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

NHS England’s consultation on digital primary care services – which was essentially aimed at addressing the impact NHS video consultation service Babylon GP at Hand was having on the sector – came to a close last week.

While Babylon bosses said they “fully agree” with tackling the challenges raised by video GP consultations, they added some of the proposed changes could threaten the stability of the digital GP model.

Proposals to limit the patient list size to clinical commissioning group areas and scrap a rent and business rates relief scheme for digital practices in particular sparked ire. In its response to NHSE, Babylon said the former had “unworkable practical and administrative implications” while the latter sent ”a clear signal” that “traditional” primary care services are “financially favoured” by NHSE.

The tech firm instead proposed patient list limits be tied to the larger sustainability and transformation partnership/integrated care system areas. It argued this would still take care of the issue of a disproportionate number of patients being registered at one CCG, regardless of their actual postcode (as is happening with GP at Hand and Hammersmith and Fulham CCG), while still “making the best use of digital first care”.

An NHSE spokesman said it is now assessing the consultation responses it received. Hopefully, the outcome will strike a balance between supporting the growth of digital-first primary care and tackling the problems it raises. 

An ‘outstanding’ turnaround

Cambridgeshire Community Services Trust would likely rather forget 2014 ever happened. Fresh from losing its role as provider of older people’s services across Cambridge to a consortium, the trust was then forced to transfer 45 per cent of its then 3,540 staff to six other organisations. 

Its days looked numbered, with many senior figures thinking CCST would be too small to survive.

But what a difference five years makes. On Friday, the Care Quality Commission upgraded the overall rating for the trust, which now employs more than 2,000 people in medical, dental, nursing, support and allied healthcare roles, from “good” to “outstanding”. 

The trust was also rated “outstanding” in its caring and well-led categories, and “good” for being safe, effective and responsive.

Inspectors praised the provider, which provides specialist community-based services across Cambridgeshire, Luton, South Bedfordshire, Peterborough, Suffolk and Norfolk, for its “excellent care and treatment, particularly in its community sexual health services”.

Chief executive Matthew Winn, who is also NHS England’s first community health services director, said: ”Staff across the trust have worked hard to develop innovative and accessible services for local residents and this rating reflects their dedication and passion for delivering the very best outcomes for the communities we serve.”

As for the £800m older people’s services contract the trust lost out on? It collapsed after just eight months, causing significant financial and reputational damage for those involved.