Appointing trust leaders as ICB chiefs ‘essential’ to region’s success
The large size of integrated care systems in the North East and Yorkshire region — and the ex-trust CEO leaders they attracted — has underpinned their relatively strong performance, a new report suggests.
Three ICSs responsible for a quarter of very long diagnostic waits
Just three integrated care systems were responsible for nearly one in four 13-week waits for key diagnostic tests in recent months, HSJ analysis of official data has found.
Trust to limit ‘non-essential’ CT scans as deficit rises
A Yorkshire acute trust is reviewing its use of diagnostic scans with a view to “limiting non-essential procedures” as it tries to bring down its deficit, according to internal messages sent to staff.
Revealed: The 22 areas testing radical changes to GP operating model
HSJ can reveal the 22 primary care networks taking part in an unprecedented national programme designing a new “GP operating model” set to influence the national GP contract.
NHS directors brought out of retirement to help tackle financial crisis
Former trust and regional finance directors have been drafted in to support the most financially-challenged integrated care systems by NHS England.
Revealed: ICBs which cut staff by a fifth in 12 months
Several integrated care boards have cut their staffing by up to a fifth in a single year – after being asked to reduce management costs – but significant variation exists, HSJ analysis shows.
‘Conflict of interest’ concerns over consultants hired to fix NHS finances
Concerns have been raised that consultants advising systems on savings plans could be “marking their own homework”, with many of the firms having already done similar exercises for the same organisations.
Revealed: Three-fold variation in emergency response time by ICS
A threefold variation in ambulance response for serious, urgent conditions has been revealed in new figures.
Consultants sent in to tackle overspending at nine ICSs
NHS England has ordered nine integrated care systems to bring in management consultants to find ways to immediately bring down spending because of concerns over their finances, HSJ can reveal.
Threefold ICS variation in GP phone access revealed
Patients trying to reach their GP are almost three times as likely to fail to get through in the worst-performing integrated care systems than the best, according to analysis of new annual figures.
Revealed: The ICBs most reliant on private hospitals
Up to 20 per cent of NHS elective patients are now being treated by private hospitals in some areas, analysis by HSJ suggests.
Nearly a third of ICSs admit finance plans will be missed
At least 13 integrated care systems have now admitted they will miss the financial plans they signed up for at the start of the year.
Increased spending on dental services blocked by a quarter of ICBs
A dozen integrated care boards are refusing to pay for extra activity to tackle the crisis in NHS dentistry, despite being told they can do so by NHS England, HSJ has discovered.
The Integrator: New model neighbourhood
Insider tales and must-read analysis on how integration is reshaping health and care systems, NHS providers, primary care, and commissioning. This week by deputy editor Dave West.
CQC slams hospital for ‘shocking’ lack of leadership
An independent hospital in Yorkshire has been placed in special measures after inspectors warned of a ‘shocking’ lack of leadership.
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.
Hospital whose rebuild was dropped faces ‘enforced closure’ risk
A trust that was inexplicably removed from the ‘40 new hospitals’ programme, despite being a top regional priority for capital funding, has been testing contingency plans for a ‘full or partial site closure’ due to problems with its main site.
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.
ICSs get ‘significantly harder’ savings target of 6pc
NHS organisations will have to make average efficiency savings of almost 6 per cent to meet their financial requirements this year, a report suggests, which is significantly higher than the levels demanded before the pandemic.
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.