Show Notes
The government made bringing down elective waits its key target for the NHS, and ministers often celebrate how much the list has fallen since Labour came to power. However, we reveal the part that waiting list clean-ups have played in cutting the list this year – alongside growing some types of activity, and other reforms – and why some experts are raising concerns about patients being wrongfully removed. Also this week more on the deal that will see the NHS pay more for new medicines.
More from HSJ Health Check
This week, we take a look at how the government’s plans to restructure NHS England and Integrated Care Boards are going.
On this episode we discuss an HSJ investigation that revealed an increasing number of trusts are facing cash shortages that are bubbling over into late payments to suppliers. We discuss why this is a symptom of a problem and what it says about the financial pressures providers are under this year.
This week we discuss the final report of a major government review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, including its criticism of the quality and cost of assessments done by independent providers.
This week we bring you the health highlights from the Labour Party Conference, including an ex-minister who said he would sack half of the NHS managers he has met “in a heartbeat” for not being good enough. We also discuss a worrying story about a trust at the heart of a major maternity inquiry, after a review found multiple recent stillbirths may have been avoided with better care. And on the theme of public inquiries, we cover some interesting comments made by Tom Kark KC, when speaking at HSJ’s Patient Safety Congress, who admitted they are often hugely expensive and time-consuming.
This week we talk about why an integrated care board in the north west is risking the wrath of GPs after consolidating its digital offering, in a move that has also raised concerns about its procurement practices. Also on this episode, the NHS has more than £1.6bn earmarked to get more out of digital systems - but trusts say the programme isn’t delivering. With just a week to hit some significant deadlines, we discuss why the Frontline Productivity Programme is being described by tech leaders as a “shambles”, with the centre being blamed, and what its future could look like.