'Fantasy' trust debts overtake PFI liabilities
A steep increase in emergency bailouts means NHS trusts’ total borrowing from the Department of Health and Social Care has overtaken their PFI liabilities.
Patients 'pressurised' into treatment to hit cancer target
Some prostate cancer patients are “pressurised into receiving treatment within 62 days” even where it is deemed unnecessary, according to evidence within a new report.
Hospital chain expands after CEO retires
A West Midlands hospital chain will expand to cover three trusts, following the resignation of a neighbouring trust’s chief executive.
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
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.
The Commissioner: New commissioners – a lead provider
What NHS England isn’t telling you, and more indispensable insight for commissioners, by Dave West.
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
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.
NHS Improvement abandons consultancy turnaround programme
A financial turnaround project where management consultants are sent to work with NHS trusts has been shelved by NHS Improvement, HSJ has learned.
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.
Pathology network tenders £112m contract amid potential expansion
Pathology chiefs in the West Midlands have tendered a major contract despite uncertainty over whether they will follow NHS Improvement’s recommendations about which trusts will be in their network.
Former PCT chief appointed to chair STP
The Worcestershire and Herefordshire sustainability and transformation partnership has appointed veteran NHS manager Charles Waddicor as its independent chair.
Board warned over 'burnt out' staff and vacancies
An NHS trust has increased nurse staffing levels in its acute admissions unit and is changing its shift patterns to more flexible rotas to tackle widespread nursing vacancies.
Trusts must reduce deficits by two-thirds to hit official forecast
NHS trusts must reduce their combined monthly deficit to £107m to meet the official forecast figures in the second half of 2017-18, after recording a monthly deficit of almost £300m in the first half of the year.
Exclusive: One in four hospital trusts routinely pay suppliers late
More than a quarter of hospital trusts are now routinely delaying payments to their suppliers because of cash flow problems, analysis by HSJ reveals.
Jeremy Hunt to announce digital trust 'buddies'
The government will distribute £181m to a second wave of digital trusts, the health secretary is expected to announce tomorrow.
Updated: The NHS trusts with the highest DTOC rates
The NHS is unlikely to meet a government target to cut delayed transfers of care to 3.5 per cent of its overall 131,000 bed base by next month, analysis of official data published today suggests.
Exclusive: Trust bailouts rise to £2.7bn as more rely on loans
NHS trusts were forced to draw down £2.7bn of emergency cash bailouts from the government last year – with two-thirds of hospital providers now relying on government loans to maintain payments to staff and suppliers.
New trust 'foundation group' formed across counties
Two West Midlands trusts have formed a “foundation group” to create twin accountable care organisations despite being separated by an entire county.