Local NHS news for Barts Health NHS Trust

Trust misses finance target by £60m but keeps access to STF

A large acute trust in London has missed its original financial target for last year by £60m, but has still been awarded most of its sustainability and transformation funding.

Staff shortages delay new locum rates rollout

Attempts to reduce locum medical spending in London are being hampered by concerns over staffing shortages, with one major trust delaying adoption of new lower pay rates.

Trusts singled out for failing at 'bog standard' IT

The failure of parts of the NHS to use “bog standard” IT is undermining the case to Treasury for more technology funding, an NHS England director has said.

Waiting times blow out to 22 weeks as elective admissions falter

Waiting times rose again, and the longest waits were hardest hit. Continued, severe and widespread capacity pressures are the likely culprit. By Rob Findlay

Vaunted health tech firm forced to act on misleading marketing

A much vaunted digital health firm that has partnered with Uber has been forced to remove incorrect claims about NHS partnerships from its marketing, and to launch a probe of fake five star reviews allegedly posted by employees.

Long waits soar as hospitals struggle to admit

Over one year waiters shot up by 20 per cent, as admission rates slumped in the face of record A&E pressures.

How much could private units contribute to NHS financial recovery?

While there are undoubtedly opportunities for private patient units, careful market due diligence needs to be undertaken and the optimal strategy needs to be considered to make them more lucrative. By Hugh Risebrow

Fire and IT risks heightened as capital squeeze 'comes home to roost'

NHS trusts have been forced to rein in plans for “essential” maintenance and infrastructure projects – leading to “significantly higher” fire risks and IT system vulnerability.

HSJ Partnership Awards 2018: Recruitment Services Provider of the Year

WINNER: Bank Partners (Part of the Independent Clinical Services Group): Reduction of Agency Spend at the Royal London Hospital (part of Barts Health Trust)

London Eye: Decision time for property disposals

Essential insight into England’s biggest health economy, by Ben Clover

Following the Money: £780m bonanza for trusts that stay on target

HSJ’s expert briefing on NHS finances, savings and efforts to get the health service back in the black.

More trusts using estates 'wheeze' to boost their finances

NHS trusts are increasingly revaluing their estate in a way that boosts their reported financial position, under encouragement from NHS Improvement.

Analysis: How top trusts saved money by revaluing their estate

HSJ finance correspondent Lawrence Dunhill explains “modern equivalent asset” revaluations - an accounting “wheeze” being used increasingly by NHS trusts.

In full: Pathology network proposals

HSJ approached the 29 pathology networks proposed by NHS Improvement to ask if local trusts had signed up. In most cases the proposed “hub” trust was able to answer on behalf of its network.

Shocking deterioration in RTT waiting times

Elective RTT waiting times shot up by over a week in December, in the fastest monthly increase since 2010, notes Rob Findlay

Trusts face cyber attack inspections amid widespread weaknesses

Trusts with lax data security are receiving additional unannounced inspections, as regulators try to patch security vulnerabilities in the wake of the Wannacry cyber attack.

Exclusive: NHS makes little progress cutting specialised income 'long tail'

The spread of specialised services across English hospital trusts has remained relatively unchanged over the last four years, despite a consensus that greater consolidation is needed in some areas.

Revealed: Best and worst trusts for maternity care experience

Thirteen trusts are providing women with a poorer care experience than expected in more than one core area of maternity services, according to the latest data from the Care Quality Commission.

Waiting times steady despite slowdown in admissions

Yet another large trust stopped reporting its referral to treatment data, which clouded the picture for the latest November figures and raised non-reported waiting lists to a new record.

NHS trusts forced to find new transport services as firms exit market

London hospital trusts have been forced to bring patient transport services in house or re-tender them as incumbent firms exit the market.

Royal college concerned over lack of investment for pathology shake-up

The new president of the Royal College of Pathologists has said she is concerned about a lack of investment in new laboratory IT systems amid a national overhaul of NHS pathology departments.

Cowper’s Cut: The fear, the network and the path

Why does a safety-critical industry such as the NHS have the level of bullying and fear running through it at so many levels, asks Andy Cowper

Cyberattack costs trust £9.5m in lost income

The WannaCry cyberattack in May cost one NHS trust £9.5m in lost income, its latest board report reveals.

HSJ Awards 2017: Acute Sector Innovation

Imperial College Healthcare Trust developed the NOSH Project – a three tier pathway to improve nutrition and hydration in patients with dementia. Two healthcare support workers were employed to implement the pathway. The project is now in place on 29 wards.