Health Service Journal
16 August 2012
View all stories from this issue.
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A&E 12-hour wait numbers double in Scotland
The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours to be seen at Scottish accident and emergency departments has more than doubled in three years, new figures show. -
BSUH reporting deficit after two months of 2012-13
FINANCE: Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is reporting a deficit of £2.4m for June 2012. -
Cancer patients report too few nurses at Gloucestershire Hospitals
PERFORMANCE: Almost half of cancer patients at Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust thought there were not always enough nurses on duty, according to the results of the National Cancer Patient Experience survey. -
Cataract surgery restrictions criticised
Sight-saving surgery is being wrongly restricted due to cost-cutting measures, it has been claimed. -
Circle outlines £8bn 'NHS growth opportunity'
Private health provider Circle named 32 trusts it viewed as constituting an “NHS growth opportunity” of more than £8bn in presentation to investors last year. -
Cluster asks GPs not to refer to major teaching hospital until 2013
PERFORMANCE: The medical directors of NHS South West London have asked GPs in the cluster not to refer some patients to St George’s Healthcare Trust because of a waiting times backlog. -
Cluster asks GPs not to refer to teaching hospital for some procedures
PERFORMANCE: The medical directors of NHS South West London have asked GPs in the cluster not to refer some patients to St George’s Healthcare Trust because of a waiting times backlog. -
Commissioners report Lucentis pressure from Newcastle FT
FINANCE: North Tyneside PCT, Northumberland CT and Newcastle PCT are facing overspending risks in relation to Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust, largely attributable to use of Lucentis (ranibizumab injection). -
Commissioning board and Trust Development Authority directors handed responsibility for 2012-13 delivery
Senior leaders appointed to the NHS Commissioning Board and NHS Trust Development Authority are to take on ‘management responsibility’ for the delivery of NHS performance in 2012/13 from 1 October, six months before the abolition of PCTs and SHAs. This is in addition to existing respective responsibility for commissioning development and the foundation trust pipeline. -
Commissioning board given default lead role on quality
The NHS Commissioning Board will have default responsibility for leading the response to a quality failure under plans for new quality surveillance groups. -
Commissioning support units to collaborate on key intelligence services
Details have been released of how commissioning support units will collaborate to provide some essential services at scale. -
Competition to be limited between commissioning support units
The NHS Commissioning Board has said it will limit competition among commissioning support units for service contracts it is tendering itself. -
Court to hear medical treatment case
The courts are being asked to rule in a dispute over whether it is in “the best interests” of a man in a vegetative state to receive life-saving treatment if his condition deteriorates. -
CSUs will not be allowed to have a board
The commissioning support units hosted by the NHS Commissioning Board will not be allowed to have their own boards, it has been announced. -
Five overdue safety alerts at Aintree University Hospital
PERFORMANCE: The trust had work overdue on five national patient safety alerts in July, latest Department of Health data show. -
Five overdue safety alerts at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital
PERFORMANCE: The trust had work overdue on five national patient safety alerts in July, latest Department of Health data show. -
FTN wins bid to develop governors
The Foundation Trust Network has won a contract to lead the development and training of governors at England’s foundation trusts. -
GP gains role on health and wellbeing board
WORKFORCE: A GP commissioner has been appointed as deputy chair of West Sussex’s emerging health and wellbeing board. -
Great Ormond Street appoints West Herts chief to its top job
WORKFORCE: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children Foundation Trust has appointed Jan Filochowski as chief executive. -
High proportion of Dorset cancer patients 'not involved' in care
PERFORMANCE: Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust scored poorly on measures of involving patients in their care in the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey for 2011-12. -
Jane Hawkard confirmed as East Riding CCG chief officer designate
WORKFORCE: Jane Hawkard has been confirmed as the Chief Officer (designate) of NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG. -
Junior doctors complain of 'bullying culture' at trust
An investigation has been carried out at a teaching hospital after junior doctors complained of a bullying culture and unsafe practices. -
Latest surgery outcome figures show 'marked' variation
There is “marked” variation in the level of health benefit patients feel from common surgical procedures, national performance figures show. -
Let's be clear on cancellations
The service has a duty to be transparent about cancelled operations - and keeping track of the figures has helped one trust improve its record -
Letter reveals uncertainty hanging over quality observatories
Regional quality observatories - set up to monitor and improve service standards - may come to an end when strategic health authorities are abolished next year, a letter reveals. -
Lincolnshire staff work to rule over pay
Maintenance staff at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust are working to rule today after their pay was cut by £1,700. -
London has best cardiac arrest survival rate in England
PERFORMANCE: London has the best cardiac arrest survival rate in England, with patients up to three times more likely to survive in the capital than elsewhere in the country, new figures reveal. -
Mental health strategy launched in Scotland
A strategy which aims to improve people’s mental health and well-being has been launched in Scotland. -
Mental health trust to host Yorkshire public health initiative
STRUCTURE: South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is to host Altogether Better, a Yorkshire and the Humber wide public health programme. -
Mid Staffs in measles infection plea
Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust has asked patients and visitors who have had contact with someone with measles to stay away from the hospital. -
Mixed bag for Great Western doctors in national cancer survey
PERFORMANCE: Great Western Hospitals Foundation Trust scored was among the 20 per cent of highest scoring trusts when cancer patients were asked whether doctors had talked in front of them as if they were not there. -
NE London FT plans savings of £52m by end of 2014-15
FINANCE: North East London Foundation Trust are planning on making cost improvement programme savings of £52m over this and the next two financial years. -
New Legionnaires' outbreak confirmed
Another case of Legionnaires’ disease has been confirmed in Stoke-on-Trent following an outbreak in the city thought to be linked to a hot tub. -
New paediatric ED ready at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare
STRUCTURE: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has announced that its new paediatric emergency department has been completed. -
Newcastle FT more than doubles its recycling
COMMERCIAL: The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has more than doubled the amount of waste it recycles in less than a year following a new waste deal. -
NHS organisations ready for revalidation
Most NHS organisations are ready for revalidation at the end of the year, according to a new report. -
North Bristol Trust cancer patients complain of cancelled procedures
PERFORMANCE: North Bristol Trust was in the worst performing 20 per cent of trusts for changing admission dates for cancer patients, according to the results of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey for 2011-12. -
North East London FT predicts finance score will fall this year
FINANCE: North East London Foundation Trust predicts its Financial Risk Rating score with Monitor will fall from four to three this year. -
Northern Devon cancer patients raise privacy concerns
PERFORMANCE: Just 81 per cent of cancer patients at Northern Devon Healthcare Trust felt they were told about their diagnosis sensitively, according to the results of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey. -
Northumberland health centre to get £1.7m refurbishment
STRUCTURE: Haltwhistle Health Centre in Northumberland is to have a £1.7m overhaul, extending facilities. -
Nottingham GPs join DH access pilot
PERFORMANCE: Seven GP practices in Nottingham City have started offering services to patients outside their practice boundary as part of the Department of Health’s GP Choice Pilot scheme. -
NW midwives volunteer in overseas aid programme
WORKFORCE: UK midwives, largely from the North West, are volunteering to provide training in Africa and Asia UK under a programme run by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. -
OUH delayed discharges fall slightly
PERFORMANCE: Delayed transfers of care in Oxfordshire have fallen from their peak in March, but remain well ahead of plan. -
Oxfordshire plans acute service restructure
STRUCTURE: Oxford University Hospitals trust is planning restructure local services care in a bid to cut delayed discharges. -
Passport to improved patient experience
Patients have taken well to the My Medication Passport, a document developed for older people to address adverse drug reactions -
PCTs predict underspend despite acute over-performance
FINANCE: Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire Cluster of PCTs is reporting it is on target to meet its financial budget this year despite significant over-performance by the region’s acute trusts. -
Phil Mettam confirmed as Bassetlaw CCG chief officer (designate)
WORKFORCE: Phil Mettam has been confirmed as the chief officer (designate) of NHS Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group. -
Pilgrim Hospital criticised on medicine management again
PERFORMANCE: United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has been criticised for the second time in less than a year for failing to meet essential standards on medicine management. -
Poorer areas 'hit harder by alcohol'
Poorer communities have substantially higher levels of alcohol-related ill health, anti-social behaviour and premature deaths than their wealthier neighbours, research suggests. -
Review of cosmetic surgery launched
Plastic surgeons have welcomed the launch of a major review of cosmetic surgery following the PIP breast implant scandal. -
Royal Brompton anticipates using loan facility
FINANCE: The Royal Brompton and Harefield Foundation Trust anticipates that “pressure on its liquidity” will mean it may have to get commercial loans for some capital projects. -
Royal Brompton predicts tougher private patient market
COMMERCIAL: The Royal Brompton and Harefield Foundation Trust predicts a tougher market for private patients over the coming years. -
Royal Cornwall issued with contract notice
PERFORMANCE: NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has issued a contract notice to Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust for poor performance against the four hour accident and emergency target in in April and May. -
Royal Free London plans to maintain second highest finance rating
FINANCE: The Royal Free London Foundation Trust is planning to maintain its financial risk rating score with Monitor at four until at least the end of 2014-15. -
Royal Marsden sees £12m shortfall from NHS patients
FINANCE: The Royal Marsden Foundation Trust has said NHS tariffs means it faces an underlying loss of £12m a year. -
SMC approves prostate cancer drug
A cancer drug which reportedly helped keep the Lockerbie bomber alive for an extra two-and-a-half years is to be made available on the NHS in Scotland. -
South London and Maudsley predict defict in 2014-15
FINANCE: The South London and Maudsley Foundation Trust is predicting a deficit for 2014-15, its annual plan review reveals. -
Too important to get wrong
The relationship between higher education and the health service is fundamental, but yet it has received relatively little attention in the ongoing debates on NHS reform. -
Trust chairman sparks food review after criticising ham sandwich
A West Midlands hospital has launched a review of its chilled food after the trust chairman told a public meeting the hospital’s ham sandwich “was the worst he had ever tasted”. -
Trust wins treatment intervention ruling
A health trust has won a court ruling that medical staff do not have to forcibly give a seriously ill man the life-prolonging treatment he is resisting. -
Two parties interested in taking over hospital block
COMMERCIAL: Western Sussex Hospitals Trust has received two responses to a request for plans to redevelop a surplus part of its estate at Southlands Hospital. -
UHBristol fails to treat colo-rectal cancer patients sensitively
PERFORMANCE: A fifth of cancer patients at University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust felt they were not told about their diagnosis senstively enough, the result of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey for 2011-12 reveal. -
Uniting voices in epilepsy treatment
A major development in May was the reconfiguration of specialist surgery for children with epilepsy. -
University College London Hospitals makes 5.6 per cent saving in 2011-12
FINANCE: University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust made a 5.6 per cent saving in 2011-12. -
University College London Hospitals will grow activity
FINANCE: University College London Hospitals Foundation Trust has said it plans to grow activity to match the efficiency assumptions built in to the reduction in tariff prices.
