Health Service Journal
27 October 2011

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£30m spent on NHS patient taxis - report

More than £30m has been spent on taxis for NHS patients since 2008 thanks to a shortage of official non-emergency transport, according to the BBC.
A blueprint to improve services for patients with hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a growing problem in London but many sufferers are not getting the care they need. Kosh Agarwal and colleagues present a blueprint for treating the disease.
Audits of clinical outcomes to cover new areas

Plans to extend the monitoring of the results of healthcare in the NHS have been set out by health secretary Andrew Lansley.
Barnsley chief exec seconded to DH

WORKFORCE: Barnsley PCT chief executive Ailsa Claire, who had been working as regional director of commissioning, is now on secondment to the Department of Health.
Birmingham Community Healthcare chasing PCT for outstanding £587,000

FINANCE: Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust is owed £587,000 by NHS Sandwell, which has failed to repay the money within the 90 day limit.
Bolton FT records 14 mixed sex breaches for September

PERFORMANCE: Royal Bolton NHS Foundation Trust recorded 14 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Book review - Spedan's partnership: the story of John Lewis and Waitrose

NHS Trafford service reform lead Hannah Lowry reviews Spedan’s partnership: The Story of John Lewis and Waitrose by Peter Cox, and whether the NHS can learn from employee-owned businesses in retail.
Brighton and Hove revises surplus forecast upwards by £2m

FINANCE: NHS Brighton and Hove has revised its end of year forecast to a surplus of £6.7m, around £2m more than its original plan.
Burnham attacks coalition over 'catastrophic' NHS changes

Combining the biggest financial challenge in the NHS with the biggest re-organisation is a “catastrophic error of judgment”, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said yesterday as he attacked the government’s health reforms.
Cambs NHS plans mental health reconfig to save £12m

STRUCTURE: The NHS in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has launched a consultaiton on plans to reconfigure mental health services in the region, aiming to save £12m in the next three years.
Central Manchester FT records five mixed sex breaches

PERFORMANCE: Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded five breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Chair appointed to HEE steering group

A chair has been appointed to oversee the development of the new body that will be responsible for NHS workforce education and training.
Children's care quality can be improved - study

The largest case-based study into children who died after surgery has found there was room for improvement in more than a quarter of cases.
Children's talking therapies to be part of £30m investment

Talking therapies for children and teenagers with mental health problems will be provided as part of a £32m investment in psychological therapies, it has been announced.
Cluster chairs named in East of England

WORKFORCE: Chairs have been appointed for the five primary care trust clusters that now commission NHS healthcare in the East of England region.
Cornwall names AQP services

COMMERCIAL: NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly have decided to open up adult primary care psychological therapies, musculo-skeletal services for back and neck pain and community adult hearing services to any qualified provider.
Coventry and Warwickshire loses patient data twice in two months

PERFORMANCE: University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust has breached the Data Protection Act by losing patients’ medical information twice in two months this year.
Delayed transfers at Birmingham Community twice SHA target

PERFORMANCE: Delayed transfers of care at Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust are running at more than twice the NHS West Midlands target.
Delivering integrated care will bring us all closer together

Integrated care is the ingredient that can bind health and social care players to achieve real integration, writes Charles Alessi.
Dilnot social care proposals are 'regressive', says Lansley

Health secretary Andrew Lansley has told a meeting of councillors that he believes the Dilnot Commission’s proposals on care funding reform are “regressive”, HSJ understands.
Dilnot social care proposals would cost Surrey £100m a year

FINANCE: Implementing the Dilnot report’s recommendations for reforming social care funding would cost Surrey an extra £100m per year, its county council has estimated.
Drop in GP referrals loses Nottingham Hospitals half a million pounds

FINANCE: A significant drop in GP referrals has led to a 5 per cent drop in new outpatient attendances at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust.
East Kent Hospitals records no mixed sex breaches in September

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
East Sussex Downs and Weald at risk of £11m deficit

FINANCE: NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald has revised its end of year forecast to a deficit of £11m, instead of the £5.6m surplus in its original plan.
Eleven mixed sex breaches at East Sussex Hospitals in September

PERFORMANCE: East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust recorded 11 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Eleven mixed sex breaches at Surrey and Sussex in September

PERFORMANCE: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare recorded 11 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
EMAS appoints new chief executive

WORKFORCE: East Midlands Ambulance Service has appointed a former strategic health authority director as its new chief executive.
Estates and facilities management: an HSJ supplement

Estate and facility managment issues are a major headache for the NHS at a time when the service has to prioritise far greater pressures. This HSJ supplement looks at valuable ways organisations can improve estates and facilities management.
European integrated care models weighed up by struggling hospital

A struggling district general hospital in South West England is considering adopting Europe’s most innovative models of integrated care to ensure future sustainability, HSJ can reveal.
Exclusive: government defending 'autonomy clause'

The government is resisting attempts to scrap the Health Bill’s so called “autonomy clause”, but close to offering a compromise amendment on the duties of the health secretary, HSJ understands.
Exclusive: Mid Staffs needs £80m to avoid financial collapse

Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust may need as much as £80m government support to pull it out of the financial hole created by its care quality scandal, HSJ has learned.
Exclusive: new academic health science partnership planned

Imperial College Healthcare Trust plans to launch a new academic health science partnership covering north-west London - but its architects insist Imperial’s existing AHSC will continue to function alongside the new body.
Exclusive: trusts demand £350m to get through FT pipeline

Hospital trusts have asked for over £300m in loans by April 2012 to remain within the foundation trust pipeline, HSJ can reveal.
Fourteen trusts rated worst by first official hospital death rate

Fourteen hospital trusts have been identified as the poorest performers in the first official hospital-wide mortality ratings.
Frimley Park had no mixed sex breaches in September

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
Government: Mid Staffs inquiry may lead to another health bill

A letter from health minister Earl Howe to members of the House of Lords admits the government may need to bring forward another health bill in response to the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust public inquiry.
GP commissioners extending new ENT service in Sheffield

STRUCTURE: A community ear, nose and throat service, which is being developed by Central Sheffield GP Consortium, is to be extended to practices across the city.
GPs failing to convey 'urgency' to suspected cancer patients

PERFORMANCE: Suspected breast cancer patients are missing hospital appointments because GPs are failing to inform them how urgently their symptoms need to be treated.
Guidance 'misconstrued' as commissioners restrict drugs

Primary care trusts are “misconstruing” official drugs guidance in order to restrict access to treatments, a coalition of patient bodies has warned.
Hastings and Rother on course for £3.5m surplus

FINANCE: NHS Hastings and Rother remains on course for an end of year surplus of £3.5m, according to board papers.
Health Bill: Lords to debate hospital failure, integration and commissioning bonus

Members of the House of Lords have tabled dozens of amendments to the Health Bill which would bring about significant policy change if passed.
Heatherwood FT cuts waiting time reduction schemes

PERFORMANCE: Heatherwood and Wexham Park NHS Foundation Trust is cutting measures to reduce waiting times in a bid to save money.
How e-learning has helped define better induction for new doctors

Providing e-learning modules to streamline induction for doctors gives them the opportunity to train in areas that are more appropriate, and brings induction processes up to date. The benefits are being felt by both the doctors and patients, says Kamal Nathavitharana.
How positive deviance makes a positive difference in hospitals

A case study from the US shows how “positive deviance” in internal staff members could help organisations achieve better practice on issues such as hospital acquired infections, quickly and cost-effectively. Jane Lewis explains the study.
How to achieve best practice referral management for mental health patients

A London trust has been auditing mental health referrals in a bid to improve the quality of screening in secondary care older adult mental health patients. Ranjit Mahanta and Seraphim Patel explain the results.
Independent NHS screening review launched

An independent review of NHS breast screening is under way after researchers suggested the harms may outweigh the benefits.
Kingston health providers to run primary school

STRUCTURE: Kingston Council, NHS Kingston, South West London Healthcare Partnership and community provider Your Healthcare are to run a new primary school in a partnership between the health and education sectors.
Lansley hails Academic Health model as 'wealth-creator' for UK

The health secretary has given his backing to an expanded “Academic Health Science System” in London, saying the model would “create wealth” for the country.
Lansley plans increased spot checks to improve elderly care

Plans to “root out” problems in the care of older people will see hundreds of hospitals and care homes subject to higher numbers of unannounced checks.
Lansley sets out 'four tests' for hospital bailout and threatens to sack boards

Andrew Lansley has said trusts who want loans as they try to achieve foundation status will have to pass four tests.
Large variation in nursing skill mix, figures show

Figures obtained by HSJ reveal a large difference in staff skill mix between different hospital trusts.
Lewisham Healthcare plans to increase 'market share' by 10 per cent

COMMERCIAL: The south London hospital trust said it planned to grow its “overall market share by 10 percentage points over the next four years, from around 65 per cent to 75 per cent”.
London community trust faces loss of quarter of turnover

COMMERCIAL: An aspirant community foundation trust could be stripped of a quarter of its business to support a new hospital trust emerging from demerger of Barnet and Chase Farm hospitals.
London's hospital trusts set to miss waiting time targets

PERFORMANCE: London’s hospital sector is on track to miss its inpatient waiting time targets because trusts “took their foot off the accelerator” after being told the targets would be scrapped.
Lords propose greater transparency in new Health Bill changes

Proposed amendments to the Health Bill would effectively subject private and third sector bodies to the Freedom of Information Act by giving commissioners more power to require information from them.
Maidstone and Tunbridge slips on mixed sex performance

PERFORMANCE: The trust this month recorded 190 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
Media Watch: there's no news like old news

Some of the nationals could be forgiven this week for getting their definition of the word “news” a little tangled.
Medway FT accredited for minor injuries course

WORKFORCE: Medway NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a minor injuries training course for nurses and paramedics.
Medway FT records four mixed sex breaches for September

PERFORMANCE: Medway NHS Foundation Trust recorded four breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Michael White: ice cool Professor Grant may have what it takes to succeed

It was a Labour peer who despairingly drew my attention to the vote against Professor Malcolm Grant’s appointment as chair of the NHS Commissioning Board by Labour MPs who sit on the Commons health select committee down the corridor at Westminster.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals FT had 21 mixed sex breaches in September

PERFORMANCE: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded 21 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Military veterans' care to get £15m investment

The prime minister David Cameron has promised investment of up to £15m to improve NHS care for injured British military veterans.
Mixed-sex ward breaches continue to improve

Mixed-sex accommodation rule breaches in NHS wards have decreased in the past month, newly released figure show.
MPs back 'comply or explain' procurement rule

MPs have backed a plan to force hospital trusts to “explain” if they do not buy high value equipment through agreed contracts, in a report critical of the Department of Health for allowing waste.
Newcastle FT consultant made director of cancer network

WORKFORCE: Tony Branson, consultant clinical oncologist at the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as medical director of the North of England Cancer Network.
Newham Hospital fails new A&E target

PERFORMANCE: The east London hospital has seen the proportion of people who leave without being seen remain steady at 10 per cent since April, double the target.
Newham improves 18 week RTT but is still below 90 per cent

PERFORMANCE: Newham University Hospital Trust’s board papers for September show a small improvement in July from the June position.
NHS estate spend rising despite lower bed numbers

Spending on maintaining buildings, cleaning hospitals and feeding patients in the NHS has risen by nearly 8 per cent in a year despite a fall in the number of beds, Department of Health figures reveal.
NHS Herefordshire helps out new ICO

FINANCE: NHS Herefordshire has been supporting Wye Valley Trust with its private finance intitiative payments and “without prejudice” payments for activity above plan.
NHS Institute chair announces departure

The chair of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement has resigned ahead of its reconfiguration as part of the government’s quango cull.
NHS Peterborough chair fires parting shot over 'rapid' clustering

STRUCTURE: The departing chair of NHS Peterborough has spoken out about the primary care trust clustering process, which he says has not “engaged” with the local population.
NHS West Sussex at risk of £14m deficit

FINANCE: NHS West Sussex has revised its end of year forecast to a loss of £14m, instead of the £12m surplus in its original plan.
NHS Worcestershire overspends on Continuing Care

FINANCE: NHS Worcestershire is reporting a £3.1m overspend on Continuing Care due to a growth in client numbers compared to 2010-11.
Nine mixed sex breaches at Dartford and Gravesham in September

PERFORMANCE: The trust recorded nine breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
No agreement reached on Barnsley CCG arrangements

STRUCTURE: GPs in Barnsley and the South Yorkshire PCT cluster have not yet reached agreement about the structure of clinical commissioning groups in Barnsley.
No mixed sex breaches at Ashford and St Peter’s during September

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
No respite for East Midlands trusts despite CQC shortage

The Care Quality Commission has made no secret of its shortage of inspectors and funds. NHS leaders facing equally pressing financial concerns may see a respite from the regulator’s prying eyes as a blessing, but those in the East Midlands have had little chance to rejoice.
No September mixed sex breaches for Queen Victoria Hospital

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
No September mixed sex breaches for Surrey and Borders Partnership

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
Noel Plumridge: new faces for financial frugality

There are essentially three approaches to the branch of corporate governance that is concerned with ensuring compliance.
North Bristol releases nearly £2m of reserves

FINANCE: North Bristol Trust has had to release £1.7m of reserves to “offset” planned capacity reductions that have not been achieved.
North East PCTs mull region-wide commissioning support

Primary care trusts in the NHS Tees cluster are planning to form a commissioning support organisation with others in the North East, which could extend across the whole of the region and even move into Yorkshire.
Notts County abandons extended hours aim

PERFORMANCE: NHS Nottinghamshire County has given up on a target to offer all patients access to GP practices with extended hours.
Oxford Radcliffe MARS scheme attracts over 200 applicants

WORKFORCE: A voluntary redundancy scheme at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust has attracted more than 200 applicants.
Oxford Radcliffe reviews head and neck cancer services

STRUCTURE: Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is to review head and neck cancer services following “concerns and frustrations” expressed by patients and interest groups.
Personal budget holders need more information, says DH report

Patients given control of their own health budgets need more information about the size of their funds and how they can be spent, a Department of Health report has found.
Peterborough and Stamford FT boss quits

STRUCTURE: The chief executive of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals FT has resigned from the troubled hospital after five months on sick leave.
Phil Hammond: the reforms remain more question than answer

Fresh from his appearance on BBC1 two weeks ago, Dr Phil Hammond argues that the benefit of NHS reform is still no clearer to being understood, and that a change in direction is needed. It might just win over Andrew Lansley’s critics, too.
Reform conflict of interest concerning most GPs

Conflicts of interest arising from the government’s NHS reforms are a concern for seven out of 10 GPs, according to a new study.
Reforms linked to staff sickness at Notts County PCT

WORKFORCE: NHS Nottinghamshire County is experiencing an increase in staff sickness levels related to organisational change.
Reforms must change to 'mitigate damage' - BMA chair

The British Medical Association has said significant changes to NHS reforms are still required to “mitigate the damage” they will cause, as peers prepared to debate afresh the government proposals.
Rise in mixed sex breaches at Brighton and Sussex

PERFORMANCE: The trust this month recorded 77 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
Rising discharge delays blamed on NHS, not local authorities

Delays in discharging patients from acute hospitals are increasingly being blamed on the NHS rather than local authorities, data suggests, despite large cuts to social services budgets.
Royal Cornwall hit by readmissions tariff

FINANCE: Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust is underperforming by £2.3m against the contract with its main commissioner, largely due to unpaid readmissions.
Salford Royal had 25 mixed sex breaches in September

PERFORMANCE: Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust recorded 25 breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Second London reconfiguration approved

COMMERCIAL: The health secretary has approved the closure of services at King George Hospital in Ilford.
Second PCT cluster chief resigns

The chief executive of a south west primary trust cluster has resigned fewer than six months after taking up the post, citing personal reasons.
Sheffield Hospitals diabetes trial wins £2m funding

COMMERCIAL: A clinical trial being led in Sheffield has won £2m funding to assess a new approach to care for diabetes patients.
Sheffield PCT identifies risk to forecast position

FINANCE: Sheffield PCT has identified significant risk to delivering its planned end of year position of a £500,000 surplus.
Single NHS finance and performance post abolished

The post which had been expected to become the second most senior job in the new NHS has been split in two.
Six mixed sex breaches during September at Countess of Chester

PERFORMANCE: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded six breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
South Tees Hospitals considers centralising specialist orthodontics

STRUCTURE: South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is considering centralising its specialist orthodontic services.
South Tees Hospitals win patient safety award

PERFORMANCE: South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has received national recognition from the Department of Health for the work it has done to improve patient safety.
Specialist care housing model losing funding

Specialist housing integrated with care provision may not survive as a long term model for providing care for older people, a report has warned.
Stephen Eames: there's no time like the present for planning

The late, great industrialist Sir John Harvey-Jones said: “Planning is an unnatural process; it is much more fun to do something. The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression.”
Stepping Hill poisoning cases hit seventeen

Seventeen patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport were affected by saline poisoning, police have revealed.
Sussex Partnership records zero mixed sex breaches for September

PERFORMANCE: The foundation trust this month again recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation.
SW clusters press ahead with development of commissioning support

STRUCTURE: Clinical commissioning groups in the south west have been given until December to decided what commissioning support they want to buy in.
TCS social enterprise transfer faces legal challenge

A judge has ordered a primary care trust to halt the planned transfer of its provider arm to a social enterprise, pending the outcome of a High Court hearing.
Ten patients responsible for third of Hillingdon unplanned re-attendance

PERFORMANCE: Hillingdon Hospital Foundation Trust’s figures have been skewed by one patient who has attended 158 times since April 1st 2011 - nearly once a day.
The many questions we still need to answer on integration

Integration: what does it mean to you? For some it is an antidote to the evils of competition, for others a way to create a sustainable future for shaky organisations.
'The success of integrated care depends upon our commitment to innovation'

The importance of integration to health and social care is undoubted, but there is still some confusion over how it will work. It is up to leaders at both a national and local level to develop new approaches that will ensure integrated care is a success, says Dr Rebecca Rosen.
Three quarters of Birmingham CCGs rated 'red' in pre-authorisation test

STRUCTURE: Nine of 12 prospective clinical commissioning groups in the Birmingham and Solihull PCT Cluster have been rated “red” for their structure, by a Department of Health assessment tool.
Training budgets enforcer may lack 'authority'

The body being established to hold trusts to account for how they spend £5bn of education and training funding may lack sufficient “authority”, the Royal College of Nursing has warned.
Trusts blame high SHMIs on poor coding

More than half of the trusts that performed poorly against the new summary hospital-level mortality indicator have blamed their figures on coding issues, with palliative care a particular area of concern.
University Hospitals Bristol struggling with 62 day cancer target

PERFORMANCE: University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust is reporting a “high risk” of failing to meet the 62 day referral to treatment target for cancer patients this year.
Use of agency increases in wake of Cornwall headcount reduction

WORKFORCE: Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, which is trying to cut 400 posts out of the workforce, has increased the number of agency staff it uses.
Why life insurance is a vital consideration for new parents

New parents celebrating a new arrival can often neglect to plan for the future, especially if the worst happens and a parent dies. Sainsbury’s Finance can provide cover to secure a family’s future.
Why public and patient engagement must work in the new commissioning system

Patient involvement has always been integral to NHS services, so it is vital that commissioners now ensure local people respond to engagement opportunities, says David Stout.
Why technology holds the key to better population health

Now it the perfect time to utilise technology in improving population health, says Glasslyn Health Solutions founder Dr Peter Mills.
Worcestershire acute below plan on activity

PERFORMANCE: Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust is below plan on non-elective, outpatient and accident and emergency activity at the end of the first quarter of the year.
Zero mixed sex breaches for Royal Surrey County

PERFORMANCE: Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Zero mixed sex breaches for Western Sussex Hospitals

PERFORMANCE: Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Zero mixed sex breaches in September for Kent and Medway Partnership

PERFORMANCE: Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.
Zero mixed sex breaches in September for Sussex Community Trust

PERFORMANCE: Sussex Community NHS Trust recorded no breaches of the Department of Health’s guidelines on mixed sex accommodation last month.

Alastair McLellan

Health Service Journal27 October 2011

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Health Service Journal
27 October 2011