Health Service Journal
23 February 2012

View all stories from this issue.

‘High level’ risk to NWAS if funding for investment plan not renewed

FINANCE: The trust has added a new “high level” risk to its risk register, warning of the impact if the service does not receive recurrent funding for its investment plan in the coming financial year.
£1.9bn hospital and mental health merger a step nearer

The boards of three trusts have moved a step closer to creating a single organisation with a turnover of roughly £1.9bn.
2gether appoints GP to board

WORKFORCE: 2gether NHS Foundation Trust has appointed a GP as a new non-executive.
Ali Parsa on great mistakes

I started my career as an academic. My research objective: to come up with a fluid dynamic formula to predict the complex interaction of waves and currents in turbulent flows.
Almost no staff plan to leave Derbyshire cluster before PCTs disbanded

WORKFORCE: Almost no staff intend to leave NHS Derbyshire cluster before March 2013, an analysis of 368 questionnaires has shown.
Are you brave enough to fail?

What can the NHS learn from the global banking collapse or the US army’s struggle against insurgency? A lot, if you ask Tim Harford.
Barnsley Hospital FT £1.1m behind plan

FINANCE: Barnsley Hospital Foundation Trust has made £3.8m efficiency savings in the first nine months of the financial year - but this is £1.1m behind plan.
Barnsley misses A&E target

PERFORMANCE: Barnsley Hospital Foundation Trust narrowly missed the 95 per cent target for seeing A&E patients within four hours in December.
Bradford expects amber-red rating over target failure

PERFORMANCE: Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust expects to be rated amber-red for the third quarter.
Bucks healthcare gets an extra £3m

FINANCE: A £3m settlement has been agreed between Buckinghamshire primary care trust and Buckinghamshire Healthcare to “de-risk” overperformance.
Bucks trust establishes new stroke unit

STRUCTURE: A specialist 30-bed stroke unit is being established at Wycombe Hospital, following the merging of stroke services at Wycombe and Stoke Mandeville.
Business plan for Barnsley A&E observation unit

STRUCTURE: Barnsley Hospital Foundation Trust is planning to develop a full business case for an observation unit within its emergency department.
C difficile target unlikely to be met by Leeds

PERFORMANCE: Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is likely to fail targets for the numbers of C difficile and MRSA cases in this financial year.
Cameron backs Lansley as health secretary

David Cameron has hailed his health secretary for doing “a very good job” and as someone who understands the NHS better than most, as he again defends the under-fire minister.
CCGs in the limelight as NHS reform row gets brutal

The events set in train by last Friday’s HSJ exclusive about the prime minister’s NHS summit proved highly revealing about the tactics the government is adopting to drive through its reforms.
CCGs must pay for NHS office space from running cost allowance

Clinical commissioning groups have been instructed to base themselves in existing NHS buildings – most of which are to be taken over by the Department of Health’s new property company – and pay for them out of their running cost allowance.
Central Manchester FT acted 'unlawfully' over pay freezes

WORKFORCE: Central Manchester Foundation Trust acted “unlawfully” by attempting to withhold incremental pay rises from staff who took too much sick leave, a tribunal has found.
Central Manchester FT spent £86,000 contesting £1m race discrimination tribunal

WORKFORCE: The foundation spent £86,000 contesting an employment tribunal which awarded a former manager around £1m for race discrimination and unfair dismissal, HSJ has learned.
Commissioning board a 'folly', says Diabetes UK chief

The structure of the NHS Commissioning Board is an “act of total folly”, a leading charity chief has told HSJ.
Commuter influx sees NHS Westminster selected to pilot GP choice scheme

PERFORMANCE: The central London borough of Westminster is one of the pilot PCTs in a scheme to allow patients to choose their GP practice.
Competition panel approves two hospital mergers and will look at two more

The Co-operation and Competition Panel has approved two hospital mergers, called another in for further scrutiny and opened a file on a fourth.
Competition watchdog clears Trafford Healthcare takeover

STRUCTURE: The NHS competition watchdog has approved Central Manchester University Hospitals’ proposed takeover of Trafford Healthcare Trust, the hospital known as the “birthplace of the NHS”.
Council plans £100m loan to buy out foundation's PFI contracts

A local authority is in negotiations to lend up to £100m to a foundation trust seeking to buy out its private finance initiative contracts, HSJ has learned.
CQC board flags concerns over 'vindictive' inspection regime

The Care Quality Commission is pushing through significant changes to the inspection regime on the back of a flawed consultation process, one of its own board members has warned.
CQC chief Cynthia Bower resigns

Care Quality Commission chief executive Cynthia Bower has resigned.
Delay in Hull A&E revamp

STRUCTURE: Plans for a major revamp of A&E services at Hull have fallen slightly behind schedule.
Devon GPs sign up to improve QOF performance

COMMERCIAL: Torbay Care Trust has facilitated the purchase of software system for Torbay and Southern Devon CCG to monitor their performance against the quality and outcomes framework.
DH advisers paid 'as companies' to reduce tax

Twenty-five Whitehall advisers who shared salaries of more than £4m were paid through limited companies, it has been reported.
DH: hospitals must be fined for readmissions caused by others

Hospitals will be fined for emergency readmissions in 2012-13 even if they can prove that they are not responsible for them, according to rules published by the Department of Health this afternoon.
Do the right thing

Leaders must get to grips with equality if the NHS is to reflect the needs of a fast-changing population. We look at some of the tools available to help employers recruit a representative workforce
Doncaster and Bassetlaw workforce director retires

WORKFORCE: Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals Foundation Trust director of human resources Joe Brayford is to retire at the end of February.
Embracing new technologies can drive innovation in healthcare services

New technologies and the benefits they could bring to the NHS are being held back by a reluctance in the service to commit to embracing such innovations. This must change, argues Neil Moat.
Emergency services to stage Olympics incident drill

The emergency services will practise their response to a major incident during the London 2012 Games when a large scale exercise is staged this week.
Exclusive: flagship HealthWatch policy to be 'watered down' by amendments

Government plans to amend the Health Bill to clarify arrangements for HealthWatch have angered campaigners who claim the change will “water down” patient and public involvement in the NHS.
Exclusive: Lansley assures CCGs over competition

The health secretary has written to clinical commissioning groups to assure them that that they will be in control over crucial issues such as competition, integration, and buying support services.
Exclusive: Most troubled trust could be allowed to go bankrupt

The most financially troubled hospital trust in England could effectively be allowed go bankrupt and see its work redistributed between the independent sector and other trusts.
Exclusive: PM reveals government's four NHS commitments

The prime minister has revealed “four Fs” which he believes sum up the government’s approach to the NHS. They came while he attempted to bat off criticism of the Health Bill at a Downing Street summit today.
Exclusive: prime minister calls summit on 'implementing NHS reforms'

The prime minister has called a summit to discuss the “implementation of the NHS reforms” on Monday afternoon with senior healthcare leaders.
'Failure is necessary to breed success'

In his book Adapt, economist and journalist Tim Harford argues that failure is a necessary stage in success, and that experimentation and risk-taking are more effective than an overarching grand plan. Jennifer Taylor explores how these ideas could be translated to the NHS.
Free online workforce webinar for HSJ audience

How can organisations best manage as the changes outlined in the Health Bill come into force and they need to protect services whilst striving to meet its challenging targets?
Gateshead recalls 1,700 for syphilis test

SERVICES: Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is recalling around 1,700 people who were tested for syphilis at any of the sexual health clinics in Gateshead, between April 2010 and June 2011, for repeat tests.
GPs overpaid millions for 'ghost patients'

Doctors have received millions of pounds in payment for patients who have moved practice, died or been forced to leave the country, according to a new report.
Gynaecology operations halted at Hartlepool

WORKFORCE: North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust has had to suddenly halt inpatient gynaecology operations in Hartlepool because of the “unexpected absence of senior medical staff”.
Harrogate FT behind plan

FINANCE: Harrogate and District Foundation Trust was £790,000 behind plan for the period to the end of November.
Heart of England pulls out of mooted George Eliot takeover

STRUCTURE: Heart of England Foundation Trust has pulled back from a mooted takeover of George Eliot Hospital Trust, HSJ has learnt.
Hertfordshire trust 'could join London cancer network'

STRUCTURE: East and North Hertfordshire hospital trust could join the London Cancer Alliance becdause of its role managing services at Mount Vernon Hospital.
How real-time therapies can deliver better mental healthcare

The use of real-time “live therapy” is helping several trusts improve the experience of patients requiring mental or psychological health treatments.
How to cut overnight stays and improve trauma pathways

The unpredictable nature of trauma injuries has led one trust to call for an innovative approach to managing their surgical treatment. John Lloyd and colleagues explain how to cut overnight stays.
How to empower GPs and local commissioners to deliver care

Community GPs and local government taking charge of care delivery is a goal that by Kent Health Commission could soon successfully realise. Paul Carter explains how it’s working.
Ian Cumming no longer to join North Bristol

WORKFORCE: Ian Cumming has decided not to take up the post of chief executive at North Bristol Trust in order to continue with his roll as national director for quality during the transition full time.
Imperial blames blood culture techniques for failing MRSA target

PERFORMANCE: The west london hospital trust has reported 12 cases of MRSA this year against an “annual ceiling” of nine, cluster documents showed.
Imperial 'not likely' to hit VTE target until October

PERFORMANCE: A report from NHS North West London said the acute trust was on track to miss the venous thromboembolism target until Q2 of 2012-13.
Integrated A&E at Mid Staffs to open by October

STRUCTURE: Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust is “optimistic” its accident and emergency department will open fully in time for May and is hoping to open a new department in October.
John Appleby on risking failure

In his book Adapt: Why success always starts with failure, Tim Harford retells a moving and excellent story about Archie Cochrane’s efforts to conduct a clinical trial in a German internment camp.
Leeds looking doubtful on 18 weeks

PERFORMANCE: Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust had 2,187 patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for treatment at the end of March - more than it had planned if it is to meet government standards of 92 per cent of outstanding patients waiting less than 18 weeks.
Lord Owen: Lords have failed to alter the Health Bill

The House of Lords has failed to make significant changes to the Health Bill, the influential crossbencher Lord Owen has said, calling on the prime minister to scrap the legislation before it becomes law.
'Low priority treatments should not let commissioners cut corners'

The current NHS drive to make efficiency savings has resulted in a worrying trend for commissioners to engage in unilateral action in an attempt to cut costs. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the evolution of lists of “low priority treatments”.
Mark Davies appointed permanent chief executive of Imperial

WORKFORCE: The west London hospital trust, one of the largest in the country, announced it was appointing Mr Davies permanently this morning.
Media Watch: constructive Cameron attempts to quash destructive talk

David Cameron’s “constructive talks” on implementing the Health Bill dominated health coverage in the media this week.
Medical simulation training facility opens in Gateshead

SERVICE: TV chef and hairy biker Simon King opened a new medical simulation training facility in Gateshead.
Michael White: DH tax revelations dash hopes for private and public harmony

Every once in a while I have to look up the expensive word for monopoly purchaser, as distinct from a provider of goods or services that has established a lucrative grip on a market.
Mid Staffs inquiry to get May/June report

The chairman of the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust public inquiry is aiming to publish his report in the last week of May or the first week of June, HSJ understands.
Mid Yorks awards exclusive locum doctor contract

COMMERCIAL: Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has awarded a contract for sole supplied of locum doctor staff.
Miliband renews attack on Cameron 'broken promises'

Labour leader Ed Miliband will reinforce his opposition to the government’s NHS reforms today when accusing David Cameron of breaking his policy promises on health.
More needs to be done to improve NHS health check scheme

The NHS health check scheme was welcomed by public health experts, but it has not closed inequalities as hoped, writes Paul Whitehouse.
Morecambe Bay's chief quits

WORKFORCE: The chief executive of under fire University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Foundation Trust has quit.
MPs reject healthcare cost statement plans

Proposals to issue yearly statements on people’s individual NHS healthcare costs have been voted down by MPs.
Newcastle in surplus

FINANCE: At the end of November, Newcastle Hospitals was £0.5m in surplus after a planned deficit of £9m.
Newcastle records three post-48 hours MRSA cases

PERFORMANCE: Three post-48 hours MRSA cases were reported at Newcastle Hospitals in the third quarter of the year.
NHS Bristol gets keys to new hospital

COMMERCIAL: Building work has completed on the £45m South Bristol Community Hospital.
NHS estate savings could reach £2bn, report claims

The amount of underused space in the NHS estate has dropped by more than a third over the past three years, according to a report by a leading property consultancy.
NHS North West London awards £3.3m 111 contract

COMMERCIAL: Seventeen organisations expressed an interest in a two-year NHS 111 contract but only two actually bid, a report from the cluster said.
North Cumbria hospital rebuild affordable, commissioners to be told

COMMERCIAL: A revised business case for rebuilding the trust’s West Cumberland Hospital is now “fully compliant” with future commissioners’ plans, a special NHS Cumbria board meeting will be told.
North Middlesex University Hospital reports A&E problems in December

PERFORMANCE: An increase in emergency cases delivered by ambulance is thought to be one of the reasons for NMUH missing the A&E target for December.
North Tees and Hartlepool above C. diff target

PERFORMANCE: North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust is above trajectory for c dif cases in the first nine months of the financial year.
Northamptonshire Healthcare investigates 26 incidents

PERFORMANCE: Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust is investigating 26 serious incidents.
Northumbria close to C difficile target

PERFORMANCE: Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust is forecasting it will have 84 cases of C difficile this year - bringing it very close to its target of 90.
Nurses paid by journalists, suggests former tabloid editor

Nurses are being paid by journalists to disclose sensitive information, the former editor of The Sun has implied.
Older people's inpatient unit to close

SERVICES: Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Foundation Trust is proposing to make the temporary closure of an inpatient unit for older people permanent.
Paediatricians become latest college to reject bill

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has become the latest professional organisation to call on the government to withdraw the Health and Social Care Bill.
Paediatricians urge scrapping of Health Bill

More than 150 paediatricians are calling on the government to scrap its controversial Health Bill, saying it will have an “extremely damaging effect” on the health of children.
Permanent chief at deficit trust confirmed

Imperial College Healthcare Trust now has a permanent chief executive.
PMS contracts being cut by £800,000 in Staffs and Stoke

FINANCE: Personal medical services contracts in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are set to be reduced by around £800,000 across the whole cluster next financial year.
Public against NHS reforms, poll suggests

More than half of all voters believe the government should drop its controversial NHS reforms, according to a new opinion poll.
Quality of hospital care concerning doctors

More than a quarter of consultants think the continuity of care offered by their hospital is poor or very poor, according to a poll.
RCN: coalition MPs turning against reforms

The Royal College of Nursing’s chief executive has said the government’s Health Bill can still be defeated, even though the prime minister has reiterated his support for the reforms.
Rotherham chair takes over at all South Yorks and Bassetlaw cluster PCTs

WORKFORCE: The Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Bassetlaw PCTs cluster has been in place since the summer but it has this month confirmed that the Appointments Commission has confirmed Alan Tolhurst as the new chair of all five primary care trusts.
RUH launches 'accelerated' introduction of ward rounds

PERFORMANCE: All wards at Royal United Hospital Bath will have commenced comfort rounds by the end of April 2012 in light of prime minister David Cameron’s recent announcement that nurses should conduct hourly rounds.
Sally Gainsbury: peculiar commissioning spend estimates could threaten surpluses

Is it me, or are the baseline commissioning spending estimates published by the Department of Heath earlier this month a bit weird?
Senior NHS manager headcount falls 9 per cent

The number of senior managers working in the NHS has dropped nearly 9 per cent in one year, while nurse numbers have fallen 1.3 per cent, figures show.
SHIP cluster courts KPMG for commissioning support development

STRUCTURE: The Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Portsmouth primary care trust cluster is courting consultants KPMG in a bid to draw up a business case for its commissioning support service.
SHIP cluster overspends on staff

WORKFORCE: The Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth primary care trust cluster was overspent on staff costs by £385,000 at month nine.
South Tees lines up new linear accelerators

PERFORMANCE: South Tees Hospitals Foundation Trust will become the first site in the world to use a new model of linear accelerators from April.
South Tees reports £2.6m surplus

FINANCE: South Tees Hospitals Foundation Trust was reporting a surplus of £2.6m at the end of December - £1.6m below plan.
Southampton FT 10 per cent behind on CIP

FINANCE: University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust was 10 per cent short of its cost improvement plan target in the year to December.
Southampton trust sounds alarm on staffing levels

WORKFORCE: Pressures on staffing levels and skill mix at University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust have led to an increasingly likely risk of “catastrophic” clinical governance failures, reduced income and negative publicity.
Surplus for Bradford Hospitals

FINANCE: Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust had a surplus of £3m at the end of month eight, ahead of the £2.2m planned.
Taking up the Dorrell challenge? It's the money, stupid

There remains a worry that the government’s efficiency drive is still focused on short term savings that may not ultimately deliver the benefits to patients it claims, writes King’s Fund chief economist John Appleby.
Talks aim to halt hospital strike over bullying row

Talks aimed at averting fresh strikes by hospital cleaners, caterers and other staff in a row over claims of bullying and harassment, will be held today.
Tees trust sees performance improve

PERFORMANCE: Performance has been improving in the parts of North Yorkshire where the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Foundation Trust has taken on.
Tees, Esk and Wear Valley reports surplus

FINANCE: Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Foundation Trust had a surplus of £4m at the end of December.
'This business model lets us focus on quality services and safe staff'

The outcome of co-ownership at a healthcare organisation has been a cultural belief in the notion of quality care being delivered free from bureaucratic control, as Andrew Burnell reports.
Three clusters advertise for commissioning support MD

STRUCTURE: An NHS commissioning support service has advertised for a managing director “with commercial experience” and the “necessary commercial acumen to effectively grow the business”.
Three commissioning support services under development in South West

STRUCTURE: Three commissioning support organisations are working on business cases in the south west of England, but discussions are still ongoing in several PCT areas.
Three north Tees emerging CCGs merge into one

STRUCTURE: The two emerging clinical commissioning groups in Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees PCTs have merged into one.
Tough surplus target for Hull acute

FINANCE: Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust faces financial challenges as it battles to deliver a surplus this year and to plan for cost reductions in 2012-13.
Trusts refusing to release doctors for leadership work

Doctors are struggling to gain permission from trusts to undertake nationally important policy and leadership work, according to senior medical figures.
Two south Tees emerging CCGs merge into one

STRUCTURE: The three emerging clinical commissioning groups within Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough PCTs have merged into one.
US private health firm cuts UK executive team

American private health company UnitedHealth has made 40 per cent of its UK executive team redundant as part of a “change in strategic priorities”, HSJ has learned.
Welsh leader calls for Cameron 'humility'

David Cameron should find the “humility” to admit his party’s proposals to reform England’s NHS are wrong, Wales’ first minister Carwyn Jones has said.
Westminster GPs want community nursing in borough 'substantially changed'

COMMERCIAL: The commissioning intentions of Central London Health CCG regarding the service were revealed in a cluster board paper.
Why medical leaders need to be proactive in driving culture change

We need our medical leaders to direct their energy and enthusiasm into better engagement and driving improvement, say Vijaya Nath and John Clark.
Why now is the time to invest in e-health technologies

E-health and communications technology have progressed to an advanced stage while their costs have been decreasing, but does e-health represent a useful investment opportunity for NHS trusts, ask Esther de Weger and colleagues.
Why trusts should pay closer attention to surgical site infections

The mandatory responsibilities of trusts to report on and improve performance on surgical site infections are not robust enough to match the speed of patient care today, according to those dealing with the issue on the front line.
Will a South West community services court case be a pyrrhic victory?

After the dust settles on Michael Lloyd versus NHS Gloucestershire, will campaigners find they have actually won a pyrrhic victory in their bid to keep the county’s community services in the NHS?
Work continues on Newcastle's falls strategy

PERFORMANCE: Work is continuing to embed the falls prevention strategy at Newcastle Hospitals.

Alastair McLellan

Health Service Journal23 February 2012

Job of the week

Jobs

Advertise with us

Subscribe to HSJ

About HSJ

Visit other EMAP sites

Health Service Journal
23 February 2012