In the fifth episode of The Business of Healthcare Podcast – How It Got Commissioned series, Tara is joined by Dr Faris Al-Ramadani, GP Partner and former Primary Care Network Clinical Director, to explore how a locally developed mental health service moved from frontline problem to a working, commissionable model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As demand for mental health support rapidly increased, general practice teams were seeing patients struggle to access timely care, with long waiting lists and practical barriers preventing many from engaging with existing services. Rather than waiting for a traditional commissioning process, Faris and colleagues identified an opportunity to use the resources already available within primary care to design a new approach.

The conversation explores how the PCN brought together trainee psychological therapists, digital tools and local partners to create a coordinated mental health hub, simplifying referral pathways and reducing friction for patients. By piloting solutions, learning through iteration and demonstrating measurable impact, the team developed a model that improved access while supporting wider system priorities.

Tara and Faris also discuss the realities of developing services without guaranteed funding, the importance of collaboration and stakeholder alignment, and what this experience tells us about the future of integrated neighbourhood working.

In this episode, they explore:

• Identifying unmet need through frontline clinical experience

• Developing services without traditional commissioning routes

• Using existing workforce and digital solutions to unlock capacity

• Building a coordinated hub model to simplify patient journeys

• The role of collaboration across primary care and system partners

• Learning through iteration and adapting when models don't work first time

• Demonstrating impact to support sustainability and future funding conversations

Connect with Faris Al-Ramadani via LinkedIn here.

In this episode of The Business of Healthcare Podcast – How It Got Commissioned, Tara is joined by Rukshana Kapasi, Director of Health at Barnardo's, the UK's largest children's charity.

Rukshana shares the story behind a short-term pilot that placed family support workers in A&E to reduce avoidable and repeat attendances by children and young people. What began as a three month, winter-pressures pilot went on to generate compelling evidence, and ultimately informed a national NHS England rollout across seven regions.

This conversation is a practical, honest look at commissioning outside the usual tendering routes, the power of VCSE partnerships, and why looking beyond traditional NHS funding streams matters more than ever.

In this episode, we explore:

• The risks and realities of short term pilots, and when they're worth taking

• Why evidence, outcomes, and confidence data mattered more than access alone

• The importance of commissioner relationships and senior sponsorship

• Why starting small, testing, and learning can lead to scalable change

Rukshana also shares practical advice for anyone trying to get an idea commissioned that doesn't neatly fit an existing pathway, including why you shouldn't wait for "perfect" data before starting conversations.

Connect with Rukshana Kapasi here.