The must-read stories and debate in health policy and leadership.

Eyebrows raised

Birmingham mental health providers have been struggling to meet high demand for services for some time. Last year, a local coroner called for an investigation into funding after a number of patient deaths.

Could technology help ease pressure on overstretched staff? Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust has been investigating an algorithm that could help predict mental health crises. In theory, it would help clinicians identify at-risk patients and intervene before a crisis takes place. This kind of proactive step, clinicians hope, will help them manage caseloads.

But the algorithm itself, a first iteration of which was created using anonymous health records, is potentially controversial. Developed and part-funded by telecoms giant Telefonica – the company behind O2 – an upgraded version could marry health records with mobile network data.

Perhaps mindful of the scrutiny faced by Google’s Deepmind over its work with the Royal Free, Telefonica says it will make sure research “is done in the right way”. Trust board papers say the project team has been engaged in “extensive” information governance work, including consulting with a QC and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

But neither the company nor the trust would detail exactly what mobile network data would be researched. The trust also remained tight-lipped when asked how patient consent and confidentiality would be maintained with mobile data in the picture. Whatever the potential for the algorithm, secrecy around the use of sensitive patient data will undoubtedly raise eyebrows.

Stop-gap confirmed

NHS England has finally confirmed its proposed stop-gap solution to the NHS pensions crisis has been confirmed, having been signed off by government, despite the restrictions of the pre-election period.

The temporary fix uses the ‘scheme pays’ mechanism and will enable clinicians to use this to manage their tax liability this financial year. Then, when they retire, the NHS would be under a “contractually binding commitment” to pay their pension pot back.

The crucial question now is whether the solution will be simple and persuasive enough to bring clinicians back onto the additional shifts they have been giving up.

NHS England has also this afternoon confirmed the compensation will also cover the 5 per cent interest charged on the scheme pays loan.

Staff unions and royal colleges have been asked to “aggressively” market the solution to members to encourage them to take on extra shifts “immediately”.

Meanwhile for a longer term solution to the problems caused by the annual allowance taper, Simon Stevens confirms the NHS shouldn’t expect anything to come in until at least April.

Updated 22 November at 2.50pm, after NHS England confirmed to us that the arrangement would cover the 5 per cent interest charged on the scheme pays loan.