David Buck
@davidjbuck.bsky.social
Senior fellow in public health and health inequalities at The King's Fund (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/). Bit of a magpie, don't necessarily agree with those i (re)share. Also over at twitter @davidjbuck.
I'm sorry but this is absolutely hilarious. Remember that this technology is going to take all of your jobs
Dr. Jonathan Foley@globalecoguy.bsky.social · 5d agoThis is why blindly using generative AI is a very, very bad idea. It doesn’t *know* anything… “A Reuters analysis found the image of the map … contained an artificial intelligence watermark that signals it was made with OpenAI tools.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Rewiring the State - all bets on devolution. Whiter #publichealth & #prevention? On 1 hand = vague statement re 'devolution of preventive services' on other = public health grant kaput. Transition will be critical, and needs to done with a lot of thought & right sequencing www.gov.uk/government/p...
BBC News - Andy Burnham to give regional mayors share of income tax www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Andy Burnham to give regional mayors share of income tax
The prime minister says the move will give power to "every postcode" but critics say the plans lack detail.
bbc.co.uk
This is an amazing chart - but it shows *relative* inequality. Because wealth has grown from 3.5 to 7 times annual GDP since 1991, the *absolute* wealth gaps are wider, and stagnant wages mean it's harder to earn your way up the ladder. So beneath the surface, still cause for concern.
Jemima Kelly@jemima.bsky.social · 2w agoAn amazing chart showing how much wealth inequality in Britain has *fallen* over the past century - taken from this Quillette piece on Channel 4's failure to fact-check the whole premise of its Gary Stevenson documentary. quillette.com/2026/07/14/g...
Sounds interesting. But given it's a health plan, be good to hear from someone not in the NHS, given it doesn't have a monopoly on health.
The Health Foundation@healthfoundation.bsky.social · 2w agoPODCAST: How is delivering the 10-Year Health Plan going? Three NHS leaders join us to reflect. Listen now 🎧
Manchesterism shows the potential for place-based policy making - but such a transformation takes time. As Andy Burnham becomes PM, Aadya Bahl looks what can, and cannot, be applied elsewhere. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/can-manchesterism-really-be-a-blueprint-for-national-growth/
Can Manchesterism really be a blueprint for national growth? | LSE British Politics
Much of the success of Andy Burnham's Manchesterism depended on local conditions of Greater Manchester. Can it be replicated nationally?
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, responds to Yvette Cooper's appointment as new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. 👉https://bit.ly/4bBxK1f
The King's Fund responds to Yvette Cooper's appointment as new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King's Fund responds to new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham’s, recent comments on social care and the appointment of Yvette Cooper to Secretary of State for Health...
kingsfund.org.uk
This is such a weird non-story. The regulations relate specifically to the term 'alcohol-free', which should only be applied to drinks below 0.05% ABV. But there is no barrier to making drinks at 0.5% - e.g. Lucky Saint is 0.5% and their sales seem to be fine. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK’s alcohol-free beer boom threatened by regulations, trade body warns
BBPA wants content definition for beer to be considered non-alcoholic to be changed from 0.05% to 0.5%
theguardian.com
Great piece from Siva Anandaciva for @thekingsfund.bsky.social what might come from an Andy Burnham government, wide-ranging, and shows many choices and headaches to trade-off. It's not going to be easy... healthcareleadernews.com/views/a-burn...
Can't believe BBC is leading the news with reams of pointless pieces on changing the England world cup kick off time. Gimme strength.
Arrghh. @serailway.bsky.social. That's now almost 3hrs to travel 37 miles. Via two tubes, three trains and now a missing driver, in touching distance. You make my life too hard.
As strategic authorities gain control, can we expect to see better tailored health services that improve people's lives? @mubj.bsky.social, from the West Midlands Combined Authority, and Katherine Merrifield explore potential impacts of devolution on UK health outcomes ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4o6VRtL
Following the local elections held on Thursday 7 May 2026, the LGA’s political proportionality has now been calculated and independently verified: Full details available on our website: https://orlo.uk/tSjIY
Just received this in my inbox - interesting both for what it says and that the Mayor's office (Burnham's office) saw the need to say it. Burnham can *run* for Westminster and remain Mayor while doing it, but if he wins he has to immediately resign. That's good for Burnham & Lab prospects imho 1/2
🚨 BREAKING: Keir Starmer has appointed James Murray as the new Health Secretary
A tour de force (of a blog) - Wes Streeting has left the building. What did he achieve? Taking the long view. Siva Anandiciva @thekingsfund.bsky.social www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
Wes Streeting Has Gone | The King's Fund
Wes Streeting has moved on. What did he achieve after nearly two years in the job, and what might his departure mean for the NHS and adult social care?
kingsfund.org.uk
The new political map of Greater Manchester. Unsurprising that we’ve seen big shifts. Polling for @ipprnorth.bsky.social on the eve of the election showed trust in both local and national politicians and institutions was a rock bottom levels across GM (except interestingly for the mayor).
📢 The UK’s health is in trouble, and it’s holding us back. Join us in person on Tuesday 15 September 2026 at ‘From evidence to impact: making prevention stick’ to explore how to move the dial on prevention. Book your early bird ticket now: https://bit.ly/4g4vfWg
When the value of an activity comes from peer participation, bans only work if enough peers comply. Research suggests this isn't happening with the new Australian social media ban, from Bursztyn, Duckworth, Jiménez-Durán, Leonard, Milojević, Roth, and Sunstein www.nber.org/papers/w35162
It’ll be interesting to see how the new political makeup of councils alters the dynamics in MCAs. Here in W Yorks we’ll be going from 4 Labour run councils and 1 noc working with a Labour metro mayor, to 2 Reform run councils (Calderdale, Wakefield) and 3 with noc (Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees).
STUDY: “Reframing obesity as the result of government policy (& lack thereof) shaped by industry influence will logically meet great resistance because it reorients policymakers to address unhealthy food environments lobbied for by multinational food companies…” co-written by @grantennis.bsky.social
Harms of Framing Obesity as a Disease of Individuals
This Viewpoint examines how framing obesity as an individual disease that should be treated may impact addressing the larger systemic- and policy-driven roots of the problem that could be addressed to...
jamanetwork.com
Delighted to have contributed to this on #tobacco from @rcphysicians.bsky.social. The historic tobacco/vapes bill is law, but there is still much to do --> see for the #data, #thinking & #policy #challenges & #opportunities. Tx to Sanjay Agrawal et al for such hard work www.rcp.ac.uk/policy-and-c...
Smoking, health and social justice
rcp.ac.uk
More holes in the patchwork of English devolution. In our first new Re:Act @stkaye.bsky.social shares his analysis of the latest developments in the English devolution following the bill gaining Royal Assent yesterday. restate.substack.com/p/the-englis...
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act
Re:Act
restate.substack.com
Future generations will end up thanking this one for this, if perhaps for little else. A huge endeavour over time by many. My parents died of smoking-related disease, only managing to stop smoking far too late for them, addicted to the product that helped speed their demise.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 4mo agoBritain aims to raise a “smoke-free generation” by permanently banning the sale or supply of tobacco and vape products to anyone born in 2009 or after, with a bill that was approved by Parliament on Tuesday. nyti.ms/4toQF6d
If you honestly believe the only reason problems haven’t been solved is because you weren’t in charge, you need a therapist, not a job in Downing Street. Thoughts on civil service reform. howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/going-for-...
Going for gold
Thoughts on civil service reform
howtorunacountry.substack.com
Just over 654,000 babies were born in 2025 in Germany, compared with 1.36mn at the peak of the baby boom in 1964. The confluence of lower birth rates combined with less public support for migration is going to start to bite in many richer countries www.ft.com/content/0fc7...
German births fall to lowest since postwar records began in 1946
Country faces demographic crunch as difference between deaths and births rises to highest level in its postwar history
ft.com
NEW: Policymakers wanting to reduce inequalities risk failing, unless they better recognise the complexity of the challenges involved. Drawing on our six-year IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities project, today we set out what can be learned from the Review: [THREAD]
✨✨✨New from the @healthfoundation.bsky.social Over the past decade healthy life expectancy has dropped by ~ two years to just under 61 for both men & women. The UK is 1 of only 5 of the richest 21 countries to see HLE decline and its fall was the second steepest. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK healthy life expectancy falls by two years in past decade
Poor housing, obesity and the effects of deprivation have been suggested as underlying cause.
bbc.co.uk
1/2. Do English devolution, strategic authorities & mayors hold promise for tackling health inequalities? We @thekingsfund.bsky.social @clesthinkdo.bsky.social think so. And below is why, a series of pieces from health duties to practical actions (more to come). www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...
Regional devolution and health inequalities
The King’s Fund is working with CLES to understand how regional devolution can be used to explore health inequalities.
kingsfund.org.uk
