Exclusive: Government and NHS in talks over £1bn funding gap
Government is in talks with national NHS leaders over how to fill an urgent funding gap of at least £1bn this financial year, HSJ has learned, as new analysis shows all 42 local integrated care systems were behind their own plans less than halfway through 2023-24.
Revealed: the ICSs where delayed discharge rates have doubled in a year
More than half of integrated care systems have managed to cut their rates of delayed discharges this year, but performance worsened in 16 ICSs.
NHSE appoints ICS chief as medical director
NHS England has appointed an integrated care system chief who led an extensive review on primary care last summer as a medical director.
Revealed: First ICS digital maturity ratings
HSJ can reveal the first ratings given to every integrated care system for the ‘digital maturity’ of its NHS providers.
NHSE officer steps down to focus on board roles
England’s chief dental officer is leaving her national post after eight years in part to focus on several non-executive board roles, NHS England has announced.
Revealed: the tenfold regional difference in access to GP records
Fewer than one in 10 GP practices offers patients access to their records in several areas of England, with significant variation across England, six months ahead of a new deadline.
NHSE’s decision to delay pioneering health centres is short-sighted
The national program for redesigning primary care estates in six locations in England has been halted, throwing plans into doubt and potentially delaying improved outcomes for localities, writes Dr Eleanor Roy
£2bn ICS debt from ‘CCG screw-ups’ should be written off, says Confed
NHS England has been urged to write off £2.2bn in historic debts that integrated care systems could be asked to repay.
Exclusive: NHSE halts ‘pioneer’ health centres due to lack of capital
A national plan to build new ‘super’ primary care hubs in six areas has been halted with immediate effect by NHS England because of a lack of capital funding.
Delayed discharges rise in 17 ICSs despite Barclay’s £250m fund
A high-profile £250m government intervention to free up hospital beds has so far failed to deliver any significant reduction in delayed discharges – with multiple systems instead reporting large increases.
Ministers approved two ICS salaries over £240,000
Ministers approved two integrated care systems’ requests to pay their chief executives more than £240,000, HSJ can reveal.
NHS lacks councils’ ‘financial discipline’, warns ICS chair
An integrated care partnership chair has criticised NHS England for requiring systems to work to “meaningless” indicators, adding he is worried health organisations lack financial discipline.
NHSE chief visits trust to ‘learn lessons’ from troubled IT project
The go-live of a new electronic patient record at two hospitals has led to operational problems and a visit from an NHS England board director to ‘learn lessons’ for future roll-outs.
ICSs are an ‘NHS steamroller’, says ‘disrespected’ council leader
The establishment of integrated care systems has been compared to an ‘NHS steamroller coming down on us with a heavy hand’ by the leader of a Conservative council.
Four in five ICSs a long way from IT ‘convergence’
Four out of five integrated care systems are a long way off achieving the ‘convergence’ of electronic patient record systems sought by NHS England, HSJ analysis reveals.
Systems push back on NHS England’s ‘financial break even’ ask
Multiple health systems are pushing back on their financial targets for 2022-23 and seeking to negotiate more ‘realistic’ plans with NHS, HSJ understands.
‘Disproportionate’ infection control holding back electives, say NHS bosses
Infection control rules in the NHS are ‘now disproportionate to the risks’ posed by covid and should be relaxed, including potentially allowing staff with covid to work, some of the NHS’s most senior leaders have said.
Trust to sue insurance giant, accusing it of 'immoral behaviour'
An acute trust is set to take legal action against a private healthcare insurance giant, accusing the company of failing to fully reimburse the NHS for treating its members, HSJ has learned.
ICSs given £160m to ‘accelerate’ electives fail to hit pre-covid activity
A dozen health systems which received £160m from NHS England this summer to accelerate recovery of elective activity have so far fallen short of their pre-covid levels, HSJ analysis reveals.
Former private healthcare boss chosen to chair integrated care board
A former leader of King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust is one of three new integrated care board chairs who have been selected in the South East.