logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
29m 16s

Ambulance response times, teacher pay an...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

How long are people really waiting when they call 999 for an ambulance? Tim Harford and the team examine in detail the sheer scale of delays in responding to emergency calls. We also ask why the NHS is facing a crisis when it’s got more funding and more staff than before the pandemic, with the help of Ben Zaranko from the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Plus we fact check a claim from one of Britain’s leading teaching unions about pay. And are there more pubs in Ireland or Irish pubs in the rest of the world?

Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Jon Bithrey Reporters: Josephine Casserly, Nathan Gower, Paul Connolly Sonic Landscape: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Helena Warwick-Cross Editor: Richard Vadon

Image: Andy Rain/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Up next
Nov 22
Is there a stock market crash coming?
<p>For months, the share prices of tech companies have marched seemingly-ever upward, driven by fevered excitement about the potential of Artificial Intelligence. But many are now voicing fears that this surge might turn out to be a bubble, which could burst with damaging effects ... Show More
8m 58s
Nov 15
Has there been a $50 trillion wealth transfer to the richest Americans?
<p>Bernie Sanders says a vast amount of wealth - $50 trillion - has moved from 90% of the population to the wealthiest Americans since the 1970s. The figure comes from a study by Carter Price, a senior mathematician at nonprofit research institute the RAND Corporation.</p><p>Tim ... Show More
8m 58s
Nov 8
Is RFK Jr right about China's diabetes rate?
The US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is on a mission to make America healthy again. One of his health-promotion ideas is to reduce chronic illness, specifically diabetes. And has part of his campaign he said that: "a typical pediatrician would see one case of diabetes in ... Show More
8m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
How to fix the NHS: Accident and emergency
Sarah-Jane Mee is joined by Sir David Nicholson, who used to run the NHS in England, as they explore ‘How to fix the NHS’ - a new mini podcast series for 2024 from the Sky News Daily. This episode focuses on the challenges facing accident and emergency departments and more import ... Show More
21m 9s
Jun 2025
An SW1 pub crawl: What makes the perfect political pub?
This week on Westminster Insider, host Patrick Baker takes a pint-fueled tour through some of Westminster's best-known watering holes in his bid to find out what makes the best political boozer. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage explains why the Westminster Arms is his favorite pub a ... Show More
43m 53s
Aug 5
Money Box Live: Losing Your Job
Unemployment recently rose to its highest level in almost four years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate went up to 4.6 per cent in the three months to April, up from 4.5 per cent in the three months to March. That's the highest since the Summer of 2021 in whi ... Show More
28m 34s
Jan 2025
362. Question Time: Labour’s education error and Blair’s mistake on mental health
Why are students protesting in Serbia? Is Labour right to scrap financial support for Latin in state schools? What does Alastair think about Tony Blair’s comments on mental health? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in today's Question Time. The ... Show More
45m 11s
Sep 2024
A terminal diagnosis for the NHS?
<p>A government-commissioned review has found the NHS on life support. Can Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer succeed where his predecessors have failed in turning around the health service? And how long has he got to do it? Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regulars Robert Shr ... Show More
36m 10s
Aug 2024
What's Behind the Violence on England's Streets?
Today, we look at what causing people to riot on the streets of England.Unrest has broken out in multiple towns and cities through the week, the first example of which was see in Southport, where three young girls were killed on Monday.In Sunderland on Friday night, three police ... Show More
33m 8s
Aug 2024
HR People Pod – Ep 6: Conflict | AI and CVs | Gender imbalance in HR | ‘Quiet vacationing’
In the latest episode of the HR People Pod, our panel reflects on the recent riots in the UK, the conflicts happening globally and the effects they have in the workplace. We also get to grips with the rising use of generative AI by job applicants, the gender mix within the profes ... Show More
30m 12s
Sep 3
The Irish Immigrants Who Built Britain's NHS
<p>In the 1960s, over 30,000 Irish immigrants were working in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). While the NHS is often celebrated as one of Britain’s greatest achievements, the vital contributions of these Irish nurses are frequently overlooked. In this episode, I’m joined ... Show More
45m 32s
Sep 26
Does Starmer have a northern problem?
As the prime minister prepares for his annual party conference, the mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, seems to be mounting a thinly veiled bid for the Labour leadership. In numerous interviews given to the media this past week, Burnham said he had been privately urged b ... Show More
32m 16s