Welcome to Let’s Talk Health with Leyla Hannbeck - the podcast where we cut through the noise and get to the heart of what really matters in health, wellbeing, and everyday life.
I’m Dr Leyla Hannbeck, pharmacist, health leader, and advocate for better healthcare for all. In each episode, I’m joined by inspiring guests - from clinicians and policymakers to innovators and everyday heroes as we explore the big questions shaping the future of our health.
We’ll talk about everything from staying healthy in a busy world to what’s really happening inside our healthcare system, and how you can take charge of your own wellbeing.
Pharmacy First or Funding Last? The Real Crisis in NHS Primary Care with Steve Taylor
Are the new NHS Pharmacy First conditions a genuine solution to primary care pressures, or just another way to pit healthcare professionals against each other?
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with Dr. Steve Taylor, a prominent GP and representative from the Doctors' Association. We dive into the recent rollout of the NHS England Pharmacy First initiative, the ongoing funding crisis in primary care, and why doctors and pharmacists must unite rather than compete.
What You’ll Discover
- Navigating the Pharmacy First Rollout: Why the lack of clear patient group directives (PGDs) and sudden media announcements have sparked tension between GPs and community pharmacists.
- The Primary Care Funding Crisis: How decades of real-terms budget cuts and a "right drift" toward secondary care are quietly pushing the NHS toward a privatised model similar to dentistry.
- Uniting for a Solution: The urgent need for a collaborative approach across primary care - including GPs, pharmacists, and dentists to demand a fair funding shift from the government.
Building a sustainable NHS requires moving past professional divides and recognising that community care is the most cost-effective, preventative tool we have. If we want to save our local surgeries and pharmacies, it is time for the public and professionals alike to demand a real shift in how healthcare is funded.
If you are concerned about the future of the NHS, the accessibility of your local GP, or how new pharmacy services might affect you, this conversation is an essential listen.
Let's Talk Health is brought to you by the Independent Pharmacies Association (https://ipa.live/) and is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
9 Aug 2026
Weight Loss Medications and the Rise of Counterfeits
When a medication class becomes a global phenomenon, what happens when the supply chain can't keep up with the demand?
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with Dr. Emily Pegg, Medical Director for the UK, Ireland, and Nordics at Eli Lilly, to discuss the rise of counterfeit products that has accompanied the growth in weight loss medications.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
26 Jul 2026
The Future of Pharmacy Regulation: Inside the GPhC with Kathie Cashell
How is the pharmacy regulator adapting to a rapidly changing healthcare landscape, and what does this mean for the future of the profession?
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with Kathie Cashell, the Chief Executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We explore her transition from nursing and police misconduct investigations into healthcare regulation, the evolving role of the modern pharmacist, and how the GPhC is working to balance patient safety with professional empowerment.
What You’ll Discover
- Navigating Fitness to Practise: Why the regulator is seeing a massive increase in public concerns, how they are working to reduce backlogs, and the introduction of a new pilot scheme to resolve customer service complaints outside of formal hearings.
- Regulating the Online Medicine Boom: The steps being taken to tackle fake online pharmacies and the illegal supply of weight loss medications through stronger partnerships with the MHRA and the Advertising Standards Authority.
- The Future of Pharmacy Standards: How upcoming changes to supervision, independent prescribing, and the expanding roles of pharmacy technicians are shaping a new, risk-based approach to regulation.
Whether you are a frontline pharmacist feeling the pressure of an expanding role or simply interested in the future of healthcare regulation, this conversation offers a transparent look at the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
28 Jun 2026
Chris Blackhurst: The Future of Healthcare Under a Labour Leadership
Leadership contests are rarely just about the personalities on stage; they are the quiet battlegrounds where the future of our healthcare system is actually decided.
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with experienced political analyst and former editor of The Independent, Chris Blackhurst, to unpack the upcoming Labour leadership contest. We explore what a potential shift in power could mean for the NHS, the hidden realities behind current waiting list figures, and how "Manchesterism" might just become the new blueprint for localized healthcare across the UK.
What You’ll Discover
- The Reality of the NHS Figures: A candid look at how "triage" and statistical massaging can often hide the true, frustrating reality of patient wait times.
- What "Manchesterism" Means for Pharmacy: Why Andy Burnham’s localised, community-focused approach to healthcare could finally take the pressure off GPs and elevate the role of the high street pharmacist.
This conversation really highlighted the massive disconnect between the political rhetoric we hear in Westminster and the daily reality of trying to run a healthcare business or simply get an appointment. It is fascinating to consider that while politicians constantly promise more money, the real solution might actually lie in giving local communities the power to decide their own healthcare priorities.
Ultimately, whether it is Starmer, Burnham, or Streeting who takes the reins, the fundamental challenge remains the same: our NHS was built for a different era. Until we are brave enough to have an honest conversation about what a modern, mixed-model system looks like, we are simply rearranging the deckchairs.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
16 Jun 2026
Unpacking the 2026-2027 Community Pharmacy Contract
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with Peter Cattee, an experienced pharmacy owner and CEO of PCT Healthcare, to dissect the recently announced 2026-2027 community pharmacy contract. We explore the harsh financial realities facing independent pharmacies today, the controversial "10% uplift," and what the push for independent prescribing really means for the future of the profession.
What You’ll Discover
- The Reality of the 10% Uplift: Why the headline funding increase might not actually translate into real cash for struggling pharmacy owners.
- The Independent Prescribing Dilemma: The challenges of implementing a £17 consultation fee and why the current model may be undervaluing highly skilled professionals.
- The Future of the Pharmacy Landscape: Why the current funding model is fundamentally broken and what needs to change if we want to keep local pharmacies open.
What really stood out to me while putting this together is how much we take our local pharmacies for granted. We expect them to be there for us, yet the financial pressures behind the scenes are forcing many to operate at a loss just to keep their doors open. Peter’s warning about the "unrepayable debt" and the sheer unsustainability of the current model is a wake-up call for anyone who cares about the future of frontline healthcare.
There’s also a really useful mindset shift here. It’s not about simply asking for more money, but rather about fundamentally rethinking how we value the clinical expertise of pharmacists. If we truly want to move care closer to home and relieve pressure on the NHS, we have to start investing in the infrastructure that already exists on our high streets.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
5 Mar 2026
Pharmacy at a Crossroads: Prescribers, Pressure and the Road to 2030
Pharmacy feels like it’s standing at a crossroads right now. Across community, hospital, primary care and digital health, expectations are rising, roles are expanding and yet the workforce feels more fragile than ever.
In this episode of Let’s Talk Health, I’m joined by Yasmin Khosan and Khalid Khan to unpack what this moment really means.
What You’ll Discover
- An Army of Prescribers: What happens when newly qualified independent prescribers enter a system without clear pathways, funding or digital infrastructure to support them.
- Evolution or Identity Crisis: As pharmacy shifts from product focused to patient centred care, how do we protect our USP as medicines experts while embracing AI and automation.
- Pharmacy in 2030: Why this decade could define the profession, and whether we shape the change or simply react to it.
We dig into the reality on the ground. Pathfinder sites that show promise but struggle with interoperability. Systems that still do not talk to each other. Contractors under financial strain while being asked to deliver more clinical services.
At the same time, there is real optimism. The public perception of pharmacy shifted during COVID. Patients value face to face care. Automation could free up time for deeper human connection. Technology can refine dispensing, but it cannot replace the judgement, empathy and safeguarding that pharmacy teams bring every day.
This is a pivotal moment. Pharmacy will change. The real question is whether we secure the funding, roadmap and leadership to shape that future properly.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
10 Feb 2026
A View from Frontier Economics: Budget Pressures & Opportunities for Healthcare
I always find these big economic conversations fascinating, especially when they hit right at the heart of healthcare challenges we're all facing.
As a representative of community pharmacies in England and Wales I have seen first hand how Treasury’s decisions, for examples the rise in business rates, rise in the National Insurance (NI), and the overall funding envelop, affects community pharmacies, primary care our wider healthcare care system.
In this episode of Let's Talk Health, I sit down with Matthew Bell Director as Frontier Economics to unpack some of the above and discuss the real impact of economic decisions made by the Government on healthcare, what this year’s Treasury budget might bring, the state of NHS technology and what solutions are needed to put the NHS and health delivery on the right trajectory.
I also asked Mathew what his views are about the policies of various political parties and which ones are more friendly to the healthcare sector.
Matthew's insights are extremely valuable for anyone in healthcare wrestling with these pressures. If you're feeling the fiscal squeeze or excited about AI's potential, this will give you fresh ideas to take forward.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
27 Jan 2026
Primary Care Together
Imagine getting medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy all in one room, hashing out the real challenges facing frontline healthcare – that's exactly what we do today.
In this debut episode of Let's Talk Health, I bring together Dr Eddie Crouch, a dentist with 42 years' experience and chair of the British Dental Association, and Dr Steve Taylor, a practicing GP for 30 years and co-lead for Doctors' Association UK.
As a pharmacist with 20 years at the patient-health system interface and CEO of the Independent Pharmacists Association, I loved bringing together this conversation – we dive into the shared struggles, innovative solutions, and how empowering our professions could transform care for everyone.
What We Explore
- Frontline Realities: The daily battles each pillar faces – from dental access crises to GP burnout and pharmacy funding squeezes.
- Collaborative Solutions: How uniting our voices could fix systemic gaps, like better integration and policy changes that put patients first.
- Empowerment for Impact: Why giving professionals the tools and autonomy we need is the key to truly transformative healthcare.
This conversation left me hopeful - we've got the ideas, now let's push for the system to let us deliver.
If you're in healthcare or care about it, share this episode with a colleague or policymaker and help us shape the agenda.
Let's Talk Health is produced by Urban Podcasts (https://urbanpodcasts.co.uk/).
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