Pathology contract extended amid merger doubts
A trust has extended its pathology contract with a public-private partnership as doubts have emerged over a planned merger with a neighbour.
Revealed: The trusts testing the new A&E targets
NHS England has selected 14 hospital trusts to test new accident and emergency standards which could replace the four-hour target.
New low for A&E after proposals to ditch target
NHS performance against the four-hour accident and emergency target hit a new record low in February – for the second month in a row.
A&E performance hits lowest level
NHS performance against the four-hour accident and emergency target hit a record low in January on both the overall and type 1 category for major emergency departments.
ICS forced to agree new governance after council quits
Health leaders in one of the first wave of “integrated care systems” have been forced to agree new ad hoc ways of working with a council, after it formally quit the partnership, it has emerged.
Trust merger in doubt after failure to secure capital funding
A leading trust’s planned acquisition of its smaller neighbour is in doubt after it revealed a second delay over funding concerns.
Driving forward system working: a tale of two systems
Providers and commissioners are coming forward to work together more strategically to deliver better outcomes for their local populations, say Dr Gordon Macmillan and Dr Chirag Bakhai
'Advanced' health economy to share finance officer
An “advanced” health economy has appointed a joint chief finance officer to work across its three commissioners.
Essentials to achieve the four-hour A&E target
Claire Read outlines some approaches that support trusts in tackling the four hour accident and emergency target
Tackling the accident and emergency challenge
Break down the accident and emergency challenge into manageable chunks and then deal with them one at a time, says Jonathan Patrick
Tackling the four hour A&E target with a whole system approach
In May 2018 the care of 98.4 per cent of patients arriving at the A&E department of Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Foundation Trust was completed within four hours. Claire Read explores the factors driving this success
CCGs appoint new chief officer
Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Groups have appointed a new joint accountable officer, a key appointment as it bids to move towards an integrated care system model.
Exclusive: Stroke patient who died waited 19 hours for ambulance, leak reveals
A 91-year-old stroke patient who waited nearly 19 hours for an ambulance in the East of England was among 22 cases investigated by an external review which found no one died “as a direct consequence” of long delays, HSJ has learned.
Commissioners look again at trust's 'fragile' services
NHS England and local commissioners want to look again at “fragile” clinical services run by Bedford Hospital Trust – less than a year after the provider committed to retaining its emergency and obstetrics departments.
Exclusive: Ambulance delays review ‘doesn’t tally with frontline experience’, say whistleblowers
An “independent” review which said nobody died because of long ambulance delays in the East of England this winter “simply does not tally with the experiences of frontline staff”, senior whistleblowers have told HSJ.
'Significant ambulance delays' caused severe harm but no deaths, review says
Nobody died as “a direct consequence” of significant ambulance delays across the East of England, an external review has concluded.
Trusts in separate health economies consider 'stronger collaboration'
Two hospital trusts in separate health economies are looking at the benefits of a “stronger working relationship and collaboration”.
Leading health system will not become 'full' ICS this year
A leading health system will not become a “fully operational” integrated care system this year as hoped, instead remaining in “shadow” form.
Trusts' A&E performance goes sub 50 per cent as NHS hits new low
NHS performance against the four hour accident and emergency target hit its lowest level in 15 years in March, with two trusts sinking below 50 per cent.
Trust merger plans 'likely' delayed by a year
The acquisition of a hospital trust by its high performing neighbour is now “likely” delayed for a whole year.