Rebecca Thomas
Rebecca is a senior correspondent covering mental health, learning disabilities and autism. She previously managed the leadership section of HSJ's best practice content and assisted with the brand's commercially sponsored content. She has a background in healthcare, volunteering for St John's Ambulance.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 020 7608 9048
- Email:
- rebecca.thomas@wilmingtonhealthcare.com
NewsExclusive: CQC launches criminal investigation into medication incidents at major acute trust
A major acute trust has confirmed the health service inspectorate has begun a criminal investigation into three incidents at its hospitals.
- News
CQC reveals some patients have spent a decade in seclusion
The Care Quality Commission has called for ‘ministerial ownership’ to end the ‘inhumane’ care of patients with learning difficulties and autism in hospital – after finding some cases where people had been held in long-term segregation for more than 10 years.
- News
Leak reveals hundreds of 12-hour A&E breaches for mental health patients
New data has revealed for the first time that hundreds of mental health patients are waiting more than 12 hours in London’s emergency departments.
- News
Reviewer ‘felt bullied by CCG’ over findings on young man’s death
An independent review found that commissioners’ investigation of a young boy’s death was ‘mismanaged’, and heard allegations that the person who coordinated it was bullied over the contents.
- HSJ Local
Leaked emails raise flag on ‘extremely concerning’ bed shortage
‘Systemic’ problems within mental health services in Birmingham have caused the number of people waiting for an inpatient bed to reach ‘extremely concerning’ levels, according to documents leaked to HSJ.
- Expert Briefing
Mental Health Matters: Bed constraints start to bite
HSJ’ s fortnightly briefing covering safety, quality, performance and finances in the mental health sector — contact me in confidence.
- News
NHSE made ‘urgent’ request that patients be admitted to service despite lack of trained staff
NHS England made ‘urgent requests’ to a new eating disorder service to admit patients before staff had been properly trained, the provider has said.
- News
Independent sector model ‘inherently risky’, says CQC
The care model run by independent sector mental health and learning disability hospitals is ‘inherently risky’, a Care Quality Commission chief inspector has warned.
- HSJ Local
Trust faces prosecution after string of inpatient deaths
A mental health trust in Essex faces prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive after a string of inpatient deaths that began 16 years ago.
- Expert Briefing
Mental Health Matters: These scandals would not be tolerated in the acute sector
HSJ’ s fortnightly briefing covering safety, quality, performance and finances in the mental health sector — contact me in confidence.
- News
Exclusive: Leaked data gives first view of growing cancer waiting list post covid peak
Official data from mid-September shows that nearly 6,400 people had waited more than 100 days following a referral to cancer services.
- HSJ Local
Trust becomes the first to record 1,000 covid-19 deaths
University Hospitals Birmingham FT has become the first trust to record more than 1,000 deaths from covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, new data has revealed.
- News
Named: The ‘provider collaboratives’ sharing £400m specialised services budget
NHS England is transferring its £400m specialist mental health services budget to groups of providers in a major shake-up of commissioning structures.
- News
Former minister appointed chair of major independent provider
Former care minister Paul Burstow has been appointed as the new chair of St Andrew’s Healthcare.
- Expert Briefing
Mental Health Matters: A public health warning
HSJ’ s fortnightly briefing covering safety, quality, performance and finances in the mental health sector — contact me in confidence.
- HSJ Local
Leading CEO calls for national funding as mental health referrals predicted to rise by one third
A prominent trust chief has called for national support and “parity” for mental health as a new analysis suggests demand for services will increase by almost a third.
- Expert Briefing
Mental Health Matters: A slap in the face
HSJ’ s fortnightly briefing covering safety, quality, performance and finances in the mental health sector — contact me in confidence.
- HSJ Local
Regulator pressures trusts to ‘rapidly’ agree hospital group model
NHS England and Improvement has written to trusts in the Black Country urging them to “rapidly” agree on a hospital group model, HSJ can reveal
- HSJ Local
City plans ‘integrated care system for mental health’
Local mental health commissioning may be transferred to NHS providers under a new contract in one of the UK’s biggest cities.
- News
Covid hospital deaths disappear in a quarter of STPs
Hospitals in a quarter of the 43 sustainability and transformation partnership areas recorded zero deaths from covid-19 in the last month, the latest data has revealed.
