Health Service Journal
7 April 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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Local QIPP plan challenged by South Warwickshire FT chief
FINANCE: The Coventry and Warwickshire health economy’s efficiency plan is “outdated”, according the chief executive of South Warwickshire FT. -
@HSJeditor’s guide to the Health Policy Twitterati
Twitter is full of people mouthing off pointlessly about health reform or simply linking to their latest blog. But there are also a good number of tweeters with something interesting to say and who take an active part in debate. Here’s my pick. I’d be grateful for other suggestions. -
£90m mental health unit approved
A new £90m mental health unit in South Wales has moved a step closer after Welsh assembly minister Edwina Hart gave her blessing to the scheme. -
2gether chair reappointed for three more years
WORKFORCE: 2gether Foundation Trust’s council of governors has re-appointed Baroness Rennie Fritchie DBE as chair to the board and chair to the council. -
A new approach to workforce planning needed for surgeons to deliver high quality care
Workforce planning must not be an afterthought if surgeons are to provide high quality care and deliver savings. The Royal College of Surgeons’ council lead for workforce Robert Greatorex looks at how to make informed decisions. -
Accident and emergency alcohol help for young 'lacking'
Youngsters tackling alcohol abuse are not receiving the immediate help and support they need, a new report shows today. -
Alder Hey plans to cut pay bill by £4.7m this year
WORKFORCE: The foundation aims to reduce its spend on pay by £4.7m this year, £4.4m in 2012-13, and £3.8m in 2013-14, a February board report shows. -
Any qualified provider will 'open up' IT market - Lansley
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has pledged to open up the NHS IT market to a wider range of suppliers, and said that he wants to put private providers under the same data reporting obligations as public organisations. -
Assigning PCT staff to commissioning consortia will be phased
The pace at which primary care trust staff are assigned to commissioning consortia should be determined by local management cost saving targets and the readiness of GPs to take up their new responsibilities. -
Barnet PCT completes community services transfer
STRUCTURE: NHS Barnet’s community services has transferred out of the primary care trust into the Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH). -
Barnsley commissioning plans 'stall' as consortium declines to merge
STRUCTURE: Plans for a single commissioning consortium in Barnsley had “stalled”, the PCT reported, as an existing GP group declines to merge. -
Bassetlaw Hospital manager bows out
WORKFORCE: The manager of Bassetlaw Hospital has retired after nearly 20 years in the role. -
Biggest learning and development cuts in public sector - CIPD
More than two out of three organisations have cut funding for learning and development this year, with the biggest impact hitting the public sector, new research reveals. -
Book review: 2030 - The Future of Medicine
Some reading may be optional - but Richard Barker’s book 2030 - The Future of Medicine is essential. It is based on unusual joint experience - of the UK and the US systems and of health system with scientific research. -
Burns care across three regions 'unsustainable'
STRUCTURE: The burns care system across three regions is “unsustainable in the long term”, according to a report revealed under the Freedom of Information Act. -
Can consortia bear the burden?
I guess most chief executive colleagues are reflecting on what “their NHS” will look like in the future. But it is not just personal futures that need forward planning. -
Chair reappointed at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals
WORKFORCE: The trust has announced the re-appointment of Scilla Smith as trust chair. -
'Challenging' savings plan for NHS Portsmouth
FINANCE: NHS Portsmouth needs to make quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) savings of £15.2m in the coming financial year, equivalent to 4.6 per cent of the primary care trust’s allocation. -
Changing learning principles to achieve real, necessary change in older people's care
February’s ombudsman report had more than a sense of deja vu about it. This time, writes Fontis director Graham English, the question is not “what” we might learn from the health ombudsman’s report, but “how”. -
'Clarity' needed on consortia public health rules
A public health leader has called for commissioning consortia to be compelled to “work through” health inequality plans with public health specialists once they transfer to local councils. -
Clinical overspending driving deficit at UH Coventry and Warwickshire
FINANCE: The Coventry and Warwickshire acute trust has reached a deficit of almost £4m due to overspending in all clinical divisions. -
Commissioners to investigate over-performance at three trusts including Whipps Cross
FINANCE: Whipps Cross is over-performing by more than £1m on its contract with NHS Newham, according to a report from the East London and City Acute Commissioning Unit -
Commissioning Board control of GP contracts would be 'disaster'
It will be a “disaster” if primary care services are performance managed centrally, a senior GP has warned. -
Committee's recommendations 'fit with policy', says leading GP
Several of the health committee’s key recommendations for changes to the reforms “fit with the policy” and could be made without disturbing it, a leading GP commissioner has said. -
Concerns raised about risk management group at NHS South West Essex
STRUCTURE: Concerns have been expressed over a poorly attended risk managment group at South West Essex PCT. -
Consortia to handle PCTs' savings burden
Primary care trusts with some of the toughest financial challenges in England are handing responsibility for the huge savings they must make this year to pathfinder commissioning consortia. -
Countess of Chester loses £300,000 to sickness absence in December
WORKFORCE: Sickness absence at the foundation rose by 28 per cent in December to 5 per cent of the workforce, a report to its February board meeting states. -
Croydon Healthcare Services Trust busts bed occupancy target
PERFORMANCE: Croydon Healthcare Services Trust is over its bed occupancy target for the entire year to date. -
Derby care home training initiative aims to head off emergency admissions
WORKFORCE: Care home nurses in Derbyshire are to receive specialist training in helping older patients in care homes with feeding or swallowing difficulties. -
DH information chief stresses need for 'plurality' of systems
The Department of Health’s information chief has indicated that the NHS information strategy will stress the need to join up separate IT systems. -
DH issues grant for developing patient information
The Patient Information Forum is to be given £175,000 by the Department of Health to test and develop new approaches to improving health and wellbeing. -
DH taking notice of work on the South East coast
NHS West Sussex has lately been recognised as a leading light on crossing the health and social care divide. The primary care trust’s board has just approved the creation of a joint commissioning unit with West Sussex County Council. -
Don't jump to conclusions on health bill changes, government source warns
A senior government figure has told HSJ that Monitor’s duty to promote competition and the accountability of GP consortia are being scrutinised in discussions over bill amendments. -
Earl Howe orders break-up of North West's 'anti-competitive' four year contract
Health minister Earl Howe has told NHS North West to break up a four year “framework” deal between the region’s specialised commissioning group and mental health service providers. -
Exclusive: government rebrands NHS reforms
The government is to embark on a major rebrand of its NHS reforms, HSJ can reveal. -
Exclusive: Imperial chief to quit post
The chief executive of one of the country’s largest NHS trusts is to quit his post to take up a role in Singapore. -
Exclusive: national social enterprise could handle communications for GP consortia
The Department of Health is considering setting up a national social enterprise to handle communications for commissioning consortia, HSJ can reveal. -
Exclusive: Steve Field to front PM's 'listening exercise' advisory panel
Immediate past chair of the Royal College of GPs Steve Field is to chair a panel as part of the government’s “listening exercise” over NHS reform, HSJ has learned. -
Exclusive: Two more directors to leave Imperial following announcement of chief exec's departure
One of the largest NHS trusts in England has confirmed it is set to lose its chief financial officer and chief information officer, two days after HSJ revealed its chief executive is moving on. -
First after-death care guidance issued
A pathway for caring for patients after death has been developed in the first national guidance on “last offices”. -
First integrated acute, community and social care trust created
STRUCTURE: Wye Valley NHS Trust has become the first organisation in England to provide integrated acute, community and social services previously provided separately by a local authority, acute trust and primary care trust. -
Foreign GPs face tougher sanctions
NHS doctors who qualify overseas are more likely to face tough sanctions in disciplinary hearings, research has shown. -
Foundation trusts call for more time ahead of new A&E indicators
Achieving the new accident and emergency clinical quality indicators will be “near impossible” for most trusts, the Foundation Trust Network has warned. -
'Future Forum' will advise PM on NHS reforms
The government is launching a panel which it has named a “Future Forum” to advise to changes on its NHS reforms. -
Government sets out four themes of listening exercise
The government has set out the four areas that it will focus on during the “listening exercise” launched today. -
Greater collaboration between Royal Brompton and Harefield mooted at by departing chief executive
STRUCTURE: A report from Steve Smith, outgoing chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare, to his board said “high-level” talks between his trust and the specialist foundation trust had taken place. -
Halt NHS changes while debating bill, says Lord Owen
Andrew Lansley should be prevented from implementing any further changes to the NHS while the Health and Social Care Bill is being debated, Lord Owen has said. -
Health and wellbeing boards' powers in doubt
Local authority health and wellbeing boards must have stronger powers to ensure cooperation from commissioning consortia, the government has been warned. -
Health Bill amendments 'soften' competition rules
Government amendments to the Health Bill made during the committee stage have further “softened” rules aimed at encouraging competition, according to legal analysis for HSJ. -
Health committee proposes strengthened 'commissioning authorities'
MPs have proposed major amendments to the Health Bill to increase the accountability of commissioning organisations. -
Health dangers of prolonged night shifts revealed
The government has been urged to limit the length of night shifts to eight hours after a study warned that the growing number of people working through the night face health risks. -
Health minister: GPs should press on with reforms
Health minister Lord Howe has told HSJ GPs should press on with commissioning consortium development, despite the government’s “pause” and “listening exercise”. -
Health workers step up cuts fight
Unions and campaign groups will step up protests today against the government’s controversial reforms of the NHS, warning they were costing jobs and damaging services. -
Hillingdon Hospitals achieves foundation status
STRUCTURE: The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust has been given foundation status. -
Hip and knee patients 'waiting in pain'
Patients waiting for hip and knee surgery are suffering in pain for longer periods of time after being denied surgery to save money, it has been claimed. -
How good is the NHS at improving quality?
HSJ is conducting a survey of healthcare managers, senior professionals and decision makers in the sector to understand the application of, and barriers to, quality systems in the NHS. -
How staff engagement can improve financial efficiency - in a better environment for staff and patients
New insight into the views of NHS staff reveals how improving staff engagement can have a positive impact on a trusts clinical and financial performance, as University Hospital South Manchester’s director of communications and engagement Susan Osborne explains. -
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals achieves top marks for cancer centre
PERFORMANCE: The trust’s Queen’s Centre for Oncology and Haematology has been awarded the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark. -
Imperial chief exec to step down
WORKFORCE: Steve Smith is to stand down as Imperial College Healthcare Trust chief executive. -
Is there really room for localism in the Big Healthy Society?
As the centre slowly learns to let go, three bills will shape the future relationship between local and central government, writes Local Government Group’s Rob Whiteman. -
Lewisham Healthcare Trust plans to submit FT bid in October
FINANCE: Lewisham Healthcare Trust is planning to submit a foundation trust bid in October despite liquidity problems. -
Liverpool Community Health appoints head of nursing directorate
WORKFORCE: Helen Lockett has joined Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust to head up its operations and nursing directorate. -
London consortium board to include non-GPs
WORKFORCE: A commissioning consortium in the capital has set out plans to give a range of non GPs a place on its board, including a nurse. -
London mental health trusts moot IT procurement partnership
COMMERCIAL: Two south London mental health trusts have put forward the idea of a joint procurement of a London-wide patient record system. -
Making lean improvements to drive up the quality of mental health care
Two years ago, the Suffolk Mental Health Partnership Trust focused on a project to drive quality and performance based on a lean improvement framework. The resulting patient care quality has been ‘remarkable’. -
Media Watch: all ears as Lansley promises to 'listen'
It was telling that health secretary Andrew Lansley had to defend his NHS reforms himself on the letters page of The Times last week. The national papers have scented blood. -
Michael White: with friends like Lansley's, who needs an opposition?
More and more people have started to ask me: “Is David Cameron going to sack Andrew Lansley?” -
Mid Essex acute contract overspending
FINANCE: Mid Essex PCT’s contract with Mid Essex Hospital Services Trust is overspending by £8.6m to date and is forecast to overspend by £9.7m at outturn, according to the primary care trust. -
Mid Essex cost reductions come from consultancy spend
FINANCE: Mid Essex PCT has delivered management cost savings mainly through reducing the use of external consultants, with some savings coming from voluntary redundancies. -
Mid Essex PCT heading for £3m surplus
FINANCE: Mid Essex PCT is forecasting a surplus for the 2010-11 financial year of £3m, which is £2m better than the plan. -
Mid staffs chief executive "morally wrong"
Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust’s 2008 request for £1.35m to fund more nurses at a time when it was predicting a £1.6m surplus was “morally wrong”, the public inquiry into failures at the organisation was told. -
Midwifery indicators behind target and down on year for NHS Newham
PERFORMANCE: The east London commisioning body’s performance report showed a decline in the number of women who had seen a midwife or maternity healthcare professional within 12 weeks of pregnancy. -
Miliband attacks PM on NHS reform
Ed Miliband will seek to turn the screw on David Cameron over controversial NHS reforms today by accusing him of “betraying” Britain’s proudest institution. -
Monitor's intervention threshold lowered in new framework
Monitor is set to intervene in more foundation trusts that are in danger of breaching their authorisation. -
New deadline for revised Barnet and Chase Farm reconfiguration plans
STRUCTURE: The deadline for the drawing up of revised Barnet and Chase Farm reconfiguration proposals has been extended. -
NHS Derby City details TCS transfer
STRUCTURE: The primary care trust has detailed where its provider arm services were transferred to on 1 April, under the transforming community services programme. -
NHS Hounslow predicting a fall in access to GP services
PERFORMANCE: The west London primary care trust’s performance report anticipated the percentage of patients able to see their GP within 48 hours would fall by 5.5 per cent. -
NHS Newham set to beat last year's Chlamydia screening total, with one quarter's figures still to add
PERFORMANCE: The east London commissioning body reported screening 9,899 of eligible 16-24 year-olds up to January, 316 short of 2009-10’s full-year performance. -
NHS North Staffordshire on track for £1m surplus
FINANCE: The primary care trust said its revenue forecast at month 10, January, was “on track” to achieve a surplus control target of £1m. -
NHS Northamptonshire switches out of hours providers
COMMERCIAL: Provision of out of hours services in Northamptonshire has been transferred from Nenedoc to South East Health Ltd. -
NHS productivity increases by 0.7 per cent
NHS productivity has crept up slightly after more than a decade of overall decline, figures suggest. -
NHS South Staffordshire to shut mental health centres
STRUCTURE: The primary care trust plans a phased closure close of adult day centre services for mental health and learning disabilities patients. -
NHS Westminster predicting £5m slippage on QIPP plans
FINANCE: The central London commissioning body has reported that its £17.2m QIPP savings are now predicted to come to £12.2m for 2011-12. -
Noel Plumridge: RIP, payment by results
After nearly a decade, it’s time to say goodbye to payment by results. -
North Cumbria opts for 'accelerated' process to select merger partner
STRUCTURE: The trust aims to have found a foundation trust to take it over by October this year, and to dissolve by October 2012, latest board papers show. -
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals FT completes community merger
STRUCTURE: North Lincolnshire Community Services officially transferred into Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust on 1 April. -
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals FT launches new TB service
STRUCTURE: A new hospital-based service has been launched providing patients with a streamlined one-stop TB service. -
One month's delay to NHS reforms
The Health Bill’s progress through Parliament is to be delayed by a month, HSJ understands, to give health secretary Andrew Lansley time to listen to concerns about the possible impact on the NHS. -
Outstanding patient safety alerts plummet at NHS Manchester
PERFORMANCE: The number of outstanding patient safety alerts registered against the primary care trust’s name has dropped by 11 in the past month to just two, new data from the National Patient Safety Agency shows. -
Over-performance pushes down South Staffs forecast to breakeven
FINANCE: The primary care trust reported a surplus of £46,000 at the end of February, with a forecast outturn of breakeven. -
Oxford and Bucks gets new name
STRUCTURE: Oxford and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Foundation Trust has changed its name. -
Pathfinder consortia focusing on integration, analysis shows
Pathfinder commissioning consortia are prioritising service integration but are overly focused on governance issues, according to a report shared exclusively with HSJ. -
PFI hospitals 'asset stripping', claims campaign group
Hospitals built under the private finance initiative are closing beds and cutting jobs in a “desperate bid” to balance their books, a campaign group has claimed. -
Plymouth Hospitals given all clear by CQC
PERFORMANCE: Plymouth Hospitals Trust has satisfied Care Quality Commission inspectors it is now meeting three essential standards following a highly critical report of its surgical procedures earlier this year. -
Preventing hospital-associated venous thromboembolism
Hard work is needed to beat hospital-associated venous thromboembolism. HSJ’s latest supplement provides valuable information and insight into how this can be achieved. -
'Public health cannot survive on £4bn'
Public health is a new burden – it’s official. And local authorities are right to be nervous. -
Public sector managers wary of increased strike threat
Most employers fear increasing levels of industrial action in the next year, especially as public spending cuts start to take effect, a new study reveals. -
Queen Mary's closures knock on to neighbouring trusts
PERFORMANCE: The closure of maternity and accident and emergency services at Queen Mary’s Sidcup has led to services elsewhere being closed due to demand outstripping capacity. -
Rapid access musculoskeletal service at Hull and East Yorkshire
STRUCTURE: A new community service for patients with aches and stiffness in their joints or muscles will be provided by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust from this month. -
Realising actual cost savings through organisational strategies
In the second of two articles on savings, Andy McKeon and Nigel Edwards look at powering organisational strategies to achieve real cost-savings and avoid disappointing results. -
Reforms forcing managers to choose between job and prison, Information Commissioner warns
Data security in the NHS is being put at risk because managers are focusing on financial issues and structural reforms, the Information Commissioner has warned. -
Royal Cornwall Hospitals breaches data protection laws
PERFORMANCE: Royal Cornwall Hospitals has breached the Data Protection Act by disclosing third party personal data on two occasions, the Information Commissioner’s Office has said. -
Royal Free announces job cuts as it looks to make £40m in savings
FINANCE: The north London acute anticipates cutting 450 posts from its workforce of 5,500. -
Secure mental health beds blocked
A lack of “step down” services is adding to pressures on secure mental health services, say researchers. -
SHA abolition delayed by three months
The abolition of strategic health authorities is to be delayed by three months until July 2012, the Department of Health is expected to announce today. -
Shaping young people's services with young people's input
Investing in Children is improving children and young people’s services by involving young people in care delivery. Felicity Shenton explains -
Somerset Partnership FT begins refurbishment of 'serious incident' ward
PERFORMANCE: Work on the refurbishment of Somerset Partnership Foundation Trust’s Rydon ward is due to start this month. -
South Tees Hospitals FT completes community service takeover
STRUCTURE: Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland Community Services (MRCCS) has joined South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, under the transforming community services programme. -
South Tyne PCTs work to address over-performance
FINANCE: South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland PCTs have been working to address elective and non-elective overperformance, but are expecting to end the year in surplus. -
South West trust clawing back every penny ahead of make or break year
The “financially challenged” Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has begun what is being viewed as a make or break year with a rare piece of fiscal good news. -
Southampton City and Hampshire merge LIFT Cos
COMMERCIAL: Two LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) companies set up by Southampton City and Hampshire primary care trusts are to merge to create a single LIFT company. -
Southampton City refuses request to transfer all of its estate to aspirant CFT
COMMERCIAL: Southampton City PCT has agreed to transfer six of its properties to the aspirant community foundation trust Solent Community Healthcare. -
Southampton University Hospitals announces contract details
COMMERCIAL: Southampton Univeristy Hospitals is to spend £212,527 on an upgrade of the car park barrier system at Southampton General Hospital and Princess Anne Hospital. -
'Sub-optimal' post-operative care putting patients at risk
Patients’ lives are being put at risk because of inadequate care following emergency operations, surgeons claim. -
TCS deadline hit and miss for NHS Peterborough
STRUCTURE: The primary care trust has successfully migrated its children’s services but similar transfers for adult and social care have been delayed until 1 July. -
Trafford aims to identify preferred takeover bid by July
STRUCTURE: Trafford Healthcare is due to publish a prospectus this month in its bid to be absorbed by a foundation trust. -
Tribute to Calderdale FT chair
WORKFORCE: Calderdale and Huddersfield Foundation Trust has paid tribute to its chair Sukhdev Sharma, after he died suddenly. -
Unison poll reveals privatisation unease
A survey of over 2,000 adults by Unison showed that three out of four were opposed to any move to have private companies running parts of the NHS blood and transplant service. -
Urgent care efficiency tool to get nationwide roll out
All urgent care providers should adopt an audit tool that has helped one area to cut acute emergency spending in half. -
Vertical integration at Barts not due until July
STRUCTURE: The east London hospital trust is due to vertically integrate the provider arm of NHS Tower Hamlets in July, new board papers reveal. -
Wakefield District PCT launches social enterprise
STRUCTURE: Spectrum Community Health has launched as a social enterprise providing the community services previously hosted by Wakefield District PCT. -
West Middlesex plans to cut 344 jobs as it makes £19.7m in savings
WORKFORCE: The West Middlesex, which is on the Department of Health’s list of seven financially challenged trusts, plans to save £19.7m over the next two years. -
Why Andrew Lansley should stay - and why he might go
Andrew Lansley must go. That is the demand of many of the opponents of the government’s health reforms. They are wrong. -
Why evidence-based, patient-centred care is the key to cutting NHS costs
Now more than ever, the pressure is on for hospitals to make efficiency improvements, not only to help the NHS meet its cost savings target of £20bn by 2014-15 but also to adapt to changes in the way that tariffs are organised and to meet the challenges of the changing healthcare market, writes McKesson’s director of care management Matthew Hunt. -
Wolverhampton City PCT chief exec stands down as reforms kick in
WORKFORCE: Wolverhampton City PCT chief executive Jon Crockett has announced he is retiring to allow the reforms to be “taken forward by people who can commit to leading these changes through.”. -
Yeovil District Hospital FT appoints chair
WORKFORCE: Peter Wyman CBE has been named as the new chair of Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. -
Yorkshire ambulance plan to improve response times
PERFORMANCE: Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust spent the end of the financial year trying to meet its Category A response time target after a winter dip. -
Yorkshire ambulance trust faces 9.6 per cent savings
FINANCE: Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has anticipated the need for a 9.6 per cent cost improvement programme in 2011-12, ahead of final negotiations with commissioners.
