Using video podcasts to engage with the senior policymakers, regulators, and providers within the health and social care sectors
by Russell Goldsmith, Founder, Audere
In August 2022, Audere started working with Newcross Healthcare, one of Britain’s largest independent health and social care employers, on the production and launch of a new healthcare podcast series, ‘Voices of Care’, which has the aim of discussing the challenges and solutions that could lie ahead for the sector.
Newcross Healthcare is inviting leaders from NHS Trusts, Health Boards and care associations, as well as experts across recruitment, development and strategy, to share their thoughts on how they can work together to enable the workforce of the future.
This has been a really exciting project for us to work on – turning one of the meetings rooms at Newcross Healthcare’s London offices, into a three-camera production set up for a video podcast.
@audere.agency Behind the scenes on a 3 camera shoot set up, to film a video podcast at our clients offices in london 🎥
During a break in filming, I sat down with Suhail Mirza, Non-Executive Director at Newcross Healthcare and host of the podcast, to chat about why they decided to launch the series, their key objectives, expectations, experiences so far and how they are measuring success. Transcript of the interview is below:
Thanks so much, Suhail for taking the time to record this.
Voices of Care: The Podcast – available across Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube
Interview with Suhail Mirza, Non-Executive Director, Newcross Healthcare Solutions
Russ: [00:00:00] Hi, I’m Russell Goldsmith. I am currently at the offices of our clients Newcross Healthcare, where we are in effect on the set of our ‘Voices of Care’ podcast that we’re producing for Newcross. I’m here with their Non-exec Director and host of the podcast, Suhail Mirza. Suhail, thanks so much for just taking a little bit of time out of filming to quickly run through a few questions with me. So it’s a bit of a role reversal for you now, but this is really just to get an understanding of why you guys are doing the ‘Voices of Care’ podcast.
Suhail: [00:00:33] Sure.
Russ: [00:00:33] Should we just start with you just giving us a little intro to Newcross Healthcare and what your role is here?
Suhail: [00:00:38] Yeah, I’m the non-executive director and very proud to be on the board. Newcross’s mission is to be the global leading health care workforce resource platform and a pioneer in the treatment and care at home. And we’ve been in business for 26 years and supporting social care and the NHS.
Russ: [00:00:57] And just give us a little bit of background to the ‘Voices of Care’ podcast and also why you have launched it.
Suhail: [00:01:04] Well, we felt that health and social care is going through a profound transformation. There is a workforce crisis, not my words. That’s from the Health and Social Care Select Committee, Jeremy Hunt, Chairman and now Chancellor. And we think there are really gaps in the discussion and we need to have innovation and we need to have some honest debate and learn from the leaders. So, we were very fortunate to be able to use our network and bring some of the very leading lights across social care, the private acute sector and the NHS to share the insights not only with what is wrong and what the challenges are, but also to offer some solutions. Because if we don’t enable the health care workforce of the future, we’re going to face a profound challenge in this country.
Russ: [00:01:43] We, obviously as a business, produce lots of different podcasts, mainly in the B2B sector for different clients. They see different ways of measuring the success of them. How are you guys measuring the success of this activity?
Suhail: [00:01:55] We’ve got an array of metrics that will look at our engagement on social media and marketing, PR. But for us, I think the key element is to start the conversation and to get really engaged with the senior policymakers, the regulators, the providers. And part of the success will be for our name and our brand to be associated with that and to be seen as people who are innovators willing to be disruptive and push the envelope on those questions. And I think that’s already beginning to happen.
Russ: [00:02:22] Has it met with your expectations?
Suhail: [00:02:24] I think it’s been fabulous to work on. I’ve never done podcasts before. It’s been brilliant to work with a really professional outfit. It’s been a bit nerve wracking at times, but in terms of the content, the feedback has been superb. We’ve had some great guests and people are engaging and debating and that was our goal to start the conversation. And we don’t have all the answers, but we are willing to have the courage to ask the questions.
Russ: [00:02:45] Any particular highlights so far?
Suhail: [00:02:48] There’s been so many. Listening to David Nicholson speaking so passionately of 50 years nearly in the NHS. Martin Green about social care. So, I think people that have attended have challenged the status quo. That’s one of the things I’ve been benefiting from listening to and to take away some of those lessons and implement them straight away, that’s been a great highlight.
Russ: [00:03:10] Yeah. And would you say producing this podcast is maybe potentially opening up opportunities for Newcross or certainly help building existing relationships maybe as well?
Suhail: [00:03:20] I think undoubtedly that’s the goal and I think for our aspiration is opportunities, certainly because if you’re seen as a thought leader, if you’re seen talking to people who are really at the forefront of these vitally important sectors, that helps. But our goal is also strategic to build our brand and reach and engagement. So, from that perspective, I think already we’re beginning to see, it’s early days, but we’re already beginning to see some great feedback.
Russ: [00:03:46] And how would you say you are differentiating yourself from others? Because obviously when we started this process and we looked around, there’s lots of podcasts in the health care space, in the care sector as well. How are you differentiating yourself from all those?
Suhail: [00:03:59] Well, I think partly we’re willing to ask the questions that perhaps others aren’t. We’re also different because we’ve got a full range of guests covering the entire sector. So, you’re talking the NHS, you’re talking social care, you’re talking the private acute hospitals, the voluntary sector, regulators. Our goal is to be a very, very broad approach. So that’s a little bit different from some of the other great podcasts that are out there that I listen to that are valuable. So, we’re willing to ask the right questions. We’re willing to speak to people from right across the board and to challenge current thinking.
Russ: [00:04:32] And so final question, if anyone else, any other companies out there are looking to use podcasting as a way to engage their audience, what would your advice be to them?
Suhail: [00:04:42] I think to be very open minded to that channel, it’s extremely popular and to come prepared because there’s a lot of work involved. It’s the first time I got involved and I think it’s vital to know what your objectives are, but also to have a partner that truly has deep experience and world class expertise to help you through that journey.
Russ: [00:05:01] That’s great. Suhail Mirza, thank you so much for just taking a little bit of time out of filming today to do this interview. Appreciate it.
Suhail: [00:05:07] My pleasure. I’ve got to get back to filming now!
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