All articles by Nick Renaud-Komiya

  • Magnifying glass
    News

    Exclusive: NAO investigates £725m Cambridgeshire contract collapse

    2016-04-15T15:31:00Z

    National Audit Office is investigating collapse of Cambridgeshire £725m older people’s contract NAO will examine role of national bodies and how contract was designed Investigation follows previous reviews into the collapse carried out by NHS England and CCG The National Audit Office has opened an investigation into the ...

  • primary care
    News

    GP roadmap may herald move to 'self-assessment', say sources

    2016-04-13T07:00:00Z

    GP roadmap could introduce more self-assessment for practices, as previously floated by CQC Sources tell HSJ “light touch” approach is being seriously considered The roadmap is due out next week GPs could face fewer inspections in future under a proposal being considered for the sector’s support package to ...

  • Ambulance
    HSJ Local

    Midlands ambulance trusts could share chief executive

    2016-04-11T11:30:00Z

    East Midlands Ambulance Service in talks which could see West Midlands chief executive “working with” them EMAS rules out merger as a way to solve performance problems WORKFORCE: East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust has been in discussions with NHS Improvement to “strengthen” its leadership arrangements since the struggling ...

  • Woman's hands writing out a prescription
    HSJ Local

    CCG’s drug ordering scheme will save ‘£8m a year’

    2016-04-06T10:47:00Z

    Coventry and Rugby CCG’s “prescription ordering direct” pilot will save £8m a year, it says NHS Business Services Authority interested in scheme’s cost saving potential Similar scheme adopted by Sheffield CCG and talks underway in Dudley FINANCE: Leaders of a West Midlands clinical commissioning group have estimated that ...

  • Insulin injection
    News

    'Ofsted style' CCG ratings framework unveiled

    2016-04-04T12:43:00Z

    New “improvement and assessment framework” for CCGs announced CCGs’ performance in six clinical priority areas to be assessed by independent panels Commissioning leaders welcome closer working with NHS England area teams but raise fears about ratings being “simplistic” NHS England has unveiled details of the new “Ofsted style” ...

  • pills
    News

    Medicines management 'rationalised' to cut pharma influence

    2016-03-31T14:14:00Z

    NHS England plan to create four regional medicines management committees to ‘rationalise’ evaluation and industry’s influence on buying decisions Agency promises more robust measures to force CCGs to disclose gifts and hospitality given to all their staff NHS England is to create four regional committees to “rationalise” medicines ...

  • agreement, handshake,merger,merge,takeover
    News

    CCGs ordered to appoint 'conflicts of interest guardian'

    2016-03-31T10:01:00Z

    CCGs required to appoint ‘conflicts of interest’ guardian under sweeping changes to guidance proposed by NHS England Proposals for the use of tougher legal sanctions on both providers and commissioners failing to manage conflicts of interest Clinical commissioning groups will be required to nominate a “conflicts of interest ...

  • waiting_room_time.jpg
    News

    'Nearly all' CCGs to take on primary care commissioning by 2018

    2016-03-31T07:00:00Z

    NHS England director says he expects nearly all CCGs to take on delegated primary care commissioning by 2017-18 Board meeting expected to approve delegated commissioning responsibilities to an additional 51 CCGs on Thursday NHS England has said that it expects “nearly all” clinical commissioning groups to have taken ...

  • Chris Ham
    News

    Government urged to create ‘level playing field’ for mutuals

    2016-03-30T10:40:00Z

    Government must “level the playing field” for mutuals that wish to provide acute services, says DH sponsored review Seven hospital trusts that piloted increased staff ownership found barriers to mutualisation including VAT and corporation tax liabilities Estimated productivity savings dwarfed by £20m VAT payments The government should “level ...

  • Claire Murdoch
    News

    Transparency league table problems not a 'question of competence'

    2016-03-30T00:01:00Z

    Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has dismissed as “harsh” a suggestion that problems with the recently published “learning from mistakes” league table raised a “question of competence” over the government’s handling of improvement initiatives.

  • Jeremy_Hunt4
    News

    Hunt: my biggest mistake

    2016-03-30T00:01:00Z

    Jeremy Hunt has said that his biggest mistake to date as health secretary was to rely too heavily on inspection to improve poor care before he realised that culture change would have a greater impact.

  • Retirement sign
    News

    Hunt: Pension increase is 'more bearable' for NHS

    2016-03-30T00:01:00Z

    Jeremy Hunt says pension cost increase should be “more bearable” than thought for employers Cites lower than expected inflation Health secretary believes £22bn savings target “possible” The increased pension contributions expected from NHS employers will be a “more bearable burden” than previously thought, Jeremy Hunt has said.

  • Nottingham
    HSJ Local

    National bodies dress down local leaders over A&E and DTOCs

    2016-03-24T10:54:00Z

    NHS England and the TDA write of “disappointment” at Nottinghamshire’s performance on emergency standard and delayed discharges Local acute trusts says: “We are determined to do better and work is underway” PERFORMANCE: NHS England has chastised Nottinghamshire health leaders for the county’s deteriorating accident and emergency performance and ...

  • Doctor strike Jan 2016 2
    News

    'The matter is closed' – Hunt shuts door on the junior doctors' contract

    2016-03-23T17:03:00Z

    Jeremy Hunt says there is no point in further negotiation because of the stance taken by the BMA Health secretary claims proposed junior doctors’ contract is “much safer than what we have at the moment” Says asking if he has the confidence of NHS staff is “wrong question to ...

  • Nurse hospital doctor
    News

    Junior doctors escalate strike to withdraw emergency cover

    2016-03-23T14:40:00Z

    A strike by junior doctors next month has been escalated to include the withdrawal of emergency care.

  • Julian Povey
    HSJ Local

    Special measures CCG appoints first GP chair

    2016-03-17T17:05:00Z

    Shropshire CCG appoints first clinical chair Challenged commissioner also begins process to recruit substantive accountable officer Organisation was first CCG to be placed in special measures following financial problems WORKFORCE: Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group has appointed Julian Povey as its chair.

  • Blood pressure
    News

    NHS England accused of 'lots of talk but no action' on evolving primary care

    2016-03-17T07:00:00Z

    Chief executive of large GP federation says NHS England is doing “nothing” to develop “at scale” primary care David Pannell says there is “lots of talk but no action” on encouraging federations and networks through contract changes Voluntary multispecialty community provider contract for 2017 “not ambitious enough” The ...

  • News

    Mapped: 15 primary care ‘rapid test sites’ get new care models cash

    2016-03-17T07:00:00Z

    NHS England’s new care models team to provide pilots with £500,000 Primary Care Home model aims to spread multispecialty community provider type models across the country Fifteen “rapid test sites” to launch in shadow form in April NHS England’s new care models team has provided £500,000 to 15 ...

  • GP doctor
    News

    GP federation could create a ‘super partnership’ covering 540,000 patients

    2016-03-14T09:23:00Z

    Suffolk GP Federation, which covers 540,000 patients, explores options on becoming a super partnership Chief executive says move could give more support to 61 practices, but choice is for practices The federation is “neutral” on what change is best One of the country’s largest GP federations is consulting ...

  • Doctor prescribing
    HSJ Local

    CCGs mull 'ban' on third party drug ordering

    2016-03-10T10:20:00Z

    Clinical commissioning groups in south Staffordshire are considering a clampdown on community pharmacies ordering prescriptions on behalf of their patients, following a spike in spending on prescription items.