Matt Discombe
Matt is a senior correspondent covering performance - especially urgent and emergency care services - as well as the South West region. He also leads HSJ Intelligence’s coverage of the NHS in Wales. Matt joined HSJ in 2019 after previously working for Wales Online and Gloucestershire Live, for which he also covered the health service.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 020 760 89032
- Email:
- matt.discombe@hsj.co.uk
NewsParamedics told to listen to podcasts while queuing for A&E handovers
Paramedics have complained of a “disrespectful” instruction to listen to podcasts while queuing to hand over patients to A&E, HSJ has learned.
NewsEx-hospital chief confirmed as head of DHSC
Former senior Downing Street official and hospital CEO Samantha Jones is the new permanent secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, government has confirmed.
NewsSeven trusts still to set maximum ambulance handover times
Seven trusts among the poorest performers for ambulance handovers have yet to to implement the flagship NHS England policy designed to tackle the problem.
NewsCrucial emergency care system to be scrapped by NHSE within months
An IT system that prevents 999 call-handling services from being overwhelmed is set to be withdrawn by NHS England in an effort to save money.
NewsStreeting accused of prematurely hailing success of elective scheme
Ministers have jumped the gun by claiming a flagship elective programme has been “busting through the backlog at twice the speed”, an independent analysis has concluded.
NewsNHSE chiefs think A&E recovery plan ‘lacks ambition’
NHS England’s new leadership has criticised near-completed drafts of the long-awaited national recovery plan for urgent and emergency care, with senior figures concerned it “lacks ambition”, HSJ has learned.
NewsExclusive: Former hospital chief set to run DHSC
A former Downing Street official who has also run hospitals and worked for NHS England is due to be appointed permanent secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, according to multiple senior sources.
NewsDeparting NHSE boss ‘calls out’ A&E variation
NHS England’s outgoing chief operating officer has claimed there is too much unwarranted variation in the service’s emergency care performance.
NewsMackey: I will stick up for the NHS
The new chief of NHS England has said he will fight the service’s corner if he has policy disagreements with ministers, but that his organisation was a “complication” the government could no longer “justify” preserving.
Insight BriefingsRecovery Watch: In search of the urgent care plan
Addressing urgent and emergency care recovery, including reducing A&E wait times and corridor care, remain top operational priorities for the NHS. This week’s Recovery Watch newsletter, by senior correspondent Matt Discombe, reports on progress towards these goals.
NewsTrust ‘slow and bureaucratic’ in tackling deficit
A trust under NHS England’s highest level of scrutiny has been “slow and bureaucratic” in response to its poor financial position, and hampered by “diametrically opposed views” among staff, a report has found.
NewsRevealed: The ICBs with greatest ‘opportunity’ to avoid admissions
The systems which NHS England says have the greatest “opportunities” to boost their use of same-day emergency care can be revealed for the first time.
NewsNew NHSE incentive scheme ‘doesn’t make sense’, experts warn
Details of how a new £150m NHS England urgent and emergency care performance incentives fund will be allocated have been revealed – but experts have warned favouring acute trusts in this manner “doesn’t make sense”.
NewsSocial care delays take 6% off A&E performance, NHSE estimates
NHS England has for the first time put a figure on the potential impact on A&E performance of eliminating discharge delays for patients going into adult social care packages.
NewsFinance chief to lead system
An integrated care board has appointed the finance chief of a neighbouring system to be its new chief executive.
NewsNHSE steps up intervention in three systems
NHS England is escalating its intervention in emergency care in three integrated care systems – meaning half of all areas are now getting extra central attention.
NewsInefficient block contracts reviewed by ICBs
NHS England has asked commissioners to review how much they are paying for non-elective care, to tackle the widely varying rates which have developed under block contracts.
NewsThree trusts to share same EPR
A single electronic patient record is to be shared by three trusts across a system in a deal announced this week.
NewsRow between ICB and provider over ‘significant’ waiting times rise
An integrated care board has blamed an audiology services provider for causing “significant increases” in waiting times – sparking a complaint of “bullying” by the company, which also accuses the ICB of not providing enough funding.
NewsExclusive: Leak reveals national plans to tackle A&E crisis
A raft of reforms NHS England and the government are proposing to address the crisis in urgent and emergency care can be revealed after a draft of the recovery plan was obtained by HSJ.