Health Service Journal
8 March 2012

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£3.3m funding boost for North Bristol

FINANCE: North Bristol Trust will receive £3.3m over the next year as part of the Department’s of Health capital giveaway.
Are GPs the right people for the job?

Whether GPs are the right people to lead clinical commissioning is debatable, but if they want to make a successful transition they need a change in approach to their day jobs, says John Deffenbaugh.
Bill will leave public health 'compromised, weaker and less safe'

The Health Bill represents a “danger to the public’s health” and should be dropped, despite government insistence that public health is one of its priorities, a group of specialists has claimed.
Bury pulls ‘contractual levers’ over Pennine Acute cancer waits

PERFORMANCE: NHS Bury has “enforced contractual levers” in a bid to increase the speed at which the trust refers patients in need of specialist cancer treatment, board papers state.
Care homes struggling for access to health services

More than half of primary care trusts do not offer access to the full range of health services care home residents may need, according to analysis of data collected by the Care Quality Commission.
Care record deal could save DH hundreds of millions

The Department of Health has agreed the terms of a deal that could save it hundreds of millions of pounds on the long-delayed installation of care record systems through primary and secondary care.
Committee divided over alcohol pricing plan

A Holyrood committee remains split over whether a minimum unit price on alcohol will reduce consumption or the social harm related to misuse, a report has concluded.
DH chief defends early implementation of NHS reforms

The Department of Health’s most senior civil servant has defended work to implement the government’s NHS reforms before its Health Bill has been passed, in evidence to a tribunal.
DH mental health strategy 'at risk', warns Farrar

The government’s mental health strategy is at risk of stalling because the necessary “basic building blocks” to make it a success are not in place, the head of the NHS Confederation has warned.
Doctors threatening to 'withdraw labour' in protest at pensions

Doctors are actively discussing cancelling non-emergency work in protest at changes to NHS pensions.
East Sussex application for PCT property takeover

STRUCTURE: East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has asked the NHS South of England cluster if it can take on a number of primary care trust properties.
East Sussex on course to meet MRSA target but not C diff

PERFORMANCE: Latest board papers reveal that East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is only a couple of cases away from busting its Clostridium difficile target but remains on course for MRSA.
East Sussex plans to be FT by April 2014

STRUCTURE: East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said it hopes to meet the government’s target date of April 2014 for being authorised as a foundation trust, according to latest board papers.
Exclusive: public split over use of private firms in NHS as Labour doubles poll lead on health

The English people are split down the middle on the use of private companies to provide NHS services, according to exclusive polling data compiled for HSJ.
FT faces 'absolutely enormous' £56m loss

A foundation trust with a turnover of just over £200m a year expects to make a loss this year of more than £56m.
Government action on health 'brave', says Cameron

The prime minister David Cameron has defended the “tough” decisions being made on health and welfare, telling party activists that “fortune favours brave governments”.
Government launches NHS Constitution review

The government is today launching a review of the NHS Constitution, part of which will be carried out by a new NHS Future Forum group.
Harnessing the benefits of wireless technology to improve healthcare systems

In choosing a radio network to revolutionise its blood tracking system, one trust discovered the technology could be better used elsewhere, reports Daloni Carlisle.
Health Bill could bring in US-style system, report warns

The Health Bill could usher in a US-style healthcare financing model, and the erosion of entitlements to free care, a paper published by the British Medical Journal warns today.
Health Bill 'unfit for purpose' - BMA

The Health Bill will make family doctors’ work “infinitely harder” and threatens to damage their relationships with patients, a GPs’ leader have warned.
Health Bill: government limits FTs and private income

The government has said it will change the Health Bill to clarify and extend Monitor’s compliance powers over foundation trusts, and require governors to approve private patient income.
Health regulators face legal overhaul

Provisional plans have been drawn up that would give the Nursing and Midwifery Council and other professional regulators increased flexibility to use their powers while also making them more accountable.
Health secretary social care amendment defeated

The government has defeated a new proposed amendment to its controversial health reforms for England in the Lords.
'High volume surgery outcomes suggest there is safety in numbers'

Higher volumes have been found to produce lower mortality rates in vascular surgery, explain Professor Ross Naylor, Michael Wyatt and David Mitchell.
How NHS QIPP programs can benefit from cloud computing

Cloud-based systems could transform NHS working practices and help it achieve QIPP initiative objectives, says Chris May.
How technology can help in the battle to cut sexually transmitted infections

New devices trialled by a sexual health consortium over a period of several years have shown how nanotechnology can improve services to combat the rising number of sexually transmitted infections in the UK. Dr Tariq Sadiq explains the potential.
Irish nurses key to Surrey and Sussex recruitment plan

WORKFORCE: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was relying on the arrival of a group of nurses from Ireland to bring two new wards up to their full staffing compliments.
Is telehealth the future? An HSJ special supplement

This special supplement looks at telehealth case studies, the benefits telehealth could bring for patients and clinicians, and the skills health leaders need to implement successful technology programs.
Labour of love: making a maternity services reconfiguration successful

The reconfiguration of Manchester’s maternity services may have been a long time coming, but it has lessons for the rest of the country, finds Crispin Dowler.
Lansley praises Lib Dems for strengthening bill

The Liberal Democrats were fundamental in helping to make controversial reforms of the NHS “stronger”, the health secretary has said.
Leicestershire's finance director given transition role

WORKFORCE: NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s director of finance Sue Bishop has been selected to sit on a national group looking at preparing financial leadership for, and beyond, the transition.
London FT boss resigns to lead neighbours' merger bid

WORKFORCE: David McVittie, chief executive of Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust, left his post last week and will now be leading the merger between North West London Hospitals and Ealing Hospital.
London hospitals make plans for the Olympics

PERFORMANCE: Hospitals in London are considering reorganising surgery timetables, changing shift patterns and moving delivery times to accommodate the Olympics this summer.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells £1.5m overspent

FINANCE: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was overspent on its contract with commissioners by £1.5m after 10 months of the financial year.
Media Watch: Cameron dishing out the Gove love

Every parent knows the pitiful wail “you love them more than you love me!” But Media Watch wonders if something similar is being heard in the Cabinet.
Medway FT overspend increases to £.07m

FINANCE: Medway NHS Foundation Trust’s overspend on its contracts with commissioners has increased but remains below £1m, according to latest board papers.
Michael White: despite everything, the health secretary is going nowhere

All things considered, I thought that Andrew Lansley looked and sounded in quite good nick when he popped up at the Nuffield Trust’s recent conference to deliver a pep talk about his reform plans and an upbeat power point projection on progress so far.
Monitor to publish annual reconfiguration 'blacklist'

Monitor is set to publish an annual “blacklist” of health services which must be reconfigured.
Morecambe Bay incident ‘gold command’ may stand down

PERFORMANCE: NHS North of England will consider “in the immediate future” whether to stand down the strategic coordinating team that mobilised in response to patient safety issues at the Morecambe Bay trust, board papers state.
New director of operations for Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt FT

WORKFORCE: Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Val Doyle as its new director of operations.
New director of public health appointed for Gateshead

WORKFORCE: Carole Wood has been appointed as the new director of public health for Gateshead.
New end of life guidance for acutes

Hospital managers and directors are to get new guidance on improving end of life care.
New Royal London Hospital opens

STRUCTURE: The new Royal London Hospital has opened its doors for the first time.
New treatments receive £102m boost

Nineteen trusts are to share £102m in research funding to develop new treatments.
North East appoints interim commissioning support lead

WORKFORCE: The primary care trusts in the North East have appointed an interim managing director for their emerging single commissioning support service.
North of Tyne CCGs sharing chief officers

WORKFORCE: The four clinical commissioning groups in Newcastle and North Tyneside are proposing to share two accountable officers.
Northern Devon fails four hour A&E target

PERFORMANCE: Northern Devon Healthcare Trust only saw 90.8 per cent of patients in accident and emergency within fours hours during January, against a target of 95 per cent.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare's delayed transfers amongst highest in country

PERFORMANCE: Nottinghamshire Healthcare has “one of the highest levels of delayed transfers of care in the country”, its board papers say.
One in 10 NHS Derbyshire staff feel harassed or bullied by managers

WORKFORCE: One in 10 people at NHS Derbyshire cluster feel harassed, bullied or abused by their manager, team leader or a colleague, latest staff survey results have revealed.
Opponents to rally in Westminster over Health Bill

Opponents of the government’s controversial health reforms will today warn ministers that the changes represent the “biggest threat” the NHS has ever seen.
Out of CSS failure will come a ready-made market

How important is it that commissioning support services are set up along commercial lines? According to NHS Commissioning Board plans exclusively obtained by HSJ, it appears to be very important indeed.
Out of hours contract in Derbyshire extended ahead of 111 tender

COMMERCIAL: Derbyshire Health United’s contract to run call handling, triage and primary care services out of normal working hours for GP practices has been extended for an additional six months.
Pathology services a target for cost savings in the East

Pathology is not immune to the need for cost savings affecting all areas of the NHS - nor the pressure from GPs for a better service.
Patients restrained at hospital - CQC

The Care Quality Commission has published 20 reports into the level of care offered to people at hospitals and care homes.
PCT chair to stand down

WORKFORCE: The chair of NHS Bath and North East Somerset is to stand down at the end of the month when the primary care trust board finally merges with NHS Wiltshire.
Performance metrics problem for East Sussex Healthcare

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was still struggling to deliver against national performance metrics in a number of areas, according to board papers.
PM reveals details of £330m NHS capital funding

Prime Minister David Cameron today announced details of £330m of funding allocated for NHS capital projects.
Positive views on maternity services at East Sussex Hospitals

WORKFORCE: East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust’s midwives have been praised.
Preferred bidder could start running North Cumbria before takeover cleared

STRUCTURE: Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust could take over day-to-day management of North Cumbria from April, months before its proposed acquisition of the trust can be completed, board papers state.
QIPP failure driving contract overspend at East Kent Hospitals

FINANCE: East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust was overspent on its contract with NHS Kent and Medway by £3.5m in January, largely driven by a failure to make savings in urgent care and an unplanned growth in activity.
Reduced length of stay survey - HSJ readers' views wanted

Trusts and commissioners are increasingly recognising the many potential benefits offered by reduced length of stay.
Royal Berkshire CEO confronted over trust finances

FINANCE: Directors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital Foundation Trust expressed a lack of confidence in the organisation’s financial management, shortly before an attempt to oust the chief executive.
Royal Berkshire chair resigns

STRUCTURE: The chair of Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust has resigned without explanation.
Safer passage: how care navigators help improve mental health services

The introduction of care navigators has revolutionised services for a London mental health trust’s older patients. Caroline Leveaux and colleagues explain.
Sally Gainsbury: an end to cross-subsidy?

The future, according to Monitor, will be the tariff, and the tariff will be more granular, with prices linked more precisely to thecosts of treating more narrowly defined case mixes.
Sickness and absence rates among forensic staff in Nottinghamshire reach peak

WORKFORCE: Sickness and absence rates among forensic services staff at Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust are at their highest levels for 18 months.
Smallest CCG told: merge tomorrow

STRUCTURE: The smallest pathfinder clinical commissioning group in England has been given less than two days’ notice to merge with its neighbours.
South Central Ambulance achieves FT status

STRUCTURE: South Central Ambulance Service achieved foundation status on 1 March.
South Tyne and Gateshead PCTs name preferred accountable officers

WORKFORCE: South Tyneside and Gateshead clinical commissioning groups have named their preferred accountable officers.
Southern Health plans out of hours bid

COMMERCIAL: Southern Health Foundation Trust is planning to partner a consortium of GPs and private providers seeking to run an out-of-hours primary care service.
Suicide verdict after Sussex Partnership death

PERFORMANCE: A verdict of suicide has been returned by an inquest into the death of a police officer while at Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust.
Surrey and Borders vows to investigate ‘rat attack’ claims

PERFORMANCE: Surrey and Borders Partnership Foundation Trust is conducting a detailed investigation into claims that a sedated patient with learning disabilities was attacked by a rat.
Surrey and Sussex still at risk of deficit rising above £6.1m

FINANCE: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has admitted that the risk to it delivering a £6.1m deficit by the end of the financial year “remains high”.
Teen pregnancy rate falls by quarter in Brighton

PERFORMANCE: Targeted initiatives have helped reduce the rate of under 18s becoming pregnant by more than a quarter in Brighton, according to the local council.
Telehealth cost-effectiveness questioned by researchers

UPDATED: The cost effectiveness of a key part of the government’s innovation strategy has been called into question in an official evaluation.
The fate of unsustainable services is back in the hands of the centre

When it comes to the reconfiguration of unsustainable services, it seems clinical commissioning groups are not to be fully trusted to grasp the nettle.
Tribunal calls for Health Bill risk register to be published

The Department of Health’s case for withholding the Health Bill risk register has been rejected, it has been announced this morning.
Two weeks to 'save the NHS', warns union

The public has just 13 days to halt the government’s controversial health reforms and save the NHS from falling into the hands of private companies, a union leader has warned.
Union attacks trust chair over 'football managers' approach to chief execs

WORKFORCE: Unison has criticised the “football managers approach to NHS management” at Croydon Health Services Trust.
Wedding bells turn to alarm bells for South West commissioning support service

The self-proclaimed “grandest wedding venue” in the South West was the venue for the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire primary care trust cluster’s board meeting.
West Suffolk halves surplus prediction

FINANCE: Overspending on agency staff has led to West Suffolk Foundation Trust halving its predicted surplus for the year.
Why a national implant registry is vital for patient safety

The controversy around PIP breast implants highlights the need for robust systems to track and monitor quality across all surgical devices, says Andy Gordon Jones.
Why organisations must invest in staff health and wellbeing

The need to improve employee health and wellbeing is great. But are the benefits to the NHS worth the required investment? Carol Black explains why they must be.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals agrees deal with commissioners

FINANCE: The renegotiating of contracts with commissioners has seen Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust report an in month surplus of £199,000 at the end of January, reducing the year to date deficit to £781,000.
Wye Valley receives additional PCT funding

FINANCE: The West Mercia Primary Care Trust cluster has provided additional funding to ensure that Wye Valley Trust meets the 18 week referral to treatment target in all specialties.
Wye Valley receives mortality alert

PERFORMANCE: Wye Valley Trust received a mortality outlier alert from the Care Quality Commission in November.
Yeovil struggling with 18 weeks in six specialties

PERFORMANCE: Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust is failing the 18 week referral to treatment target in three specialties for admitted patients and three for non-admitted patients.
Your Humble Servant: the silence of the slaughtered lamb

Cynthia, take a Bow.

Alastair McLellan

Health Service Journal8 March 2012

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Health Service Journal
8 March 2012