at the tension between production and reproduction
on.ft.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:06 AM
This piece from the Weekend FT seems relevant
bsky.app/profile/heta...
bsky.app/profile/heta...
If I was invited to join a panel at a week's notice I would have a pretty good idea why...
I have made clear this sends a terrible signal about what they consider the 'future of the UK research system' to be and I'd not attend such an event.
Expecting them to scramble for a token female speaker by the time of the event next week now that I've raised this with them
Expecting them to scramble for a token female speaker by the time of the event next week now that I've raised this with them
November 11, 2025 at 10:05 AM
If I was invited to join a panel at a week's notice I would have a pretty good idea why...
Wishing this was the most horrifying news this morning...
November 10, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Wishing this was the most horrifying news this morning...
May I never grow too old to be interested in bits of stone & old china that I’ve found in the garden & elsewhere.
#PocketMuseum
#Geology #BlueAndWhiteChina #GardenTreasures
#PocketMuseum
#Geology #BlueAndWhiteChina #GardenTreasures
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
It's a long way from the Thames but @londonmudlark.bsky.social might know someone who might know?
I’ve had this for years, dug up in m’garden in midlands. Anyone know what it might be? (Yes, yes, it’s a small head). 1/2
November 7, 2025 at 9:38 PM
It's a long way from the Thames but @londonmudlark.bsky.social might know someone who might know?
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Calling ALL health data folk: Re UK Health Data Research Service.
The UK gov & Wellcome have pledged up to £600 million to create a HDRS.
Myself & an ace team have been tasked by Wellcome to assess the existing health data ecosystem & identify what is needed to support the HDRS 👇.
Get in touch
The UK gov & Wellcome have pledged up to £600 million to create a HDRS.
Myself & an ace team have been tasked by Wellcome to assess the existing health data ecosystem & identify what is needed to support the HDRS 👇.
Get in touch
October 28, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Calling ALL health data folk: Re UK Health Data Research Service.
The UK gov & Wellcome have pledged up to £600 million to create a HDRS.
Myself & an ace team have been tasked by Wellcome to assess the existing health data ecosystem & identify what is needed to support the HDRS 👇.
Get in touch
The UK gov & Wellcome have pledged up to £600 million to create a HDRS.
Myself & an ace team have been tasked by Wellcome to assess the existing health data ecosystem & identify what is needed to support the HDRS 👇.
Get in touch
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Reform's voters are highly motivated, and for the most part strongly dislike Labour. You win at constituency level by bringing together the 'activated liberals' who dislike the idea of a Reform MP/government more than anything. You don't do that by moving closer to Reform.
October 26, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Reform's voters are highly motivated, and for the most part strongly dislike Labour. You win at constituency level by bringing together the 'activated liberals' who dislike the idea of a Reform MP/government more than anything. You don't do that by moving closer to Reform.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
At @thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk University of Cambridge, we're looking for a talented early career researcher to support an exciting programme of work on innovation and improvement in healthcare. This is a great opportunity. Apply by 18 November www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
Research Associate*/Research Assistant in Health Services Research [Maternity Cover] (Fixed Term)
Research Assistant - £33,002 - £35,608 Research Associate - £37,694 - £46,049 The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute (THIS Institute) seeks a talented early career researcher to support an
www.cam.ac.uk
October 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
At @thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk University of Cambridge, we're looking for a talented early career researcher to support an exciting programme of work on innovation and improvement in healthcare. This is a great opportunity. Apply by 18 November www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Oh Siena. Back in my happy place to see the newly restored allegory of good government. The detail is glorious. People dancing and playing games, bootmakers selling their goods, builders repairing the roof. In bad government (still sadly poorly preserved) the buildings are full of holes.
October 21, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Oh Siena. Back in my happy place to see the newly restored allegory of good government. The detail is glorious. People dancing and playing games, bootmakers selling their goods, builders repairing the roof. In bad government (still sadly poorly preserved) the buildings are full of holes.
This is good. The NHS espouses Team B/C while still in practice too often behaving like Team A. So everyone is frustrated.
Shorter feedback cycles help with the political cycle too, as long as politicians actually understand iteration and don't tear things up after the 1st failure.
Shorter feedback cycles help with the political cycle too, as long as politicians actually understand iteration and don't tear things up after the 1st failure.
Iterate, if you can. A new post from me on the long struggle to create shorter feedback cycles in government:
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
medium.com/@jamestplunk...
Iterate, if you can
The long struggle to create shorter feedback cycles in government
medium.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:29 AM
This is good. The NHS espouses Team B/C while still in practice too often behaving like Team A. So everyone is frustrated.
Shorter feedback cycles help with the political cycle too, as long as politicians actually understand iteration and don't tear things up after the 1st failure.
Shorter feedback cycles help with the political cycle too, as long as politicians actually understand iteration and don't tear things up after the 1st failure.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Love love love this little newsletter. And the motto and crest. Cheer up, be brave, join in.
October 18, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Love love love this little newsletter. And the motto and crest. Cheer up, be brave, join in.
🧵 illustrating beautifully how safe care is enabled by people who aren't doctors and nurses.
(We need drs & nurses, but we need techies - and porters & cleaners and many others too)
Sounds a fab role @hadleybeeman.bsky.social!
(We need drs & nurses, but we need techies - and porters & cleaners and many others too)
Sounds a fab role @hadleybeeman.bsky.social!
I have a new job.
To explain it, let me tell you a story.
Have you ever been in the hospital, or with a family member in the hospital, when all the chaos is surrounding you — the busy nurses, the other patients talking, the machines going beep-beep-beep, the occasional…
1/
To explain it, let me tell you a story.
Have you ever been in the hospital, or with a family member in the hospital, when all the chaos is surrounding you — the busy nurses, the other patients talking, the machines going beep-beep-beep, the occasional…
1/
October 10, 2025 at 8:24 PM
🧵 illustrating beautifully how safe care is enabled by people who aren't doctors and nurses.
(We need drs & nurses, but we need techies - and porters & cleaners and many others too)
Sounds a fab role @hadleybeeman.bsky.social!
(We need drs & nurses, but we need techies - and porters & cleaners and many others too)
Sounds a fab role @hadleybeeman.bsky.social!
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
I have discovered that women are more than capable of undertaking any task which requires physical strength or of learning any discipline which requires discernment and intelligence. Books which say otherwise were definitely not written by women.
- Christine de Pizan, b. 1365
- Christine de Pizan, b. 1365
October 10, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I have discovered that women are more than capable of undertaking any task which requires physical strength or of learning any discipline which requires discernment and intelligence. Books which say otherwise were definitely not written by women.
- Christine de Pizan, b. 1365
- Christine de Pizan, b. 1365
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Experimenting with a new concept using @queermedieval.bsky.social’s Portland Frog woodcut. Embracing goofiness as protest.
October 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Experimenting with a new concept using @queermedieval.bsky.social’s Portland Frog woodcut. Embracing goofiness as protest.
"But running a country IS hard work. It is mud, and muck and coffee stains."
Fabulous read. Hope springs eternal...
Fabulous read. Hope springs eternal...
My hero is a farmer, not a duck. Which will only make sense if you read this new piece by me, the start of a new substack which I am bravely calling How To Run A Country.
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/its-the-de...
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/its-the-de...
It’s the despair that’s going to kill us
Time to cheer up
howtorunacountry.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:04 PM
"But running a country IS hard work. It is mud, and muck and coffee stains."
Fabulous read. Hope springs eternal...
Fabulous read. Hope springs eternal...
bit random but... is anyone familiar with the Weybridge/Shepperton ferry and specifically whether it takes dogs
October 9, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Working on something with a typo. The Untied States. Quite.
October 7, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Working on something with a typo. The Untied States. Quite.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
How cool is this?? Can't do the date but will definitely check it out in the future.
THE SECRET PROJECT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS IS FINALLY LIVE
CHECK IT OUT
outsidersartsclub.com
CHECK IT OUT
outsidersartsclub.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:56 PM
How cool is this?? Can't do the date but will definitely check it out in the future.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
The @mndassoc.bsky.social has been a tremendous support for my family. From their helpline taking my desperate phone calls, to making direct grants to mum so she has equipment she needs without delay. You can help their work & direct grants by donating here: donate.mndassociation.org?campaign=25S...
Donate | MND Association
donate.mndassociation.org
October 6, 2025 at 5:55 PM
The @mndassoc.bsky.social has been a tremendous support for my family. From their helpline taking my desperate phone calls, to making direct grants to mum so she has equipment she needs without delay. You can help their work & direct grants by donating here: donate.mndassociation.org?campaign=25S...
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Policymaking - developing and agreeing policies, and then implementing them - is difficult, but plenty of people (increasingly) confuse it with "coming up with ideas for policies" which is, indeed, very easy. Same philosophy that says that announcing the thing is the same as doing the thing
Someone who thinks 'policymaking is generally not very complicated' either does not know what they are talking about or has very strong ideological leanings that help disappear the trade-offs that worry the rest of us.
Good thing he has a high quality team of thoughtful people with a firm grasp of the issues and how complex governing is
October 6, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Policymaking - developing and agreeing policies, and then implementing them - is difficult, but plenty of people (increasingly) confuse it with "coming up with ideas for policies" which is, indeed, very easy. Same philosophy that says that announcing the thing is the same as doing the thing
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
New Archbishop of Canterbury will face old evils on.ft.com/47hTXyH | opinion
New Archbishop of Canterbury will face old evils
She may have shattered a stained glass ceiling but she will experience the same challenges as other female leaders
on.ft.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
New Archbishop of Canterbury will face old evils on.ft.com/47hTXyH | opinion
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
So far as I can tell, to-date she is the only HSJ contributor to be made Archbishop of Canterbury.
there's a "fact" about the new Archbishop of Canterbury on her Wikipedia page that'll be an interesting test of which media organisations do their jobs...
October 3, 2025 at 10:42 AM
So far as I can tell, to-date she is the only HSJ contributor to be made Archbishop of Canterbury.
"...we can and will use the privilege of our leadership to call out injustice, to celebrate connection and to help make things safer and fairer.”
Absolutely stonking statement from ADASS.
Absolutely stonking statement from ADASS.
”…..we do this work at a time when trust feels fragile and anger is often directed downwards — with disenfranchised communities pitted against one another and with people being encouraged to blame those who already have the least power.” Wise & timely words
Leading in troubled times - ADASS
The President of ADASS, Jess McGregor, and Vice President, Phil Holmes, have today published a short statement about the challenges we all face and the standards we must maintain when leading adult so...
www.adass.org.uk
October 2, 2025 at 8:22 PM
"...we can and will use the privilege of our leadership to call out injustice, to celebrate connection and to help make things safer and fairer.”
Absolutely stonking statement from ADASS.
Absolutely stonking statement from ADASS.
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Good to hear @sharonbrennan.bsky.social @nationalvoices.bsky.social championing the crucial role that VCSE’s will play in realising the shift to community and brilliantly making the point that the 10YP care plan target must not result in tokenistic recording of patient wishes. #LabourConference2025
September 29, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Good to hear @sharonbrennan.bsky.social @nationalvoices.bsky.social championing the crucial role that VCSE’s will play in realising the shift to community and brilliantly making the point that the 10YP care plan target must not result in tokenistic recording of patient wishes. #LabourConference2025
Reposted by Helen Buckingham
Together with a set of ridiculously qualified colleagues, under the auspices of the BMJ, have contributed to this assessment of the Government's 10 Year Plan for the NHS. We conclude that we need greater clarity on the how and fewer priorities. www.bmj.com/content/390/...
Delivering on the 10 year health plan for England
Members of the The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHS consider the difficulties of implementing the health plan and what is needed for success
The 10 year health plan for England1 isn’t so much ...
www.bmj.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Together with a set of ridiculously qualified colleagues, under the auspices of the BMJ, have contributed to this assessment of the Government's 10 Year Plan for the NHS. We conclude that we need greater clarity on the how and fewer priorities. www.bmj.com/content/390/...