North by North West: Cheshire and Merseyside trails on GP access
Essential insight into NHS matters in the North West of England, with a particular focus on the devolution project in Greater Manchester. This week by Rebecca Thomas, who covers Cheshire, and Lawrence Dunhill, who covers Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester
Leaked STP document reveals A&E downgrade plans
The sustainability and transformation plan for Cheshire and Mersey includes the downgrade of at least one accident and emergency department, along with a major consolidation of elective care, according to a document obtained by HSJ.
North by North West: Mad fer mergers
Essential insight into NHS matters in the North West of England, with a particular focus on the devolution project in Greater Manchester. By Lawrence Dunhill
Council chief appointed CCG director
A senior council officer has been appointed “interim recovery director” of a troubled clinical commissioning group in Merseyside.
Chief of 'inadequate' CCG resigns
The accountable officer of a troubled clinical commissioning group in the North West has resigned
Exclusive: GP groups cover most of England but ‘lack ambition and priorities’
Four fifths of clinical commissioning groups have at least one large scale GP provider group in their area, according to information collected by HSJ.
Revealed: Second commissioning support tender winner
The second tender for commissioning support services awarded via NHS England’s procurement framework has gone to Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit.
Regional health powers included in Liverpool devolution bid
The Liverpool City Region has declared it wants to explore taking greater control of health functions, including creating a ‘local leadership role’ for ‘performance oversight’.
Chief executive ‘excluded from work’ after whistleblower complaints
The chief executive and three other senior officers at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital Trust have been ‘excluded’ from work, following whistleblowing complaints.
CCGs must buy external support services, NHS England says
NHS England has told clinical commissioning groups in the north to jointly go to market to procure vital support services.
Trust told to improve mental health services
PERFORMANCE: Commissioners have told 5 Boroughs Partnership Foundation Trust to boost its performance in for improving access to psychological therapies services
Trust forced to place mentally unwell children out of area
MENTAL HEALTH: Some young people with mental health problems have been placed in inpatient units out of the 5 Boroughs Partnership Foundation Trust’s remit because of lack of space in its own child and adolescent mental health services.
Construction of new mental health facility underway
STRUCTURE: Building work has begun on a mental health facility in Leigh as part of 5 Boroughs Partnership Foundation Trust.
CCGs taking on full primary care co-commissioning powers revealed
NHS England has revealed the 64 clinical commissioning groups that will take full control of their local primary care budgets from April.
CCGs probe North West ambulance target breaches
PERFORMANCE: A ‘task and finish’ group has been set up to look in greater detail at North West Ambulance Service breaches of the eight minute response target for Category A calls, St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group has reported.
Exclusive: Jobs at risk as NHS England rejects two CSU bids
Two commissioning support units have not made it on to NHS England’s procurement framework, placing their viability and the futures of around 2,200 staff in doubt, HSJ has learned
Halton CCG sets aside £0.5m for ‘hub and spoke’ rehab service
FINANCE: Halton clinical commissioning group will contribute £551,000 to the development of a “hub and spoke” rehabilitation service organised across three hospitals, its 2013-15 commissioning strategy states.
St Helens CCG authorised with conditions
STRUCTURE: St Helens CCG was authorised this month, with five conditions imposed on its authorisation.
Four directors appointed for Merseyside LAT
WORKFORCE: The NHS Commissioning Board has appointed four directors for its Merseyside Local Area Team.
Joint MD appointed to Cheshire and Merseyside CSUs
WORKFORCE: Tim Andrews has been announced as managing director of the Merseyside Commissioning Support Unit.