James Illman
James manages part of the editorial team in his role as a bureau chief at HSJ and HSJi. He also covers performance, with a particular focus on elective care, as well as parts of the East of England, including Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. He joined HSJ in 2012 from Local Government Chronicle.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 0203 812 5338
- Email:
- james.illman@hsj.co.uk
NewsMinisters overclaimed impact of ‘crack’ elective teams
Elective activity has “barely increased” at the hospitals targeted with “crack teams” to cut waiting lists – contrary to ministers’ claims that the work has “turbocharged activity” – analysis reveals.
NewsNHSE launches ‘sprint’ in bid to hit waiting list target
NHS England has told trusts to begin a “sprint” exercise in a bid to hit its politically critical waiting list target by March.
HSJ Local‘Digital desert’ hospital group pushes £88m tech project back a year
A hospital group containing three acute trusts has been forced to delay deployment of its electronic patient record for at least another 12 months, HSJ has learned.
Expert BriefingRecovery Watch: Unsexy and painstaking – 2026 in elective care
Elective recovery and returning the NHS to meeting the 18-week standard by 2029 is the government’s main performance priority. The Recovery Watch newsletter tracks prospects and progress against this goal. This week by bureau chief James Illman.
NewsProviders fear ‘significant commercial risk’ from NHSE contract rules
Fundamental concerns have been raised about NHS England’s proposed elective payment model for next year by NHS and private providers – with independent sector leaders branding them “not sustainable”.
NewsRevealed: The trusts forecast to miss the elective target
Only around a quarter of trusts are on track to hit their original elective target for 2025-26 if they continue on their current trajectories, according to analysis shared with HSJ.
HSJ LocalFourth CEO to depart region
A hospital boss has become the fourth CEO of a major trust in the East of England to announce their departure in recent months.
NewsTrust takes control of ‘toxic’ service at ‘under siege’ neighbour
A small hospital’s general surgery service is being taken over by a neighbour, after a review found “unacceptable” care standards and reported concerns about a “toxic culture”.
NewsInvestigation revealed data risks at flagship research project
An internal probe identified governance and data handling failures at a prestigious health research project, HSJ has learned.
NewsTeaching trust reprimanded over FOI failings
A large teaching trust has become the latest NHS organisation to be warned by the UK’s information regulator over its failure to respond to Freedom of Information requests on time.
NewsExclusive: NHSE ramps up waiting list cleaning drive
NHS England has doubled its estimate of how many cases can be wiped off the waiting list through validation this year to 600,000, HSJ can reveal.
News‘Advanced FTs’ will be able to use revenue to fund capital projects
The new advanced foundation trusts will be allowed to save up and then reinvest their revenue surpluses into capital projects, according to guidance out for consultation.
NewsHospitals will ‘narrowly miss elective target’ to save the bottom line
Hospitals will hit financial targets this year but fall “slightly short” of their waiting-list objectives – as they were “explicitly” told that reducing deficits was “more important” – the NHS Providers’ CEO has predicted.
NewsPrepare for ‘very unpleasant abuse’ if you want to be a CEO, warns retiring boss
Aspiring hospital leaders should be prepared for “very unpleasant, personal abuse”, especially when they take the “courageous decisions” to cut spending, according to a trust boss retiring after 15 years as a chief executive.
NewsDemanding A&E, elective and cancer targets for 2026-27 revealed
Trusts have been told to treat 82 per cent of A&E attendees within four hours next year, and must also hit a slew of other new targets revealed in the latest planning guidance.
NewsJoint NHSE-DHSC leadership team revealed
NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care have set out how the service will be jointly led by the two organisations until their formal merger is complete sometime in 2027.
HSJ LocalEx-trust CEO to chair hospital group
A former trust chief executive who was involved in one of the NHS’s most high-profile whistleblower cases has been appointed interim chair of a hospital group.
HSJ LocalTop CEO steps down after more than 45 years in NHS
East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust’s respected and sometimes controversial chief executive, Nick Hulme, is stepping down after more than 45 years in the NHS.
NewsComparing trusts on new productivity metric is misleading, experts warn
Recent productivity improvements will be hard to sustain in future years, experts have warned, as they said newly published NHS England data fails to show which trusts are the most productive.
News‘Online hospital’ to open in 2027, says PM
Plans for a new NHS “online hospital” service to deliver millions of appointments each year by “digitally connecting patients to specialist clinicians” are set to be unveiled by the prime minister today.