All articles by Alastair McLellan – Page 14
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Leader
Revealed: The surprising answer to fixing the NHS's A&E crisis
This year’s HSJ100 highlighted the Mexican standoff between Simon Stevens and Jeremy Hunt over whether the NHS had enough money to deliver on its priorities – particularly A&E access and elective waiting times.
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News
Stevens and Hunt in a Mexican standoff at the top of this year’s HSJ100
Little has changed, yet much has changed. The same five individuals occupy the top spots in the 2017 HSJ100 as did in the refreshed rankings produced after this summer’s general election, but their interactions will be very different. By Alastair McLellan
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Leader
'Which of the children do we shoot first?' - the budget leaves the NHS with harsh choices
The government has a very clear ambition for the £1.6bn additional funding allocated to the NHS for 2018-19. £1bn is to be used to arrest the decline in elective waiting times and to begin to reduce the waiting list; £600m will be employed to make sure the NHS meets the ...
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Leader
Pay rises are not the priority for the NHS
This will not be the most popular of HSJ editorials. There is no doubt that most NHS staff deserve an inflation matching, even busting, pay raise – but there are also good reasons why they should not receive one.
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News
HSJ100 refresh: Briggs, Baker and Ashworth join the NHS’s power elite
The HSJ100 is HSJ’s analysis of the most powerful and influential people in the English NHS and health policy. We have published it at the end of each calendar year since 2005. From 2017, we have decided to produce a summer “refresh” – recognising that much can change within a ...
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Leader
Grenfell: There but for the grace of God goes the NHS
The terrible fire at Grenfell Tower will be a defining moment in British public life just as “Baby P”, the Hillsborough disaster or the killing of Stephen Lawrence caused a major recalibration of our attitudes to social work, public safety and institutional racism.
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Leader
STPs may soon face a wave of judicial reviews
We live in an era of political populism, whether it be “Brexit means Brexit” or “a new kind of politics”.
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HSJ Knowledge
This year's Value in Healthcare Awards is the most impressive to date
Read Alastair McLellan’s speech, in which he says that the winning entries represent the kind of thinking that will help the NHS to achieve the tough goals laid down in Next Steps
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Leader
Revealed: the Tory minister who could take Jeremy Hunt’s job
The NHS section of the Tory Manifesto begins with a statement which could have happily been penned by Jeremy Corbyn.
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Leader
Four reasons why a 2017 general election could be good news for the NHS
Viewed over a three to five-year timeframe, the decision by Theresa May to call a snap election on 8 June could prove to be a net positive for the NHS.
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Leader
Why the PM owes Simon Stevens – and what he wants in return
The refresh of the Five Year Forward View had some headline messages which HSJ explored in detail on Friday. But just as important was what the document and its reception tells us about the future nature and direction of NHS policy.
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News
Stevens: NHS has not escaped 'reinforcing cycle' of increased demand and cost
NHS England chief executive says NHS can be proud of achievements Simon Stevens says delivery plan is “practical discussion” for year ahead There are “unchallengeable facts” about NHS achievements The NHS is trapped in a “reinforcing cycle” of increased demand leading to higher costs, NHS England chief executive ...
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Leader
The budget brings war and peace to the NHS
Philip Hammond’s first and last spring budget will spark a fierce struggle over how the extra social care funding due next financial year is spent, but it also appears to signal a truce between NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens and the government over NHS funding.
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Leader
Act now to give CCGs a good death
Clinical commissioning groups’ demise must be handled carefully and their achievements preserved
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News
Revealed: The NHS’s top trust chief executives in 2017
Standout trends in this year’s rankings include the prevalence of the multi-trust leader, the influence of outstanding CQC ratings and the rise of women chief executives
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Leader
Simon Stevens will not resign – yet
It is likely that Number 10 did not choose to go to war with NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens over NHS funding. But they have had numerous warnings to avoid their “NHS has had more money than it asked for” line and have also continued to privately badmouth Mr ...
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Leader
The 10 reasons why 2017 might not be all bad
An entire generation of healthcare leaders has come and gone since the NHS faced a year as daunting as 2017. The service was able to live off the capacity and capability built up during the time of plenty in the noughties until the middle of this decade before the funding ...
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Leader
Updated: What Jeremy Hunt really thinks about NHS managers
There is a rule that all good journalists should abide by: if you get something wrong, correct and apologise, and do it quickly.
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Leader
NHS funding is becoming a game of chicken
Many in the NHS believe that a bailout is just one or two scandals away – it is a dangerous assumption
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Leader
Belief in the NHS is the one thing that remains united about the UK
This is an edited version of the opening speech made by editor Alastair McLellan at the 2016 HSJ Awards