Comprehensive HSJ analysis of the performance of CCGs, providers and specialised commissioners, plus the rest of the day’s news and comment
3.07pm The Health Foundation has launched an online consultation to inform a national review of measures of quality of general practice in England.
The think tank has been asked by the Department of Health to review indicators of the quality of general practice in England, to look at how they could be made better to support improvements to care.
NHS professionals from across England including, but not restricted to, GPs, practice managers, general practice nurses, and pharmacists – their representative organisations, as well as patient and carer groups and the Department of Health’s arm’s-length bodies – are being invited to contribute their views by 10am on Monday, 24 August 2015.
Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Health Foundation, said: “We’ve been asked by the government to do a piece of work looking at the quality of care in general practice, in particular looking at the information that is available. As we know, data and information is a really powerful lever to try to help people improve care for patients. There is a lot of information around and a lot of energy being spent to collect it – so ‘could we do better?’ is the exam question.
“We are asking a lot of questions in our online consultation and would be very interested in the responses from GPs, practice managers, general practice nurses, pharmacists and others. It’s really important to get this right and this consultation is a good opportunity to hear the voices of those directly involved in providing care as well as their representative organisations.”
The Health Foundation is urging all interested parties to go to engage.health.org.uk and take part in the consultation to help inform the review.
Findings will be published by the end of September 2015.
3.01pm The chief executive of a North West community trust is to take on the top job at a West Midlands mental health provider.
Simon Gilby, who has been chief executive at Wirral Community Trust for more than three years, will become chief executive at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust on 3 August.
Previous chief executive Rachel Newson retired from the post in May.
Mr Gilby told HSJ: “It’s a trust where there are lots of opportunities to work with partners and do something really forward thinking in relation to the Five Year Forward View; that’s the attraction for me.
12.56pm There is wide regional variation in the financial health of the NHS, HSJ analysis of the performance of clinical commissioning groups, providers and specialised commissioners in 2014-15 reveals.
The analysis gives the most comprehensive breakdown of the service’s financial difficulties to date.
The Midlands and East is by far the most troubled region, while the North is generating relatively large surpluses.
A report released by NHS England earlier this month shows the CCG sector reported a total surplus of £731m in 2014-15.
12.43pm Taxpayers’ money is being used by the Department of Health to pay for private prescriptions for a £12,000 a year drug to treat narcolepsy,HSJ has learned.
The drug is only being prescribed to patients taking legal action because their condition was triggered by the swine flu vaccine, a DH memo reveals. Patients have been denied the same drug on the NHS.
At least 80 adults and children are understood to be seeking compensation over the vaccine’s side-effects.
The difference in policy between NHS patients and those suing the DH to the licensed drug Xyrem has sparked anger from doctors and charities.
11.30am Today’s papers also give a lot of coverage to the #ImInWorkJeremy social media protest, which took place over the weekend.
Hundreds of clinicians tweeted pictures of themselves at work on Saturday and Sunday following Jeremy Hunt’s claim that a “Monday to Friday” culture among doctorsw was resulting in the deaths of 2,000 people a year.
The photos were accompanied with the hashtag #ImInWorkJeremy to claim the health secretary was out of touch and clearly did not know how many of them were actually working on any weekend.
Mr Hunt responded with the following tweet:
To drs on shift 2day: thx 4 ur hard work. Now we need 2 reflect that professionalism wth modern contract 2 make NHS safer!#ImInWorkJeremy
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) July 18, 2015
11.21am A lot of papers are carrying the story today about a fall in organ donations. The Daily Telegraph reports that the “organ donor crisis” is being exacerbated by widespread obesity and Britain’s ageing population.
For the first time in a decade the number of donations has dropped, largely because advances in health and safety and medical care mean fewer people die prematurely.
10.20am In case you missed it, the independent cancer taskforce published a new national strategy for cancer services yesterday.
According to the taskforce the NHS can save 30,000 more lives a year through an number of changes, including overhauling cancer commissioning and treatment funding.
As part of its package of reforms, the taskforce also recommends a new target to increase early diagnosis and stronger public health programmes.
7.00am Good morning and welcome to HSJ Live. As the world watches how NHS implements seven day services, three trusts describe to Daloni Carlisle their experience with this kind of work culture.
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