NHS West Midlands
Mid Staffs 'could lose all acute services'
Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust could lose all its acute services unless radical action is taken to address clinical and financial problems, a leading health policy expert has warned its management.
Paul Zollinger-Read to join Bupa
Paul Zollinger-Read, a key figure in the world of commissioning, will leave the NHS after more than 20 years to join Bupa as its group medical director, it was announced today.
Treasury hints at winners and losers under local pay
Local pay bargaining could raise the salaries of staff in regional “hotspots” but parts of the West Midlands, Yorkshire, west Scotland and Wales may lose out, Treasury documents suggest.
PCTs must not focus on ‘fantastic’ pasts
Handover documents produced by primary care trusts have focused too much on past achievements and not enough on concerns for the future, the official overseeing the transition to the new commissioning system has told HSJ.
Leadership Academy highlights gender discrimination in NHS
The NHS Leadership Academy is compiling data on the proportion of NHS board members and clinical leaders who are women in order to expose inequalities.
Biggest health and social care provider given the 'green light'
Plans for the biggest joint provider of health and social care in England have been approved by NHS Midlands and East, HSJ has been told.
Biggest health and social care link-up set to win approval
Plans for the biggest joint health and social care provider in England to date are being considered by the Department of Health, HSJ understands.
Leading integrated care provider requests financial help
One of the NHS’s leading integrated care providers has sought financial help from its strategic health authority cluster after reporting a “precarious” cashflow position.
SHA and PCT blame reorganisation for failure to spot Mid Staffs
The reorganisation of the NHS in 2006 was a key reason why problems at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust were not spotted sooner, closing submissions to the public inquiry claimed.
Ombudsman names doctor in swearing row
The Health Service Ombudsman has taken the unusual step of publicly naming a GP who has refused to compensate a patient for causing her distress.
Major reconfiguration plans emerging across England
Details on a wave of reconfigurations are emerging as regions follow London’s example by concentrating services into a smaller number of specialist units.
Exclusive: equality concern as eight in 10 CCGs led by men
An HSJ analysis has revealed the great majority of emerging clinical commissioning groups are led by men.
Heart of England plans major expansion
Heart of England Foundation Trust is planning a major expansion involving the takeover of another hospital. It plans to become a “healthcare corporation” offering high levels of autonomy for member organisations.
Health inequalities scheme flagging as GPs shun 'charity work'
The NHS health check programme – aimed at slashing health inequalities – is flagging, as GPs dismiss it as “charity work” that mainly benefits the worried well.
Flory blames HCC for delay in action over Mid Staffs
The deputy chief executive of the NHS has admitted the Department of Health should have acted sooner over failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, but blamed the Healthcare Commission for not warning them of the seriousness.
Exclusive: fifth acute trust says it is considering private franchise management
A fifth hospital trust has said it will consider private franchise management.
Private hospital spend varies widely, study shows
Significant variations exist in the proportion of work primary care trusts commission from independent sector providers, a study shared with HSJ reveals.
Half of NHS leaders predict longer waits, survey reveals
More than half of NHS leaders believe patients’ access to services is likely to worsen over the next year, an NHS Confederation survey has shown.
Mid Staffs inquiry costs hit £8m
More than £8m of public money has been spent on the first year of the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust public inquiry, HSJ can reveal.
Seven trusts and two primary care trusts finished 2010-11 in deficit, DH says
Two primary care trusts and seven trusts finished the year in deficit, according to figures released by the Department of Health.
Why research and development is a key component of trust outcomes
An ambitious research and development programme could prove invaluable when it comes to improving commissioning and health outcomes in your trust, says Angela Knight Jackson.
Making the boardroom the place to improve patient experience
Research by the Institute for Employment Studies conducted among NHS board members across the West Midlands gave insights into how boards can really make the patient quality, safety and experience agenda work, write Alison Carter and Sandra Gray.
The benefits of PbR in commissioning smoking cessation services
Using a payment by results approach to commissioning smoking cessation services has significantly improved results in the West Midlands, which could have implications for national policy, as Fraser Battye and Steven Wyatt explain.
Why critical comparisons are needed to improve management of patients with chronic diseases
The results of a rheumatology case-mix survey has highlighted a need to better evaluate care pathways for patients with chronic diseases. Sangeetha Baskar and colleagues explain the evidence.
How to plan for cold weather with a swine flu pandemic looming
How can trusts put intensive care plans in place this winter with a swine flu pandemic looming, asks Jennifer Taylor
