James Illman
James is a bureau chief for HSJ. He covers performance --- especially as it relates to electives --- and the NHS in the East of England. He has also been writing about the recovery of acute care services in the health service post-covid.
His series of articles exposing care failings at East of England Ambulance Services Trust was named “investigation of the year” at the inaugural Press Gazette specialist media awards in 2018. James joined HSJ in 2012 after four years on Local Government Chronicle. Before his time at LGC, he worked for business title Legal Week.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 020 7608 9066
- Email:
- james.illman@hsj.co.uk
- News
Exclusive: NHSE targeting 50% cut to waiting list
NHS England is floating proposals to cut the elective waiting list by nearly 50 per cent to under 4 million over the next five years, HSJ can reveal.
- Expert Briefing
Recovery Watch: Why are referrals lower than expected?
Recovering services from the covid crisis is a big task for NHS leaders for the foreseeable future. The Recovery Watch newsletter tracks prospects and progress. This week by bureau chief James Illman.
- News
Updated: NHSE launches new elective waiting list count
NHS England will today take a decisive step towards the first major change in how service’s elective waiting list is collected and reported for 17 years.
- News
Revealed: The ICSs ‘diverting’ the most GP referrals through controversial model
There is huge regional variation in the rate at which health systems are preventing patients joining the elective waiting list through “advice and guidance” to GPs, according to analysis by HSJ.
- HSJ Local
Medic to review dozens of suicides linked to trust
A trust has appointed a chair to lead an independent review into dozens of suicides that were sparked by allegations of record tampering.
- News
Waiting list is 430k longer because of strikes, NHSE claims
The elective waiting list would have breached 7 million regardless of strikes over the past 14 months — but would have been around 430,000 smaller — according to new NHS England modelling.
- News
Focus should be on waiting list size, as well as long waiters says planning guidance
NHS England has told local leaders they must start to focus on reducing the overall size of the elective waiting list and not just the longest waiters.
- Expert Briefing
Recovery Watch: The priorities for NHSE’s new elective recovery plan
Recovering services from the covid crisis is a big task for NHS leaders for the foreseeable future. The Recovery Watch newsletter tracks prospects and progress. This week by bureau chief James Illman.
- News
Trusts’ performance on key recovery target revealed
Ten trusts have just 1 per cent or fewer of their outpatients on “patient initiated follow-up” pathways, against a target of 5 per cent, official data suggests.
- News
NHSE recovery target in doubt as 18-month elective waits continue to rise
The number of 78-week breaches on the NHS waiting list has risen for the sixth consecutive month, despite a fall in 65-week waiters and the overall list size, according to official data published today.
- News
Atkins hints at ‘new incentives’ for trusts to hit productivity targets
The health secretary says there will be “new incentives” to reward NHS trusts to hit efficiency targets and suggests this could involve some form of reinvestment of surpluses generated from productivity schemes.
- HSJ Local
ICS freed from ‘intensive’ central oversight for first time
Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System has been lifted out of the lowest category of NHS England’s performance management regime.
- Expert Briefing
Recovery Watch: The trusts going Further, Faster
Recovering services from the covid crisis is a big task for NHS leaders for the foreseeable future. The Recovery Watch newsletter tracks prospects and progress. This week by bureau chief James Illman.
- News
NHSE looks to scrap ‘follow ups’ target
NHS England is looking to ditch a key elective target that aimed to deliver large reductions in follow-up appointments, HSJ has learned.
- News
Revealed: The ICBs most reliant on private hospitals
Up to 20 per cent of NHS elective patients are now being treated by private hospitals in some areas, analysis by HSJ suggests.
- HSJ Local
Trust names ‘inspiration’ former receptionist as CEO
Homerton Healthcare Foundation Trust has promoted Bas Sadiq, who joined the NHS as an outpatient receptionist 20 years ago, to chief executive.
- Expert Briefing
Recovery Watch: Planning guidance heads for March
Recovering services from the covid crisis is a big task for NHS leaders for the foreseeable future. The Recovery Watch newsletter tracks prospects and progress. This week by bureau chief James Illman and finance correspondent Henry Anderson.
- News
NHSE seeks to ease key elective target
NHS England is in negotiations with ministers to formally push back the target to eliminate 65-week waiters, HSJ has learned.
- News
‘Degrading’ long A&E waits reach new peak
Long waits in accident and emergency departments rose to one of the worst levels on record last month as emergency care experienced its busiest ever January.
- News
Largest 78-week backlog to be wiped out by reporting change
The trust with by far the largest backlog of 18-month waiters will see almost all the cases wiped off its main elective waiting list under a change to national reporting rules, HSJ has learned.