This episode is with Prof. Kate Ardern, the former Director of Public Health at Wigan. 

We talk about the challenging journey Wigan has been on and how the “Wigan Deal” culture has shaped her approach to public health. By the time Kate left Wigan last year, it had become a national beacon of good public health practice.

Kate was also the lead for Health Protection and Emergency Planning & Response across Greater Manchester – so we discuss what it was like being "Manchester’s answer to Chris Witty" over the pandemic. 

Kate is an honorary professor at the University of Salford and in true educational form she treats us to an amazing and entertaining history lesson on public health from the original “fab four” in Liverpool (no not The Beatles!) through to an anecdote about the late Baroness Thatcher getting to grips with the finer details of sexual health. 

Finally, we touch on end-of-life care, a difficult subject which is often neglected but one which Kate cares about a lot.

Radical Reformers ep.47: Kate Ardern

Radical Reformers podcast